This report consists of two parts. Part 1 provides an inventory of past and present funding instruments in support of university research. It lists types of grants used for research-related purposes and gives information about their provisions and uses. Part 2 provides an assessment conducted by the General Accounting Office of the comparative values of several major categories of funding mechanisms and their impact on research performance and quality. Chapters in part 1 concern background information, direct support of research, the research infrastructure, objectives, scope and methodology, federal funding mechanisms in support of university research, trends in federal support for university research and funding mechanisms used by seven nonprofit foundations and associations. Appendices in part 1 include: (1) "Data Elements of Federal Funding Mechanisms"; (2) "Individual Project Support"; (3) "Program Support"; (4) "Center Support"; (5) "Special Training Needs"; (6) "Major Equipment and Facilities"; (7) "Institutional Support"; (8) "List of Awards by Mechanism and Agency"; (9) "Definitions of Funding Categories"; and (10) comments by various agencies. Chapters in part 2 include information on background, the role of funding mechanisms in improving the quality of university science and the role of funding mechanisms in the performance of research. An appendix provides a summary of scientific responses to selected questions. (CW)