O. Perfilieva, PhD in Sociology, Director of the Centre for International Comparative Studies of the International Organisations Research Institute (IORI) of the State University – Higher School of Economics; E-mail: Perfilieva@hse.ru

The article presents the description of a research methodology on assessment the social and economic effects for the project implementation on establishing federal universities to the benefit of regions, industry and education system based on an international methodology for assessing the role of universities in regional development under the OECD programme “Institutional Management in Higher Education”. The research has been completed in the framework of the project “Education” under the activities “Development of the Federal Universities Network” and “Development of the National Research Universities Network” during September – October 2010. A detailed description of the results of the international methodology adaptation to the Russian conditions and strengthening positions of the federal universities is presented. A sociological research in two federal universities (Southern and Siberian) is described.