The University of Birmingham is a leading research-led UK university. It is ranked 12th in the UK overall (out of 159 institutions) in the Research Fortnight University Power Ranking, based on the quality and quantity of its research output. The university is ranked 77th in the QS world university (2012/13) and 99th in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University World Rankings (2010).

The University of Birmingham will be the coordinating organisation via its College of Life and Environmental Sciences. It has a modern administrative and project management infrastructure and extensive experience of successful implementation of EC-funded projects. In particular, the coordinator will be Professor Stuart Harrad, who co-ordinates the current ITN project INFLAME, the IRSES project INTERFLAME, and the EID project ELUTE. Birmingham will be the principal host to ESR10 and ESR11, and will host secondments from ESRs 3, 7, 8, and 9, as well as ER3. Birmingham will also provide training in indoor dust sampling to the majority of A-TEAM trainees.

Contact: Prof. Stuart Harrad
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The University of Antwerp is one of the leading Universities in Belgium, with modern and up-to-date educational and research facilities. It is also the newest university in Flanders, founded in 2003 after the merger of three university institutions.

The University of Antwerp participates in A-TEAM via one of its top research groups in its Toxicological Centre. The coordinator within the university will be Professor Adrian Covaci, who will also lead WP4. Antwerp will be the principal host to ESR6 & ER3, and will host secondments from ESRs 2, 4, 9, 11 & 12.

Contact: Prof. Adrian Covaci
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VU University Amsterdam is a prominent European research university. With 21,000 students, about 4,300 staff and twelve faculties, VU University Amsterdam is a modern organization at the cutting edge of academic higher education. VU University Amsterdam will be represented in A-TEAM by one of its interdisciplinary research institute at the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences (FALW), i.e. the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM).

VU University Amsterdam will be the principal host to ESR2, and will host secondments from ESRs 1, 3, and 11, plus ERs 2 and 3. Dr. Pim Leonards will also act as the Director of Research for A-TEAM, and will lead WP1.

Contact: Dr. Pim Leonards
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VITO is a leading independent non-profit research and technology organisation active in materials, energy, environment, health and chemicals. VITO has a wide spectrum of environmentally relevant expertise, ranging from work place exposure, biomonitoring, chemical measurements, modelling to risk evaluation.

VITO will provide expertise and training in analytical method development and trace chemical analysis of organic contaminants. It will act as principal host to ER12 and will host a secondment from ESR5. Dr. Stefan Voorspoels will also act as Outreach Champion.

Contact: Dr. Stefan Voorspoels
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IVL is a leading environmental research institute in Sweden. As a private, non-profit organisation, founded in 1966, IVL is involved with development of solutions to environmental problems on a national and international scale, within climate, environmental engineering, waste management, working environment, environmental measurement, and environmental quality evaluation.

IVL will contribute with analytical chemistry & fate modelling expertise and a strong network with industrial stakeholders, e.g. through the research programme ChEmiTecs. They will also lead the Outreach WP and organise ATCs 4 and 5. It will be principal host to ESR5 and ESR8, and will host secondments from many trainees. Anna Palm Cousins will fulfil the role of Equal Opportunities Champion.

Contact: Anna Palm Cousins
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Stockholm University is one of Sweden's largest research universities with 50,000 students, 1,900 Ph.D. students, and 6,300 employees. Ranked number 27 internationally in the field of Environmental/Ecological Sciences by ISI's Essential Indicators.

Stockholm University has a modern administrative and project management infrastructure including the Research Liaison Office, which supports academic staff involved in EU project management. Stockholm University will provide expertise and training in multimedia fate and exposure modelling and trace chemical analysis of organic contaminants. Stockholm will lead WP3, will be the principal host to ESR1, ESR4 and ESR7 and will host secondments or visits from all other trainees. Moreover, ESRs 5 and 8 will be enrolled in graduate studies at SU.

Contact: Prof. Cynthia de Wit
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NIPH is a national centre of excellence covering a broad range of aspects of public health including environmental medicine. Research is performed at a high scientific level with strong international collaboration.

NIPH will host ESR3, ER1 and ER2 using an experimental approach to investigate the correlation between external exposure and biomarkers of exposure in a cohort of households. NIPH has strong expertise in human biomonitoring and has evaluated the significance of different pathways of exposure in many collaborative projects. NIPH will also host secondments from ESR4, ESR5, ESR6, ESR7, ESR8, ESR9, ESR11, and ESR12, lead WP2, and provide the Ethical Lead (Dr. Cathrine Thomsen) for A-TEAM.

Contact: Dr. Line Smastuen Haug
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The University of Reading is ranked as one of the UK's 10 most research-intensive universities and as one of the top 200 universities in the world. The university enjoys a world-class reputation for teaching, research and enterprise. Important achievements include being the first university to win the Queen's Award for Export Achievement (1989), and twice receiving the Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education (1998 and 2006).

The University of Reading will host ESR9 as well as a substantial secondment by ESR10. The bioaccessibility of chemicals in a range of samples of airborne particles, indoor dust, and diet samples supplied via the A-TEAM cohort will be determined by ESR9 with appropriate in vitro bioaccessibility systems. Dr. Chris Collins will be Director of Training, and lead the Training WP.

Contact: Dr. Chris Collins
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