The IT groups of CLRC support user communities in commerce, government, and higher education through high performance computing services, technology transfer programmes, and leading edge research. CLRC supports the research councils funded by the Science Vote, that is, government expenditure on civil science. The Research Councils were originally created by Royal Charter in 1965. The 1994 reorganisation has created a set of Research Councils with mission statements to support research leading to wealth creation. Both RAL and DL provide central facilities and specialist resources to support research in Britain and have a growing network of international collaborative programmes.
Topics covered include a broad spectrum of science and engineering.
Information technology and computing science form an important area of the work. Situated 15 miles south of Oxford on the northern slopes of the Berkshire Downs, RAL presents an impressive range of expertise which has helped to win its world-wide reputation. As well as supporting academic research, scientists and engineers at RAL collaborate in a range of national and international research projects. A Space Environment Test Facility does vibration and temperature testing of instruments to be launched on satellites. RAL also develops and operates ground-based facilities such as large radars and major data archives.