Advanced Research and Invention Agency

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency, or ARIA, is a research funding agency of the UK government, announced on 19 February 2021.[1][2][3]

Advanced Research and Invention Agency
Established24 February 2022
TypeNon-departmental public body
Websitewww.aria.org.uk

History

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency Act 2022 created the legislative framework for the agency and it was formally established as an independent research body in January 2023.[4]

With a similar remit to that of its US equivalent, DARPA, the agency will fund "high-risk, high-reward" research.[5][6] Organisationally, it will be small, independent of UKRI (the main UK government funding body), with autonomy to operate at speed innovate funding, (for instance with X-Prize type inducements around research goals), rapid "seed" funding, with successful seeds entering a much smaller tier of large-grants, and bonuses for accomplishing research goals.[7]

The announcement was broadly welcomed by prominent figures in the UK's scientific establishment like Jenny Read and Gemma Bale who will be involved in ARIA.[8] Although some have called for a clearer remit and direction for the agency.[1][9]

As of 2021, the agency's initial budget was planned to be £800 million over four years.[5]

Labour Party Member of Parliament Dawn Butler said in March 2021 that the fact ARIA is exempt from Freedom of Information requests would "raise alarm bells" about how taxpayer money is spent, in light of a scandal over how the UK government procured PPE contracts during the Covid-19 pandemic.[10]

On 20 July 2022, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced that ARIA's first CEO would be Ilan Gur and its first Chair would be Matt Clifford.[11] In early 2023, it was announced that Nobel prize-winning organic chemist Chemistry Sir David MacMillan and Dame Kate Bingham entrepreneur who headed the successful Vaccine Taskforce, would join the board, advancing the high-risk/high-reward research agenda.[12]

See also

References
  1. "UK to launch £800m science research agency". Financial Times. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  2. "UK to launch new research agency to support high risk, high reward science". GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  3. Swinford, Steven. "Secrecy for high-risk tech research agency Aria". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  4. Cookson, Clive (2023-08-26). "Taking 'bold' bets: new UK agency prepares to fund breakthrough technologies". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  5. "UK to launch 'high risk' science agency". BBC News. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  6. "'Licence to fail': £800m for new scientific agency that will focus on high-risk, high-reward projects". Sky News. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  7. "Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA): policy statement". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  8. "ARIA: UK's Ambitious Venture into Transformative Research". Cortex Report. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
  9. "Expert reaction to announcement of UK government plans for the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA)". Science Media Centre. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  10. "Health department was 'smoking ruin' on Covid - Cummings". BBC News. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  11. "Innovation heavyweights appointed to lead new Advanced Research and Invention Agency". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  12. "Nobelist and ex-vaccines chief join newly established Aria". Times Higher Education (THE). 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
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