In recent years, the federal government and private industry have entrusted universities to manage a considerable portion of their research portfolio. Many, but certainly not all, university research administrators come from the faculty ranks, and many have little or no formal training in this role. More often than not, they learn the profession "on the job." Some facets of research administration simply require either "common sense" or personal experience as a research-active faculty member. However, there are many other aspects that benefit from formal training. These include the historical and legal background behind many institutional and federal policies and regulations. Managing the Research University aims to fill that void by providing a comprehensive background and discussion of the issues and challenges of managing a university's research enterprise. It provides a thorough background to research administration, covering all of the main issues confronting academic research administrators.