In the past century, science has helped humans take one "giant leap" after another. Scientists have devoted themselves to fighting disease, defending freedom, feeding the world, inventing an information economy, and exploring space.

Today's scientists are being asked to pen a new contract with society, one that reflects humanity's greatest struggle to date. It's a struggle to save something larger than an individual's life or a nation's freedom. What's on the line this time around is planetary security—the well-being of our entire species and all the living systems that sustain us.

The task we've set for ourselves at North Central is to be leaders in this new contract. We want our research to be genuinely relevant and our results to be a real resource for those facing tough decisions. That's why we've chosen to focus on three subjects—Landscape Change, Forest Productivity, and Riparian Landscapes—to which we'll bring a confluence of ideas from several disciplines. The cross-disciplinary approach we're taking is unconventional and uncharted, but then again, so are the problems we face.

The next section briefly describes our focal programs. If you require more detail, we'd be happy to send you the research charters.