SACTRC is a research collaboration which is based in and administered from Sri Lanka but SACTRC has active collaborators from many other countries. SACTRC was formally established in 2004, but many of the collaborators were actively involved in research on poisoning and envenoming in South Asia over the preceding decade.

The general objective of the collaboration is to promote clinical research, particular in toxicology and toxinology, within the South Asian region (Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal). These objectives include increasing research capacity through postgraduate training and the establishment of Sri Lanka as an international centre of clinical research excellence.  In pursuance of this general goal, the collaboration proposes,

• To cooperate with governmental organizations, professional bodies and other groups or individuals concerned with toxicological problems relevant to South Asia
• To facilitate research designed to reduce the burden of illness from poisoning and envenomation
• To conduct research to increase understanding of mechanism of poisons and toxins
• To translate evidence arising from research into clinical practice and public health interventions
• To foster professional education in the field of toxicology and toxinology
• To support a secretariat with responsibility for realizing the objects of the collaboration

SACTRC provides infrastructure and intellectual support to a number of research projects related to acute poisoning and snake envenoming. It has an active program of support and training for postgraduate students.

SACTRC is predominately funded by competitive research grants. The major sources of funding are from the Wellcome Trust and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia. In addition, SACTRC has also received small amounts of funding through other small grants from various universities (University of New South Wales, Australian National University & University of Copenhagen), non government organizations (WHO) and commercial organization (Syngenta) and research students have been supported by Ausaid, NHMRC and Australian Postgraduate Awards.

Please refer to grant detail pagsse for more details in regard to specific projects and funding.
In June 2010, South Asian Clinical Research (SACR) was formed as a limited liability company. SACR has administered all accounts and human resources from July 2010. Prior to the development of this capacity, all previous operations had to be undertaken directly by the grant holders.