Reporting on a project sponsored by the Association of American Universities, this book examines the core functions of research universities and explores how they can best relate to their powerful patrons: the national government, foundations, business, and industry. The following chapters are included: (1) "The Climate of Policymaking" covers background material; the problems of institutions; inflation, retirement, and government policy; attitudes toward science and technology; and government as both regulator and patron; (2) "Advanced Graduate Training: Stability and Balance" examines the elements of policy and recommended policies; (3) "Industry-University Collaboration: The New Partnership" discusses the outlooks of the research university, business, and government; (4)"Research Libraries: Cooperation for Survival" discusses research libraries councils, working with scholars, centers of special responsibility, a national periodicals center, preservation, research needs, technology, the role of the private sector and corporate support, and the role of the research librarian; (5) "The Eroding Research Base: Facilities and Instrumentation" examines reasons for decline, consequences of inadequate facilities and instrumentation, the level of needs, meeting the needs, and sharing instrumentation and facilities; and (6) "International and Foreign Area Studies and Research" discusses the university, government, and the private sector outlooks. The final chapter offers separate suggestions and recommendations for the federal government, industry, and research universities. Among the many recommendations cited are: no further increase in the minimum legal age for retirement; action to attract more minorities to graduate education; industry cooperation with universities to assist in developing and financing options to career cycle problems; industry support for research libraries; government support for new technology in research libraries and industry-university collaboration in science. (LC)