America's research universities—some fifty leading intellectual centers—have assumed a unique set of responsibilities. In addition to educating undergraduates, they house most of the nation's basic research and train virtually all new scientists and scholars. The health of these institutions is critical to the nation's intellectual life as well as to its economic well-being, military posture, and foreign policy. Robert Rosenzweig, reporting on a project sponsored by the Association of American Universities, examines the core functions of the research universities and explores how they might best relate to their powerful patrons: the national government, foundations, business, and industry.