Essays on the present and future states of research and development (R&D) units in colleges and universities are collected. The essays served as discussion papers for an annual meeting of heads of educational R&D units in Australia and New Zealand. "The Political Situation of Teaching-Research Units," by Terry Hore, encourages the formation of alliances with past clients, student associations, administrator and staff associations, administration, faculties of education, external agencies, and other units as competition for decreasing funds becomes more intense. "Some Effects of Accreditation Procedures on the Role of Research and Development Units in Colleges of Advanced Education," by Roger Swain, postulates that accreditation constraints have changed the units' roles from largely consultative and entrepreneurial to cooperative involvement in the institutions' functions. In "Managing Education Units in Times of Stringency," Robert Taylor gives suggestions for R&D unit directors to help assure survival in difficult economic times. "The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching at McQuarie University" (Australia), by Rex Meyer, explains how diversity in that R&D unit has prompted expansion. John Powell's "New Roles for Units?" recommends that units take on new functions such as departmental reviews throughout the university, or the evaluation of teaching and courses for increased accountability. In "New Roles for Units," Alan Lonsdale encourages R&D unit involvement in policy analysis and long-range planning for the institutions. The essays focus on Australia and New Zealand. Appended are the meeting agenda and list of participants. (MSE)