During the past 20 years great efforts have been made to systematize and institutionalize educational research and development. At the same time, changing government priorities, shifting roles of participating institutions, and the politicization of social research have contributed to discontinuity and turmoil. The time has come to consider knowledge production and utilization (KPU) in education as a research area in its own right. Acknowledging this trend, the National Institute of Education (NIE) undertook two initiatives regarding KPU. First, part of the 1974 grants competition was targeted on KPU research in education. Second, the Research and Development System Support Division of NIE was organized with a major objective being the establishment of a program for monitoring KPU in education. This monitoring program has the following three major activities: (a) designing and collecting a systematic and continuing data base on educational KPU which will tap the major indicators of structure and change in the system, (b) formulating and testing theories and models of system dynamics, and (c) providing analyses and reports to internal policymakers and NIE's various publics. (PB)