The history of organized research units suggests that they have played an important role in the reorientation of university research toward applied knowledge. This has allowed American universities to expand parts of their research commitments in response to social demands without significantly affecting their fundamental educational mission. (MSE)

This paper examines the relationship between industry and university research, focusing on developments in the United States from the 1950s through the 1980s. It found that while industry spent less than 2 percent of its research funds on academic research in 1965, it spent almost 5 percent on academic research in 1989. It also found that in the…

This paper seeks to assess the current state of academic research in light of long-term trends in the development of science. It presents three perspectives on the growth of scientific research: (1) Derek de Solla Price's (1963) hypothesis that science has exhibited exponential growth, roughly doubling every 15 years since the 17th century; (2)…

Describes the history of the American research university. Discusses the origin of university-industry ties (1920s), transformation of the university research economy (late 1960s), and university-industry research relationships (1980s). (YP)

Current trends affecting private research universities include: privatization, more programmatic support of research, dispersion of university research, and a shift in the balance of activities from the center toward the periphery. Differences in finance and control of private universities are related to their disproportionate importance, given…