ARIA is an R&D funding agency. We fund teams of scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of what is technologically or scientifically possible. ARIA was established by the UK Government in January 2023 with high levels of autonomy and flexibility. From climate change to AI and bioengineering, society faces enormous challenges and opportunities that can be uniquely addressed by science and technology. ARIA was created to activate the UK’s world-class R&D talent in new ways, so that we can meet these head on.

With an initial budget of £800m, ARIA will activate the UK’s world-class research community to act as a force multiplier for ARIA’s investments and build new communities of practice. ARIA's founding cohort of Programme Directors (PDs) — the scientists shaping and managing the R&D ARIA fund — bring a range of industry and academic experience. They have joined ARIA from across the UK — from Newcastle and Cambridge to Glasgow – and the US.

As of September, ARIA will be recruiting for our second cohort of PDs –– scientists and engineers with diverse fields of expertise and a range of experience across industry, academia and government. They’re tasked with developing a concrete vision for how technology could enable a better future, and directing funding into research that can make it a reality. ARIA is seeking deeply technical individuals who have experience taking a scientific/technical vision from idea to execution.

If you are intrinsically motivated to have an outsized impact on the world and solve a major, meaningful problem using science and technology, this could be the role for you.