All around the world, the importance of research undertaken within universities and other institutions of higher education is widely recognised by governments, industries and diverse stakeholders. Indeed, it is likely that the contribution of higher education in the generation of new ideas and knowledge, and as an economic driver, has never been higher. At the same time, universities face a rapidly changing environment shaped by pressure on funding, an emphasis on quality assurance and the increasing impact of globalisation, marketisation and new technology. Such pressures for change have placed a particular emphasis on the need for effective management of higher education institutions.

This article aims to bring together these two themes, looking at the management of research universities. What are the key management characteristics of some of the world’s leading research-intensive universities? Are there particular models of internal organisation, leadership, resource allocation and human resource management that lend themselves to the successful encouragement of research? Further, how do these approaches relate to some of the inherent difficulties in the management of research?