Organization and management of social research and development throughout the federal government are reviewed. The report is intended for use by persons who administer, are affected by, and/or make policy decisions regarding the system of federal support for the production and application of knowledge of social problems. The report is presented in six chapters. Chapter I summarizes the report, with emphasis on expenditure of the two billion dollars per year which the federal government invests to acquire knowledge of social problems and work toward their solution. Information is presented on types of activities, organizational location, audience, and application of knowledge. Chapter II explains the focus of the study. Chapters III and IV describe the system of federal support for research on social problems. Chapter V investigates problems which weaken government efforts toward an effective research-based understanding of social problems. Chapter VI recommends how the system of social knowledge production and application can be improved. Recommendations include systematic planning by federal research administrators, creation of problem-exploring research agencies, involvement of research-based knowledge from outside the government, and periodic evaluation of all work funded by the federal government. (DB)