The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme: A Study of Global Change (IGBP), a natural science research program, has been inaugurated by the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU). Recently, initial steps have been taken to develop an international social science research program on global change that would either be part of the IGBP or separate and complementary to it. The workshop reported in this document was held to consider social science research that could be relevant to global change and what actions U.S. social scientists should take to prepare for participation in this type of research program. This report: (1) describes the IGBP's development; (2) explains the importance of developing international programs that focus on global change; (3) chronicles the steps that have been taken to launch an international social science global change research program; (4) summarizes the workshop's general conclusions; (5) provides examples of social science research that would be relevant to global change; and (6) contains recommendations on how U.S. social scientists might be organized to participate in an international global change program. An appendix lists the workshop's participants. (JHP)