Catalogue description Records of the Research Divisions and Establishments, and their predecessors and successors

The Ministry of Technology's (Mintech) Research Administration (RA) Division was created in 1967. It was responsible for allocating resources to research establishments, research associations and universities to carry out the research programme agreed upon jointly with Research Planning Division. Its work included the headquarters functions for servicing and financial administration in relation to the research associations. The division also dealt with the administration of the Queen's Award to Industry. The head of the division provided general administrative support to the Controller Research over his whole field of responsibility.

Upon its creation in October 1970, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) took over from Mintech those research divisions and establishments that were not transferred to the Ministry of Aviation Supply. These comprised:

• the Research Planning Division (including the Hovercraft Directorate)
• the Research Administration Division (later incorporating the former Productivity Services and Information Division)
• the Laboratory of the Government Chemist
• the National Engineering Laboratory
• the National Physical Laboratory
• the Torry Research Station
• the Warren Spring Laboratory and the National Research Development Corporation.

After the merger of the Board of Trade and Mintech in 1970, the former British Research and Development Corporation (BRDC) Division of the Ministry of Technology (which had been set up to co-ordinate the creation of the BRDC to run the civil research and development laboratories of the UKAEA and Mintech under a simple management structure) was reconstituted to form the Industrial Research Review Division of the DTI. This Division was abolished in 1971, and its personnel transferred to the DTI's Atomic Energy Division.

In 1971, the Research Administration and Research Planning Divisions were combined to form the Research Division. In November 1972, the Research Division was itself split to form the Research and Development Requirements Division and the Research and Development Contracts Division, and continued as such under the Department of Industry which was established in March 1974.