The crucial importance of the research university as a key asset in achieving economic prosperity and security is widely understood, as evidenced by the efforts that nations around the globe are making to create and sustain institutions of world-class quality. Yet, while America's research universities remain the strongest in the world, they are threatened by many forces: (1) national and state economic challenges; (2) the emergence of global competitors; (3) changing student demographics; and (4) rapidly evolving technologies. And even as other countries have emulated the United States in building research universities to drive economic growth, America's commitment to sustaining the research partnership that built a great industrial nation seems to have waned. In this article, the author looks at the historical and future significance of research universities in the United States and cautions against allowing the investment in these institutions to wane, presenting 10 recommendations to strengthen them. The first four recommendations will strengthen the partnership among universities, federal and state governments, philanthropy, and the business community in order to revitalize university research and speed its translation into innovative products and services. The next three recommendations will streamline and improve the productivity of universities' research operations. The final three recommendations will ensure that America's pipeline of future talent in science, engineering, and other research areas remains creative and vital, leveraging the abilities of all of its citizens and attracting the best students and scholars from around the world. (Contains 1 resource.)