End of Q1, FY23-24

Since launching in January 2023 our primary focus has been to assemble our first cohort of Programme Directors (PDs). We put out a global open call for applicants, with the aim of bringing together a diverse group of scientists and engineers, capable of thinking differently and pushing the limits of the possible.

With a successful search and selection process now complete, we look forward to announcing our founding cohort in the early Autumn, and our first programmatic activity later this year.

Alongside the selection process, we spent this early period building the foundational team, systems, and infrastructure needed to enable operations at scale. Recognising the need for ARIA to operate flexibly at pace, we have prioritised building a small team in key operational roles, investing in more flexible outsourced support via a number of operating partners to keep our functions lean. 

For core functions (executive, procurement and finance), we worked with talent suppliers to recruit from a range of different backgrounds and pools, to bring a broad array of expertise into ARIA. This includes recruiting from startups, nonprofits, VCs and the public sector. 

In line with our commitment to transparency, ARIA will continue to report on our expenditure and costs, on a quarterly basis, including information on funded projects once these have commenced.

End of Q2, FY23-24

In this quarter, we formally announced and began to onboard our founding cohort of PDs: the scientists and engineers who will design and lead ARIA programmes. Our PDs joined us from around the UK and further afield, with a broad range of academic expertise and professional experience.

To ensure PDs could hit the ground running once in post, over this period we continued to build out our core operational team, and invest in the necessary infrastructure to support the development of complex, multi-year, geographically diverse R&D programmes. ARIA programmes will deliberately reach across disciplines, sectors and institutions, so our operations are designed to facilitate and support that ambition.

With PDs now in post, we’re laser-focused on programme development. While some PDs have joined with an emerging thesis underpinning a potential programme, for others that insight will emerge by seeking input and inspiration from different parts of the R&D ecosystem. We will share updates as PDs move through formal stages of the programme lifecycle, and continue to report on expenditure and costs on a quarterly basis.

We will also publish a procurement pipeline at the end of the next quarter outlining anticipated contract and grant opportunities.