Science and Engineering Research Council
The Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC), formerly the Science Research Council (SRC), was a British organization based in Swindon with responsibility for publicly funded research in areas such as astronomy , biology , biotechnology , space exploration and particle physics .
SRC was founded in 1965 to improve the organization of non-military research. In particular, priorities for state funding should be set under scientific assessment across the various disciplines. In 1981 it was renamed Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) to reflect the increased importance of engineering.
In 1994 the SERC was split into Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).