About ARIA
From climate change to AI, society faces challenges and opportunities that can be uniquely addressed by science + technology.
Who we are
Created by an Act of Parliament, and sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, ARIA funds breakthrough R&D in underexplored areas to catalyse new paths to prosperity for the UK and the world.
What we do
We empower scientists and engineers to pursue research that is too speculative, too hard, or too interdisciplinary to pursue elsewhere. ARIA’s programmes are shaped and led by our Programme Directors, scientific and technical leaders with deep expertise and a focused, creative vision for how technology can enable a better future.
How we do it
Our independence allows us to pursue bold, long-term outcomes but that is only made possible through robust accountability. As a public body, we are accountable to Parliament and our Board of Directors plays a critical role in scrutinising our strategy. We also engage broadly and seek open feedback to shape our research, baking in ethics and governance considerations from the start to ensure we pursue breakthroughs responsibly.
What success looks like
Our success is shaped by one question: when the children of the UK grow up, how will their lives have been transformed by ARIA’s work? Whether through life-changing technology or a burgeoning new industry, it should be obvious that ARIA played a catalytic role.
Our research model
We believe people drive innovation.Their creativity and intrinsic motivation are the biggest assets we have. We seek out exceptional scientists and engineers with the curiosity to explore uncharted territory, then empower them with the resources and autonomy to turn their ideas into reality. This begins with our Programme Directors, who are tasked with:
 |
Defining an opportunity space Our Programme Directors (PDs) first define an opportunity space – an area we believe is likely to yield breakthroughs. An ARIA opportunity space must be highly consequential for society, under-explored relative to its potential impact, and ripe for new talent, perspectives, or resources to change what’s possible. |
 |
Designing and directing ambitious R&D programmes Within that space, PDs build multi-year R&D programmes designed to advance complex, large-scale ideas that require coordinated investment and management across disciplines and institutions. Each PD directs the review, selection, and funding of a portfolio of projects to advance the programme's goals. |
 |
Awarding seed funding Outside of programmes, PDs award seed funding to individuals or teams pursuing research aligned with their opportunity space. With smaller budgets and less structure than programmes, seeds support researchers to uncover new pathways that might otherwise fall through the cracks. |
 |
Activation Partners catalyse translation Activation Partners inject entrepreneurial talent, capital, and ideas to help propel our research – and the UK – to impact. |
"History is made up of periods of steady progress, but there are moments when we make a sudden leap forward. Whether it’s transistors, personal computers, vaccines, or even wind power, that shift is typically instigated by a small group of people who are willing to think differently about what might be possible. That’s what we’re betting on at ARIA."
Related pages
Meet our Activation Partners
We're infusing communities across our opportunity spaces with the entrepreneurial drive to convert our work into widespread impact.
Read more