Ministry of Technology and successors: Research Associations Branch and successors:...

FV 5

1965-1986

This series contains files relating to the funding of research associations by grant aid, their membership and winding up, relationships with individual research associations, including the setting up and meetings of requirements boards, and the staffing of the branches dealing with them. These branches, mostly within research divisions, were successively within the Ministry of Technology, Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Industry. In 1971 some files which had been passed to the Department of the Environment were added to this series.

Some SV files, which were re-registered from the AR prefix, were originally registered in the D prefix. For files with the D prefix, see DSIR 52

Files relating to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research's earlier responsibility for research associations are in DSIR 16

SV and RC/SV file series

Public Record(s)

English

• Department of Industry, Research and Development Requirements Division, 1974-1977
• Department of Industry, Research and Technology Policy Division, 1982-1983
• Department of Industry, Research and Technology Requirements and Perspective Division, 1977-1982
• Department of Trade and Industry, Research Administration Division, RA3 Branch (Research Associations), 1970-1971
• Department of Trade and Industry, Research and Development Requirements Division, RR1 Branch, 1972-1974
• Department of Trade and Industry, Research and Technology Policy Division, 1983-1992
• Department of Trade and Industry, Research Division, R3 Branch (Research Associations), 1971-1972
• Ministry of Technology, Research Administration Division, RA3 Branch (Research Associations), 1967-1970
• Ministry of Technology, Research Associations Branch, 1965-1967

155 file(s)

Open

From 1993 Department of Trade and Industry

Topics

Trade and commerce

Research

In 1965, the Ministry of Technology (Mintech) assumed responsibility from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) for grant aid to numerous scientific associations. These responsibilities were discharged by a free standing branch within Mintech, called the Research Associations Branch.

By December 1967 the branch had been incorporated as RA3 Branch under the Research Administration Division

The functions of the RA3 Branch (and successors) were concerned with the formulation of policy on research associations and liaison with them. In November 1969, the Branch's role was being described as concerned with the management of research associations; the planning and rationalisation of co-operative research; and the control and distribution of government funds as between research associations (with the intention of influencing the development of research associations though the manipulation of grant terms). The Branch had technical, administrative and financial responsibilities for the grant support of co-operative industrial work in research associations, with responsibility also for the co-ordination of Mintech's relations with sponsored research institutes. The Branch also had responsibility for certifying the research associations as qualifying for relief under the Income Tax Act 1952 and for premium payments under the Selective Employment Payment Act 1966. By 1970, certification for relief was in respect not of these Acts, but of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970 (s362) and the Capital Allowances Act 1962 (s90).

In October 1970, with the creation of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Research Administration Division, including RA3 Branch, passed from Mintech to the new department. In 1971, RA3 Branch became R3 Branch in the newly combined Research Division.

In November 1972, when the Research Division was split, R3 Branch became RR1 Branch of the Research and Development Requirements Division. Both the Branch and the Division continued as such under the Department of Industry from its establishment in March 1974 until 1977. From 1977 until 1982 the Division became the Research and Technology Requirements and Perspective Division and continued to service the Requirements Boards as well as taking responsibility for liaison with the universities and the Science Research Council. In 1982 the Division was involved in the development of science and technology policy, energy conservation, support for innovation and the assessment of the research and development programme and was renamed the Research and Technology Policy Division. It continued with the same name when the Department of Trade and Industry was formed in 1983.