The types of managerial problems occurring in large research laboratories are classified, the politics of their management are analyzed, and the forms in which the problems are manifested are discussed. It is concluded that strategic practices are needed for the organizations to function effectively. (Author/MSE)

Some new approaches to R & D funding adopted by the United Kingdom's National Development Programme in Computer Assisted Learning are described. Considered are: the aim of the program; the role of the directorate in "cooperative" funding; the approach to evaluation; and the emphasis on project management. (Author/LBH)

Analysis of the role of research councils and the awarding of research grants suggests that they have become part of the reward system of the scientific community. It is proposed that research councils must become entrepreneurial, seeking both resources and a role in strategic networks, or face obsolescence. (MSE)

It is suggested that, in the Netherlands' system of resource allocation for research, there is subtle and powerful pressure for consensus. Changes in science policy orientation since the 1960s are traced, and the current framework for policy formation, planning, and decision making is sketched. Three peer review models are examined. (MSE)