The primary objective of a project undertaken by the University of Dayton (Ohio) and a local school district was to create an environment of academic inquiry built on a strong foundation of collaboration between the school district and the university. Using the Getzel Model of organizational interaction, teachers were paid, encouraged, and instructed in academic inquiry through a collaborative effort between the school district and the university. Twenty projects were written, begun, and partially evaluated during the 1994-95 school year. The 20 projects followed a four-phase model designed to unite university and school district through a collaborative model of inquiry. The four phases involve: instruction-based dialogue; implementation by teachers and funding for their requirements; continuation and replication; and commitment of teachers to leadership. It is concluded that the following are important for the success of a research project such as this one: (1) trust and academic dialogue; (2) commitment to fundamental research, especially at the teacher level; and (3) interrelation among change and practical (action) and theoretical (basic) research. (Contains 13 references and an appendix with 15 University of Dayton Project--Ripley Union Lewis Huntington Schools research abstracts.) (MAH)