The recent autonomy of the Royal University of Bhutan brings with it many challenges and responsibilities. Some parallels are drawn with Australian experiences. I argue that a key challenge is the introduction of research as one of three categories of workload for academics where previous custom and practice included only teaching and service. A related challenge is the inclusion of the academics' own and others' research in the teaching and learning process. These changes will have an impact on policies and practices, notably the nature of academics' work and their promotion. A variety of ways to support RUB academics' research is presented.