National Center for Toxicological Research Also referred to as: NCTR
Mission
Address FDA’s needs with high-quality research and serve as a global resource for collaboration, training, and innovative scientific solutions.
Vision
Conduct scientific research to provide reliable data for FDA’s decision-making and develop innovative tools and approaches that support FDA’s public health mission.
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The National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) is the only FDA Center located outside the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The one-million square foot research campus in Jefferson, Arkansas plays a critical role in the missions of FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services to promote and protect public health.
Regulatory science researchers, academia, and other regulatory science research organizations and groups from around the world investigate, learn, and train at the Federal facility. NCTR, FDA's internationally recognized research center, plays a critical role in FDA’s mission. The unique scientific expertise of NCTR is critical in supporting FDA product centers and their regulatory roles.
- Provides interdisciplinary toxicology research solutions and consultations that support and anticipate future FDA needs to guard and improve personal and public health.
- Uses multidisciplinary research teams to develop novel translational research approaches for safety-assessment protocols that provide FDA with faster, more accurate, and economical methods for addressing regulatory questions.
- Engages in collaborations with scientists across FDA and other government agencies, industry, and academia to strengthen the scientific foundations vital to developing sound regulatory policy, and to promote the international standardization and global harmonization of regulatory science.
- Participates in national and international consortia that provide harmonized standards for technologies and risk-evaluation methods vital to FDA’s regulatory and public-health mission.
- Provides and encourages multidisciplinary workforce development and fosters national and international collaborations with scientists from government, academia, and industry.
About NCTR Research

NCTR Publications
Scientific publications and NCTR Research Highlights, NCTR Science Insights, Fact Sheets, Annual Reports, etc.

Bioinformatics Tools
Tools created at NCTR to develop methods for the analysis and integration of complex omics datasets.

NCTR Research Offices & Divisions
NCTR Research Offices and Divisions work closely in a seamless effort to support FDA's mission to bring safe and efficacious products to the market rapidly and to reduce the risk of adverse health effects from products on the market.

NCTR Celebrates 50 Years of Scientific Achievement
Since being established in 1971 by President Nixon, NCTR has become an internationally recognized research center and plays a critical role in FDA’s mission. The unique scientific expertise of NCTR’s staff is critical in supporting FDA product centers and their regulatory roles.

NCTR Research Focus Areas
NCTR's research areas of focus are antimicrobial resistance, artificial intelligence, biomarker identification, nanotechnology, and perinatal/maternal health.

NCTR Science Advisory Board Committee
The Science Advisory Board (SAB) to NCTR advises the NCTR Director in establishing, implementing, and evaluating the research programs that assist the FDA Commissioner in fulfilling his regulatory responsibilities.
Contact Us
- NCTR
- National Center for Toxicological Research
Food and Drug Administration
3900 NCTR Rd
Jefferson, AR 72079
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Hours Available
- NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov
- (870) 543-7517