Abstract
When pressing national environmental problems must be solved, and serve as the justification for large infusions of public funds, mechanisms must be found to assure that the requisite research and assessment are performed. Large, managed programs seem to offer a way to direct energies in the needed directions, but individual creativity and intellectual curiosity must also be fostered through investigator-initiated studies. Research results cannot be achieved to meet imposed deadlines, and assessment in the face of uncertainty must be given due attention. This paper introduces five subsequent papers, four of which present perspectives on the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, as a model for coordinated research and assessment programs, and one that presents plans for a national and international research effort on biodiversity.
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