Funding opportunities

We're funding research at the edge of what is technologically or scientifically possible.

Types of funding

Programmes (£10m–100m)

Our programmes are designed to advance complex, large-scale ideas which require coordinated investment and management across disciplines and institutions. To build a programme, each Programme Director directs the review, selection, and funding of a portfolio of projects which work in tandem to drive breakthroughs.

Opportunity seeds (up to £500k)

With smaller budgets and less structure than programmes, seeds support individual research teams to uncover new pathways that could inspire future programmes or might justify additional support as a standalone project.

Funding calls

These calls are currently open for applications – make sure to read the calls for proposals before applying.

Opportunity Seed

Rolling opportunity seeds

Building on our previous funding calls for opportunity seed projects, we’re launching an open rolling call for proposals as an experiment across multiple opportunity spaces. We’re keen to learn from this process and use the lessons to make future calls stronger and more effective. We're looking to fund projects within the Mathematics for Safe AI, Nature Computes Better and Scoping Our Planet opportunity spaces, with up to £500k each.

Opportunity spaces

Mathematics for Safe AI, Nature Computes Better, Scoping Our Planet

Application date

Rolling

Programme Funding

Precision Mitochondria: Full proposals

ARIA is launching a programme backed by at least £55 million to make the mitochondrial genome programmable in vivo. The immediate goal is to achieve persistent, reproducible expression of a novel gene from engineered mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in a vertebrate system. The programme will fund the creation of a versatile toolkit to empower researchers with new capabilities. This toolkit will enable the delivery of nucleic acids into the mitochondrial matrix, the expression of functional proteins from the introduced genetic code, and the maintenance of engineered genomes through cellular replication.

Opportunity space

Bioenergetic Engineering

Programme Director

Nathan Wolfe

Application Date

15 January 2025

Programme Funding

Sustained Viral Resilience: Full proposals

We’re accepting applications for funding within our £46m Sustained Viral Resilience programme. The programme’s goal is to engineer the body's innate immune system, creating a new class of medicines we're calling ‘sustained innate immunoprophylactics’ (SIIPs). If successful, they’ll provide durable, broad-spectrum protection against multiple respiratory viruses, creating a foundational resilience to viral disease that complements traditional vaccines. We’ll not only fund efforts to create new kinds of prophylactics, but also activities that support adoption and those that unlock smoother translation and commercialisation pathways.

Opportunity space

Sculpting Innate Immunity

Programme Director

Brian Wang

Application Date

22 January 2025

Opportunity Seed

Engineering Ecosystem Resilience

The Engineering Ecosystem Resilience opportunity space asks: How can we become as precise and purposeful in our interactions with living systems as we are when we build buildings or software, so we can make ecosystems resilient and reverse biodiversity decline? We’re funding projects to challenge assumptions, open up new research paths, and provide steps towards new capabilities within the space, with up to £500k each.

Opportunity space

Engineering Ecosystem Resilience

Programme Director

Yannick Wurm

Application Date

02 February 2026

Accessibility support

If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition, ARIA can offer support to help you with our funding application process or when you are carrying out your project.

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How we work

We seek out exceptional scientists and engineers and empower them to turn their ideas into reality.

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