Funding – now open
Submit your concept papers by 06 March 2026 (14:00 GMT)
Within this programme, we’re looking to fund a cohort of interdisciplinary teams that can develop approaches to accelerating adaptation in wild species, model what the impacts of diverse approaches would be, explore the ethical and governance implications of potential interventions, and lead by defining and verifying data and analysis practices.
Success in this programme would unlock new capabilities that enable wild systems to rapidly overcome threats, ensuring the survival of the vital natural infrastructure that underpins our global economy and human health.
Technical Areas open for funding
In Phase 1 of this programme, we are seeking to fund teams across the following programme areas:
TA1 | Systems: Demonstrate accelerated adaptation, against a benchmark, in specific systems. Applications could focus on strategically chosen vulnerable species, such as trees, which can support hundreds of other species, and/or critical functional groups such as pollinators or soil nutrient cycles that underpin ecosystem services.
TA3 | Modelling: Increase our current predictive capacity with respect to modelling ecosystem resilience, integration of genetic, population and ecosystem‑level data, and understanding the impacts of potential interventions.
TA4 | Data + analytics: Make results comparable across teams, trusted and legible including through delivering training, and developing shared protocols, and data visualisation mechanisms. Ensure that claims made by system-focused teams are independently verified.
TA5 | Ethics + social responsibility: Recognising there is a diverse set of ethical considerations in the funded areas, we will not be prescriptive in what can be funded in this TA. Activity could include: co-developing ESR tools, frameworks and guidance; delivering training to project teams; producing evidence that could inform future governance models/regulatory pathways.
Each application should focus on a single TA. Applicants may submit multiple applications, provided each addresses a different TA. Details of what is in and out of scope for each area can be found in the call for proposals.
Who should apply?
We invite applications from interdisciplinary teams bridging fields including ecology, evolution, biological engineering, conservation, ethics, robotics, and AI. We welcome applications from those at universities, research institutes, non-profits, startups, established companies, and from individuals. We encourage collaborative teams, but solo applicants are also invited to apply. Applicants can be based in the UK or abroad.
Join a team
We have a live teaming tool that allows applicants to find complementary expertise. After a quick registration, you can browse other researchers and request an introduction from the ARIA team to explore potential collaborations.
How to apply
We are now seeking concept papers for projects within TA1, 3, 4 and 5 until 05 March 2026 (14:00 GMT). Read the call for proposals and apply below.
Key dates
Webinar for questions and clarifications: 24 February 2026 (12:30 GMT) - register here
Concept paper deadline: 06 March 2026 (14:00 GMT)
Window for full proposals opens: 01 April 2026
Window for full proposals closes: 01 May 2026 (14:00 BST)
You do not have to submit a concept paper in order to submit a full proposal. However, submitting a concept paper will give you an opportunity for feedback and an initial indication of whether we think a full proposal would be competitive.
Resources
Clarification questions
If you can't attend our webinar or have any additional questions, please use the chat function on this page for the quickest response – you'll find the icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. It can guide you to the right information or connect you with the ARIA team if needed. We’ll update this page regularly with questions and answers.
Nb: Clarification questions that need to be reviewed by the ARIA team should be submitted via the chat function no later than four days prior to the relevant deadline date. Clarification questions received after this date will not be reviewed.