From the perspective of the UK, this paper addresses two main themes. It presents a higher education (HE) research agenda for the next decade linked to key policy challenges and reflects on the dynamics of the research-policy landscape. The paper begins by identifying four dimensions of the UK that will continue to be important as a focus for research and policy and goes on to identify seven policy challenges, posing these as questions for research at micro- and meta-levels of analysis. The paper illustrates relationships between HE research and policy development and discusses the range of actors now engaged in the policy-research landscape where a wide range of "evidence" is drawn upon by policy-makers. The challenge facing researchers is to ensure that longer term and deeper issues are not neglected in the rush for funding and short-term policy impact. While successful researchers engage in policy networks, they also need to maintain a critical distance from policy; and policy-makers themselves must recognise that independent enquiry provides the best service for the development of both HE and wider society.