Empowering scientists to reach for the edge of the possible

ARIA is a UK R&D funding agency built to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone.

Society’s most important advances have stemmed from those willing to think differently about what might be possible.

The Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) empowers scientists and engineers, from our Programme Directors to the teams we fund, with the resources and freedom to pursue breakthroughs at the edge of the possible.

Many will fail to meet their target, but their efforts will inspire the next generation. Those that do succeed will generate massive social and economic returns.

Discover more about ARIA

The latest from ARIA

25 June 2026

Sustained Viral Resilience

Meet the 11 teams we’re funding in this programme

Discover more

11 June 2026

Robot Locomotion

Share your thoughts as we explore a potential programme on robot locomotion

Discover more

09 June 2026

Engineering Ecosystem Resilience

We're funding 14 new opportunity seed projects in this space

Discover more

02 June 2026

Future Proofing Our Climate and Weather

Learn more about our opportunity seed funding call and apply

Discover more

Join our third cohort of Programme Directors

Applications for our third cohort of Programme Directors will open in August 2026 for a May 2027 start date. Learn more about what we're looking for and register your interest so you can be the first to hear updates on the application process.

Find out more

Opportunity spaces

Defined by our Programme Directors, ARIA opportunity spaces are highly consequential for society; under-explored relative to their potential impact; and ripe for new talent, perspectives, or resources to change what’s possible. Each opportunity space represents fertile ground we'll harvest for technical breakthroughs through programme and seed funding.

Within opportunity spaces, programmes are designed to advance complex, large-scale ideas that require coordinated investment and management across disciplines and institutions.

Scoping Our Planet

Programme: Enduring Atmospheric Platforms
Programme: Forecasting Tipping Points

Understanding the Earth system is limited by serious measurement gaps that lead to significant uncertainties in predictions. What if we could cultivate frontier technologies, from measurement platforms to AI models, to generate actionable knowledge that serves society in diverse and impossible ways?

Discover more