Funding opportunities
We're funding research at the edge of what is technologically or scientifically possible.
Types of funding
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Programmes (£10m–100m) Our programmes are designed to advance complex, large-scale ideas which require coordinated investment and management across disciplines and institutions. To build a programme, each Programme Director directs the review, selection, and funding of a portfolio of projects which work in tandem to drive breakthroughs. |
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Opportunity seeds (up to £500k) With smaller budgets and less structure than programmes, seeds support individual research teams to uncover new pathways that could inspire future programmes or might justify additional support as a standalone project. |
Funding calls
These calls are currently open for applications – make sure to read the calls for proposals before applying.
Opportunity Seed
Rolling opportunity seeds
Building on our previous funding calls for opportunity seed projects, we’re launching an open rolling call for proposals as an experiment across multiple opportunity spaces. We’re keen to learn from this process and use the lessons to make future calls stronger and more effective. We're looking to fund projects within the Mathematics for Safe AI, Nature Computes Better and Scoping Our Planet opportunity spaces, with up to £500k each.
Opportunity spaces
Mathematics for Safe AI, Nature Computes Better, Scoping Our Planet
Application date
Rolling
Programme Funding
Precision Mitochondria: Full proposals
ARIA is launching a programme backed by at least £55 million to make the mitochondrial genome programmable in vivo. The immediate goal is to achieve persistent, reproducible expression of a novel gene from engineered mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in a vertebrate system. The programme will fund the creation of a versatile toolkit to empower researchers with new capabilities. This toolkit will enable the delivery of nucleic acids into the mitochondrial matrix, the expression of functional proteins from the introduced genetic code, and the maintenance of engineered genomes through cellular replication.
Opportunity space
Bioenergetic Engineering
Programme Director
Nathan Wolfe
Application Date
15 January 2025
Programme Funding
Enduring Atmospheric Platforms: Concept papers
ARIA is launching a programme backed by at least £50 million to unlock the stratosphere as a persistent operating environment. The goal is to solve the interdependent challenges of flight and energy to create a resilient and sustainable platform layer between Earth and space. Success will be measured by a single, galvanising demonstration: keeping a platform aloft for one week while maintaining line-of-sight to a fixed ground point and continuously powering a 300W payload. This technical breakthrough will provide the physical backbone required for next-generation advanced communications, serving as a critical enabler for the projected £13–20 trillion annual economic potential of AI.
Opportunity space
Enduring Atmospheric Platforms
Programme Director
Rico Chandra
Application Date
19 January 2025
Programme Funding
Sustained Viral Resilience: Full proposals
We’re accepting applications for funding within our £46m Sustained Viral Resilience programme. The programme’s goal is to engineer the body's innate immune system, creating a new class of medicines we're calling ‘sustained innate immunoprophylactics’ (SIIPs). If successful, they’ll provide durable, broad-spectrum protection against multiple respiratory viruses, creating a foundational resilience to viral disease that complements traditional vaccines. We’ll not only fund efforts to create new kinds of prophylactics, but also activities that support adoption and those that unlock smoother translation and commercialisation pathways.
Opportunity space
Sculpting Innate Immunity
Programme Director
Brian Wang
Application Date
22 January 2025
Opportunity Seed
Engineering Ecosystem Resilience
The Engineering Ecosystem Resilience opportunity space asks: How can we become as precise and purposeful in our interactions with living systems as we are when we build buildings or software, so we can make ecosystems resilient and reverse biodiversity decline? We’re funding projects to challenge assumptions, open up new research paths, and provide steps towards new capabilities within the space, with up to £500k each.
Opportunity space
Engineering Ecosystem Resilience
Programme Director
Yannick Wurm
Application Date
02 February 2026
Accessibility support
If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, ARIA can offer support to help you with our funding application process or when you are carrying out your project.
How we work
We seek out exceptional scientists and engineers and empower them to turn their ideas into reality.
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