Universities are increasingly accountable for their research output, not only to government but also to an increasingly diverse range of funding bodies. However, the growth in research management structures has been neither universal nor evenly distributed. It would be easy to cite lack of resources as the reason for the uneven development between regions. The range of needs and barriers discussed in this article tells two things. First, research management structures are more likely to take root in a favourable institutional environment. Second, the list of issues suggests that institutions and countries will respond to the need for better research management in different ways. Both of these conclusions suggest diversity and unevenness in the growth of research management structures, but neither undermines the notion of a global research management profession. Whatever its individual circumstances, any university that retains research as part of its mission statement needs to find ways in which the resources available for the research function can be maximised, and the results accounted for and applied. To this extent, research management is a universal issue. A discussion of how UK practitioners can help on this issue is presented.