Frequently Asked Questions

What is ARIA?
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ARIA is an R&D funding agency that is built to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs for everyone’s benefit. Our success will be measured by the lives, industries, and communities transformed by ARIA’s work.

Is ARIA part of the UK Government?
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ARIA is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation + Technology.

We were created via the ARIA Act to pursue bold, long-term goals, providing a high degree of independence in decision making and distribution of funding.

How much money is ARIA backed by + what’s the timeline for it being allocated?
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ARIA is backed by £800M.

Our first cohort of Programme Directors has been recruited and have begun to develop and launch multi-year programmes and projects.

When will the UK see an impact of ARIA’s funding?
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We were designed to catalyse transformative impact on a decadal timeline. Our success will be measured by the lives, industries, and communities transformed by ARIA’s work – change on that scale will take time.

How will ARIA ensure good governance in its activities?
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We have an experienced Board of Directors who provide critical oversight over our strategy and governance.

We are accountable to Select Committees and Parliament, subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office, and required to submit an annual report and statement of accounts to be laid before Parliament.

We will transparently publish information on our programmatic activities, including regional data, spend and delivery partners.

What approach will PDs be taking to engagement?
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PDs will engage with communities across the R&D ecosystem from the earliest stages of programme development onwards, through workshops, soliciting feedback, and consultation.

You can find more about how we’ll engage here.

Are you going to be recruiting for more PDs anytime soon?
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Yes, we’ll begin recruiting for our second cohort of PDs in September 2024, to take post in 2025. If you’re interested in joining ARIA as a PD, share your details here and we’ll let you know when applications open. 

 

If I am recruited by ARIA, will I be eligible for a Global Talent Visa (GTV)?
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ARIA is an approved host organisation under Route 1 of the GTV. Find out more about eligibility here.

How will ARIA treat confidential information disclosed during discussions/meetings?
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We’d like conversations to be as open as possible and in general we do not want confidential information to be disclosed during initial discussions or meetings.

However, where confidential information is disclosed it must be identified specifically and ARIA will treat that information as your confidential information.

I'd like to partner with ARIA, how do I engage?
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We’ll openly publish our progress at each stage of programme development, so check what we’re working on for opportunities to engage in specific programme areas.

We will also be sharing updates on our Substack, so subscribe and follow us there.

What is ARIA’s policy on the use of animals in research?
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ARIA follows UKRI’s policy on funding animal testing, details of which you can find here. We intend to publish an ARIA policy in the coming months. This policy will maintain alignment with UKRI’s guidelines. 

What is ARIA’s policy for clinical trials in research?
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You can find a copy of ARIA’s policy for clinical trials in research here.