Congressionally Mandated Research Plan and an Initial Research Governance Framework Related to Solar Radiation Modification

JUNE 2023

This Research Plan was prepared in response to a requirement in the joint explanatory statement accompanying Division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, directing the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to provide a research plan for “solar and other rapid climate interventions.”

The Congressional directive also requests that OSTP develop a “research governance framework to provide guidance on transparency, engagement, and risk management for publicly funded work in solar geoengineering research.” An initial Research Governance Framework is included in part I of this report. This initial framework provides important context for the Research Plan. While key concepts in the framework, such as transparency and international cooperation, are reflected in the Research Plan, the Research Plan itself does not focus on issues of research governance.