Dr Mark Toal is Deputy Director of Research Systems at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Mark is accountable for a number of aspects of NIHR systems, including overall NIHR financial monitoring and planning, including NIHR policy on Research Capability Funding and Excess Treatment Costs.
He is reponsible for the NIHR contract and elements of NIHR procurement, including procurement of the NIHR Coordinating Centres, and cross-NIHR Information Systems and data policy.
Mark leads on analysis of NIHR research impact and NIHR communications policy. He is also a member of the NIHR Strategy Board.
In addition to his NIHR-facing accountabilities, Mark is responsible for sponsorship of the Health Research Authority.
Mark has held a number of policy, strategy and delivery roles within DHSC and other Government Departments. Prior to his time in the civil service, Mark was a research scientist at the Natural Environment Research Council and has a PhD in Environmental Biology from the University of Liverpool.