INTRODUCTION 



^America's research-intensive universities have played a critical role in the development of our 

 knowledge driven technological society. With their unique combination of responsibility for both 

 research and education, our institutions of higher learning are unmatched by those of any other 

 country with respect to their excellence, creativity, and benefits to society. They provide a steady 

 supply of highly trained scientists and engineers for industry, government, and academia. They 

 also produce new knowledge essential to major national objectives, such as economic progress, 

 industrial innovation, improved health care, environmental quality, and the assurance of national 

 security. The fulfillment of these critical national objectives depends on the continued health, ex- 

 cellence, and productivity of the research-intensive universities. It also depends on the continued 

 vitality and synergy of the relationship between the universities and the Federal government. 



The unique and prominent role of RIUs in our Nation is in part the result of a conscious and 

 long-term commitment on the part of the Federal government to the development and support of 

 research universities. Since World War II, Federal agencies have provided the research-intensive 

 universities with a major portion of their research funding. The Federal government has sup- 

 ported the education of students at the graduate and undergraduate levels, directly through fel- 

 lowships and traineeships and indirectly by their involvement in Federally funded research. 



The context within which this relationship has developed and prospered is currently under- 

 going major changes. The Cold War, which served as a major stimulus for Federal support of re- 

 search for half a century, has come to an end, and science and technology are recognized as 

 critical elements in the emergence of a global international economy. 



The conduct of research itself has changed, with an explosion of new opportunities generated 

 by the accelerating rate by which knowledge is created and communicated, and by new problems 

 and challenges, in areas from cancer to cosmology, and from global change to genetic engineer- 

 ing. The new challenges and opportunities have increased the importance of multidisciplinary re- 

 search. Shorter time horizons between concept and application and more iterative relationships 

 between fundamental research and technology have increased the need for collaborative relation- 

 ships among researchers. 



Public awareness of the critical role of science and technology has been accompanied by 

 heightened public scrutiny of Federally funded research, by increased demand for accountability, 

 and by growing attention to the management of ethical, legal, and safety issues. Growing public 

 and Federal concern to assure a demonstrable return on the taxpayer's investment has increased 

 the attention of the Federal agencies to strategic research areas, to directed research even in areas 

 of fundamental science, and to institutional strategies that encourage cross-sectoral communica- 

 tion and collaboration among academia, industry, and government. 



Finally, there is a growing divergence between the expectations of university researchers and 

 the Federal resources available to support their work. The result has been increased competition, 

 anxiety, and a sense of insecurity among researchers. 



