Records of Research Organisations (Boards, Committees and Laboratories)

Division within DSIR

1853-1992

Records of Research Organisations (boards, committees and laboratories) relating to various areas of research that came under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research's remit.

Comprises:

• Atmospheric Pollution Research Committee, DSIR 14
• Building research, DSIR 4
• Chemistry Research Board, DSIR 5
• Food Investigation Board, DSIR 6
• Forest Products Research Board and Laboratory, DSIR 7
• Fuel Research Board, DSIR 8
• Gas Cylinders and Containers Committee, DSIR 19
• Geological Survey Board, DSIR 9
• Illumination Committee, DSIR 20
• Joint Fire Research Organisation, DSIR 48
• National Chemical Laboratory, DSIR 74
• Pest Infestation Research Committees, DSIR 21
• Pest Infestation Research Laboratory, DSIR 25
• Radio Research Board, DSIR 11
• Water Pollution Research Board and Laboratory, DSIR 13

For records of the Metallurgy, Tin and Tungsten and Industrial Research Boards, of the Engineering and Physics Co-ordinating Research Boards, and general files on co-ordinating boards see DSIR 3

Public Record(s)

English

15 series

Topics

Radio and television

Oil and gas

Research

Construction industries

Food and drink

Beginning with the Fuel Research Board in 1917, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) undertook direct action in specialist fields of applied research by setting up a number of research boards. Though most of these survived as their individual research laboratories were established a few, such as the Tin and Tungsten Research Board (1920 to 1921) and the Metallurgy Research Board (1928 to 1939), proved to be ephemeral.

As a result of a Cabinet decision in 1920 a series of co-ordinating boards were established to survey the research programmes and activities of the three defence departments and the DSIR, and to institute research projects on questions of common interest. To this end they included representatives of the fighting services and of interested civil departments together with independent men of science. Three such boards, for physics, chemistry and engineering, were set up and remained in operation for eight years.

The Radio Research Board exercised similar functions to these co-ordinating boards, but it remained in existence, though relieved of its co-ordinating functions, when the other boards were disbanded on the recommendation of a sub-committee of the Committee of Civil Research.