Olfactory Perception
Backed by £65m, this programme sits within the Nature-Inspired Computation opportunity space and seeks to build the foundations for general-purpose olfactory perception – matching or exceeding biological systems in programme challenges.
Funding: Technical Area 1
Submit your application by 30 September 2026 (14:00 BST).
We’re accepting proposals for teams to build the Open Olfactory Resource (OOR): the world's largest open, cross-domain dataset of volatile chemical signals, alongside the standards, governance, and organisational infrastructure needed to make it trusted, reproducible, and enduring.
What we’re looking for
We're agnostic to the kind of team you are: you could be an existing organisation, a newly formed consortium, or a team coordinating a portfolio of subcontractors. Strong applications are likely to combine analytical chemistry, automation, data engineering, standards and metadata expertise, governance, operational leadership, and a credible route to long-term sustainability.
Join a team
We have a live teaming tool that allows applicants to find complementary expertise. After a quick registration, you can browse other researchers and request an introduction from the ARIA team to explore potential collaborations. You can also sign up to join our in-person event (7 September, 10:00 – 16:00 BST).
How to apply
We’re accepting full proposals for Technical Area 1, from teams who could build the OOR. Here are the key dates:
Full proposal window opening: 12 August 2026 (Open)
FAQ webinar: 25 August 2026 (14:00 – 15:00 BST)
Full proposal submission deadline: 30 September 2026
Read the call for proposals and apply below.
Resources
Clarification questions
If you have any additional questions, please use the chat function on this page for the quickest response – you'll find the icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. It can guide you to the right information or connect you with the ARIA team if needed. We’ll update this page with questions and answers.
Nb: Clarification questions that need to be reviewed by the ARIA team should be submitted via the chat function no later than four days prior to the relevant deadline date. Clarification questions received after this date will not be reviewed.