MRC Integrative Toxicology Training Partnership

This grant funds a network of doctoral training partnerships across UK universities, not a single research project. The problem it addresses is a shortage of skilled scientists trained in toxicology—the study of how chemicals, pollutants, and drugs harm living systems. Without enough specialists, the UK risks falling behind in safely regulating new medicines, industrial chemicals, and environmental contaminants. The training partnership creates a pipeline of researchers who understand how substances interact with the body and the environment. If successful, this programme will produce a cohort of toxicologists equipped to work in academia, regulatory agencies, and industry. Their expertise could improve how the UK assesses chemical safety, from pesticide residues in food to side effects of new pharmaceuticals. It may also strengthen the evidence base for public health policies on air pollution, water quality, and workplace exposures. This is primarily a skills and education initiative, not a discovery-driven science project. Its impact is indirect but structural: by training people, it builds the human infrastructure needed to keep chemical safety systems running reliably.