The British Rayon Research Association was formed in 1946 to investigate the chemical and physical properties of rayon and rayon fabrics. Its main constituent member was the British Rayon Federation. Its funds came from industrial partners and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Its offices and laboratories were initially located close to Ringway in Manchester, but moved to Heald Green in 1955. Overlaps with the research work of the British Cotton Industry Research Association led to the merger of the two associations to form the Cotton, Silk, and Man-Made Fibres Research Association, also known as the Shirley Institute, in 1961.