The Institute of Petroleum's Hydrocarbons Research Group brought together the universities and subscribing industrial organisations such as British Petroleum, ICI, National Coal Board, and served as a channel for small but nevertheless very useful allocations of research funding from industry to university scientists working in the area. The material relates to meetings of the HRG's Spectroscopic Panel (first meeting 1945, 82nd and final meeting 1972), conferences on spectroscopy organised by the Panel and research by Richards which received HRG support.

Folders B.57-B.64: Meetings.

Folder B.57: Minutes of the first meeting of the Spectroscopic Panel, 16 March 1945.

Copies of these minutes were distributed to members of the Panel at the final meeting in 1972. G.B.B.M. Sutherland and H.W. Thompson were founder members of the Panel; Thompson attended its final meeting.

Folder B.58: Brief correspondence from J.C. Hawkes, Chairman, Spectroscopic Panel, 1965-1966.

Folder B.59: Minutes of the 62nd meeting meeting of the Panel, 21 March 1967; correspondence arising from the meeting, June 1967; minutes of the 63rd meeting, 24 October 1967.

Folder B.60: Minutes of the 64th meeting, 30 January 1968, the 66th meeting, 4 April 1968 and the 67th meeting, 7 October 1968.

Folder B.61: Minutes of the 68th meeting, 9 January 1969, the 69th meeting, 25 March 1969 and the 71st meeting, 25 September 1969.

Folder B.62: Minutes of the 72nd meeting, 8 January 1970, the 74th meeting, 27 May 1970 and the 75th meeting, 6 October 1970.

Folder B.63: Minutes of the 76th meeting, 12 January 1971, the78th meeting, 20 May 1971 and the 79th meeting, 21 September 1971; HRG Spectroscopic Panel circulation list 1971/1972.

Folder B.64: Minutes of the 80th meeting, 13 January 1972, the 81st meeting, 3 July 1972 and the 82nd (and final) meeting, 28 September.1972.

Folders B.65-B.73: Conferences.

Folders B.65-B.68: Fourth conference on molecular spectroscopy, Brighton, 17-19 April 1968.

Richards was a member of the organising committee and contributed a paper on 'pulse methods - spin echo' to a session on nuclear magnetic resonance.

Correspondence regarding arrangements, notes on organising committee meetings, programmes, abstracts etc., 1965-1968.

Folders B.69-B.70: Fifth conference on molecular spectroscopy, Brighton, 21-24 September 1971.

Richards was a member of the organising committee and gave a paper on the biological applications of NMR.

Correspondence regarding arrangements, notes on organising committee meetings, provisional timetable, abstract of Richards's paper, etc., 1969-1971.

Folders B.71-B.73: Sixth conference on molecular spectroscopy, Durham, 30 March - 2 April 1976.

In 1973 Richards was a member of the organising committee of this conference then planned for September 1974. In 1974 when the conference was rescheduled to a later date he declined to serve on the committee because of other commitments. He presented a paper on the biological applications of high resolution NMR at the conference.

Correspondence regarding arrangements, notes on organising committee meetings, programmes, abstract of Richard's paper, etc., 1973-76.

Folders B.74-B.81: Research.

Folder B.74: HRG report no.23 'A low frequency amplifier for use with thermocouples' by C.H. Miller, Richards, and Thompson, Oxford, August 1947. 7pp. + 3pp. figs.

Folder B.75: Annual report on NMR research by Richards's group, Physical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford, 1964-1965. 5pp.

Folder B.76: Forward programme of research in magnetic resonance 1966-1967. 2pp. With covering letter, 11 March 1966.

Correspondence regarding award of grant for research outlined in forward programme, June 1966.

Annual report, October 1966.

Folder B.77: Annual report, October 1967. 5pp.

Forward programme for magnetic resonance at Oxford for 1967-1968, n.d. 2pp.

Annual report 1967-1968, 12 September 1968.

Folder B.78: Forward programmes and research applications for 1968-1969. 18pp.

Includes forward programmes of Richards and Thompson at Oxford, N. Sheppard at East Anglia and W.C. Price at King's College London.

Annual report for 1968-1969.

Folder B.79: Letter from Secretary, Spectroscopic Panel, 14 January 1969, requesting forward programmes, with Richards's programme attached. 2pp.

Annual report for 1969-1970, 25 September 1970. 2pp.

Folder B.80: Forward budget 1970-1971, 2 March 1970.

Letter from Richards to Institute of Petroleum, 8 October 1971, regarding research grant and research students.

Annual report for 1970-1971. With covering letter, 17 November 1971.

Folder B.81: Forward programme for 1971-1972, 9 February 1971.

Annual reports for 1971-1972.

Includes annual reports of Richards and Thompson at Oxford, Sheppard at East Anglia and Price at King's College London.