- Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
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Several countries have (or have had) organizations called the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR.
Contents
United Kingdom
The British DSIR was the first. At the outbreak of World War I, "Britain found ... it was dangerously dependent on enemy industries".[1] At the request of the Board of Trade, the Board of Education prepared a White Paper under the chairmanship of Sir William McCormick.[2] The D.S.I.R. was set up to fill the roles that the White Paper specified: "to finance worthy research proposals, to award research fellowships and studentships [in universities], and to encourage the development of research associations in private industry and research facilities in university science departments. [It] rapidly assumed a key role in coordinating government aid to university research.[3] It maintained these roles until 1965. The annual budget during its first year, 1915, was £1,000,000.
Research Laboratories that were administered by the DSIR priot to its disbandment in 1965 included:
- Building Research Station, Watford (from 1921) later renamed Building Research Establishment, and now simply BRE
- Fuel Research Station, Greenwich, moved 1959 to Stevenage and renamed Warren Spring Laboratory, WSL
- National Physical Laboratory - Teddington (from circa 1917)
- Radio Research Station - Ditton Park (from 1924)
- Road Research Laboratory, Crowthorne (from 1933)
- National Engineering Laboratory - East Kilbride (later transferred to the DTI)
India
The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) is a part of the Ministry of Science and Technology, which was announced through a Presidential Notification, dated January 4, 1985 (74/2/1/8 Cab.) contained in the 164th Amendment of the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) has a mandate to carry out the activities relating to indigenous technology promotion, development, utilization and transfer. It also oversees the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India's largest research and development organization.
Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) is the nodal department for granting recognition to in-house R&D units in Industry, Scientific and Industrial Research Organizations (SIROs); and registration to public funded research institutions, universities, Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institute of Science, Regional Engineering College (RECs), other than hospitals.
A complete directory of all recognized In-House R&D Units: http://www.dsir.gov.in/direct/08dir_rdi.
Each year DSIR awards the DSIR National R&D award for Outstanding R&D achievements in various areas/sectors of industry.
New Zealand
Founded in 1926 by (amongst others) Ernest Marsden. Reconstituted into profit-motivated entities called Crown Research Institutes by the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992, with some further consolidation since.
Australia
The Australian equivalent is called the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).[4]
External links
- UK DSIR:
- India DSIR:
References
- ^ Robert O. Berdahl, British Universities and the State, University of California Press, Berkely, 1959; reprinted Arno Press, 1977, ISBN 040510029-9, page 56.
- ^ Sir William McCormicK, G.B.E., F.R.S. Obituary, Nature 125, 569-571, 12 April, 1930.
- ^ H.F. Heath and A.L. Heatherington, Industrial Research and Development in the United Kingdom, 1946. pages 250-251.
- ^ Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization.
Categories:- Government agencies of New Zealand
- Science and technology in New Zealand
- Science and technology in the United Kingdom
- Defunct departments of the United Kingdom Government
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