The document presents eight conference papers which discuss the impact and functions of European national research institutions. The main aim of the conference was to provide an opportunity for directors of research institutions to exchange ideas and information with peers in other countries. Educational research is discussed from three points of view: national, institutional, and project level. The first two papers examine national level topics--the structure and coordination of educational research in Hungary and Sweden. The third and fourth papers concentrate on institutional aspects of research--interdisciplinary research in Poland and the impact of educational research on educational practice in England. The final three papers present project-level examples--educational development in the Soviet Union; continuity between preschool and primary education in Belgium; and innovation in France's secondary schools as a result of educational research. A summary section discusses the need for better dissemination of research findings and characterizes the various institutional approaches to educational research and practice as pragmatic (the English-speaking institutes) and controlled and directed by national educational policies (Eastern European institutes). (Author/DB)