POLICYMAKERS DEMAND RESEARCH THAT CAN BE USED AND RESEARCHERS DEMAND THAT CANONS OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY BE FULLY RESPECTED IN GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED RESEARCH. BOTH DEMANDS ARE REASONABLE AND CAN BE BEST BE MET THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT CAREFULLY STRUCTURE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN RESEARCH AND UTILIZATION OF ITS RESULTS TO BALANCE THE NEED TO KNOW WITH THE NEED TO ACT. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE (NILECJ) WORKED DURING 1977 AND 1978 TO BUILD SUCH A PROGRAM. AS THE RESEARCH ARM OF LEAA, WHOSE MISSION IS TO HELP STATES AND LOCALITIES DEAL WITH CRIME, THE EXPERIENCE OF NILECJ MIRRORS OTHER EFFORTS TO APPLY RESEARCH TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS. IN STRUCTURING ITS CURRENT APPROACH TO KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION AND APPLICATION, NILECJ BUILT UPON THE LESSONS OF THE PAST DECADE. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS HAS BEEN THAT THE RESEARCH AGENDA, WHICH ARTICULATES PRIORITIES, PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS. IN ADDITION, COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA HAVE BEEN REFINED TO INCLUDE TRAINING AND DEMONSTRATION AS WELL AS PUBLICATIONS. THE INSTITUTE'S PHILOSOPHY IS PREMISED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE RESULTS OF RESEARCH CAN GUIDE ACTION, BUT THOSE RESULTS MUST FIRST BE VERIFIED BY AN APPLIED RESEARCH PROCESS. SEQUENTIAL PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES IDENTIFYING PRIORITY PROBLEMS, SELECTING RESPONSE STRATEGIES, DEVELOPING A PROGRAM MODEL, DESIGNING A FIELD TEST OF THE MODEL PROGRAM, IMPLEMENTING AND EVALUATING THE FIELD TEST RESULTS, AND INCORPORATING THE RESULTS IN A REFINED MODEL PROGRAM. SUPPORT FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AND FOR INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCH IS ESSENTIAL AT THIS STAGE. RECOGNITION IN AND OUT OF GOVERNMENT OF THE EFFORT TO TRANSLATE RESEARCH INTO ACTION MUST PROCEED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)