Scalable Neural Interfaces: Opportunity seeds
Opportunity seeds support ambitious research aligned to our opportunity spaces. We’re looking to challenge assumptions, open up new research paths, and provide steps towards new capabilities.
We’ll fund high-potential proposals with up to £500k each.
We’re looking to fund bold ideas within the Scalable Neural Interfaces opportunity space, which asks if we can transform our understanding of neurological disorders by interfacing in new ways – at scale – with the human brain.
You can find the scope below and our evaluation criteria in our call for proposals; beyond this, we don’t have preconceptions about which ideas you should send our way.
In scope:
- Ideas that sit within the Scalable Neural Interfaces opportunity space. By this, we mean your proposal should show how your idea either aligns with or challenges the assumptions of the Summary, Beliefs, or Observations in the opportunity space;
- Ideas that could change the conversation about what is possible or valuable;
- Ideas that range from early stage curiosity-driven research through to pre-commercial science and technology.
Out of scope:
- Ideas that are within scope of the Precision Neurotechnologies programme;
- Ideas that are undifferentiated or are likely to happen without ARIA’s support;
- Commercial or close-to-commercial stage products.
If you are unsure of whether or not your idea is in scope, ask us by sending an email to clarifications@aria.org.uk.
Document library
Some key resources to understand the context for this seed funding call:
- How opportunity seeds work within our model
- Opportunity space: Scalable Neural Interfaces
- Programme Director Jacques Carolan’s blog on what we’re looking for
- How we fund
Everything you need to know to apply:
- Call for proposals
- How we select projects
- Template funding agreements
- Applicant walkthrough for the portal
- Funding FAQs
- Opportunity seed FAQs
- Clarification questions
If you require an accessible version of any of these documents, please contact clarifications@aria.org.uk.
Who are we looking to fund?
If you have a bold idea that you’re obsessed with but don’t have the resources or support to take it forward, we’d like to hear from you. We welcome applications from the entire R&D ecosystem and we’re keen to hear from early career entrepreneurs and researchers, or those who have atypical backgrounds; we care more about your idea and your intrinsic motivation than we do about your CV.
What budget and timeline can I propose?
We provide funding from £10k up to £500k per project, inclusive of VAT (where applicable) and all associated costs (both direct and indirect).
There is no minimum length for a proposed project but the maximum length is three years.
Want to know more about the types of projects we’re keen to see? Programme Director Jacques Carolan has shared his vision for the opportunity space + example projects for inspiration in a piece for ARIA’s Substack.
Click to read
Apply for funding
Deadline: 13 February 2025 [13:00 GMT]
Before submitting an application, please read the call for proposals.
After reading our FAQs on ARIA funding and opportunity seed-specific funding, if you have any further questions relating to the opportunity seed call, please email clarifications@aria.org.uk. Any questions or responses containing information relevant to all applicants will be provided to everyone that has started a submission within the application portal and published on our website here.
We’ve designed a short and straightforward application. We hope you can spend no more than two to three hours writing it, though you may wish to spend more time thinking through your idea before applying.
Application timeline
| Applications open | Clarifying questions deadline | Application deadline | Shortlisting* | Final award decision** | Submit your application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 December 2024 | 10 February 2025 (13:00 GMT) | 13 February 2025 (13:00 GMT) | 11 March 2025 | 21 March 2025 | Apply here |
Applications open
2 December 2024
Clarifying questions deadline
10 February 2025 (13:00 GMT)
Application deadline
13 February 2025 (13:00 GMT)
Shortlisting*
11 March 2025
Final award decision**
21 March 2025
Submit your application
*Shortlisted/unsuccessful applicants notified. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to meet with the Programme Director.
**Successful/unsuccessful applicants notified.
Meet Jacques
Jacques is an applied physicist and neuroscientist. He spent a decade building quantum computing technologies before pivoting into systems neuroscience where he developed optical technologies to understand living brains. Prior to ARIA, Jacques was a BBSRC Discovery Fellow at the University College London.
