ARIA (Advanced Research + Invention Agency) is the UK government's new research funding body based on the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
They have £800m in committed funding and are looking for a founding programme director to allocate a £50m budget. This organisation is brand new so I expect this early hire will have significant input on the direction it takes.
Quoting the job description:
- Ideate, then create a programme around your own scientific/technical vision.
- Direct a budget of up to £50M+
- Select a portfolio of projects to fund from across the R&D landscape, decide how ARIA will fund them.
- Create a new community around the vision and goals of your programme.
- Shape ARIA’s DNA, working with a small peer group to define our programmes, culture and impact.
Listed cause areas include:
- Genomics
- AI governance
- Material science
- Climate change
- Medical research
Some more information about the role, and a tweet blast from The Centre for Long-Term Resilience (CLTR).
They say they will be hiring more in the coming months including:
- Product Lead
- Product Operations Associate
- Executive Associate
- In-House Counsel
And I've heard that they are seconding civil servants which is maybe something @tobyj of Impactful Government Careers can advise on.
P.S.
Nukaz ARIA (couldn't resist)