The series consists of the records of the Office of University Research as well as earlier files from the Graduate School related to sponsored research and the funding of graduate student stipends. There is some material from the Office of Sponsored Programs from the 1980s and early 1990s concerning financial matters related to research activities such as determination of indirect costs. The bulk of the series are the files created by Director Stanley Nicholas and Associate Director Robert Henningson as well as some material from Jay Gogue, Associate Director, 1986-1989 and Vice President for Research, 1991-1995. The files include correspondence among University administrators and faculty, correspondence from corporate and non-profit sponsors of research at Clemson, minutes and reports of the University Research Committee, some funding proposals and related documentation. There are correspondence, proposals, minutes and reports of the Faculty Research Committee, 1945-1965. Included as well are files documenting the administration of the Claud W. Kress Fund, 1942-1982.

The series is arranged in alphabetical order by folder title and in chronological order within folders. There is a copy file of outgoing correspondence from Nicholas, Henningson and Gogue for 1980-1994 that is organized in chronological order with an alphabetical index.