By informing users about past, present, and future climate change, the National Climate Assessment (NCA) links scientific advancement with the needs of decision makers responding to a changing climate. To do this, the NCA gathers scientific information from many sources, highlighting key findings and major gaps in knowledge about climate impacts in regions and sectors across the United States. With input from over 1000 scientists, the Third NCA (2014) is the most comprehensive analysis to date of how climate change is affecting the United States now and it could affect it in the future.

Development of the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) is underway, and nominations for regional and sectoral chapter lead authors, and contributing authors with relevant subject matter expertise, are now open. Details on chapter topics can be found at the bottom of the federal register notice. Author nominations must be submitted by September 30, 2016.

Technical inputs on sectoral, regional, and cross-cutting topics, which will serve as part of the foundation for NCA4 along with special assessments and other literature, can also be submitted at this time. Details on regions and topics to be included can be found at the bottom of the federal register. All scientific and technical inputs must be submitted by January 15, 2017. To provide author teams more time to consider inputs, please submit by November 1, 2016.

The outline and chapter list for NCA4 were informed by a July 2016 request for comments on the proposed content and scope of the report. A separate request in May 2015 sought input on the sustained assessment process more generally. Input from both requests helped USGCRP understand the kinds of information users are looking for, suggested new topics and chapters (e.g., air quality, the built environment, and international effects), and encouraged us to combine some chapters. Summaries of the comments received on NCA4 and on the sustained assessment are available.

For examples of past technical contributions, check out the inputs submitted in support of NCA3 on a wide range of topics encompassing regions, sectors, response strategies, and cross-cutting issues. Inputs ranged from workshop summaries to special issues of publications to agency technical reports and other kinds of literature reviews.

We look forward to hearing from you!

• Instructions for author nominations and technical submissions are available at www.globalchange.gov/notices