UK government to launch new research development agency modelled on DARPA

Late last month, the UK government announced their plans to launch the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA) – an independent, scientist-led research agency to support “high-risk, high-reward” research projects.

Citing the illustrious achievements of UK scientists like Ada Lovelace and Alan Turing, the announcement highlighted that this program will carry on the legacy and that it serves to “cement the UK’s position as a global science superpower.” ARIA is also conceptualized based on past successful models, particularly the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the US, which has proven its special worth in recent times by laying the groundwork for critical COVID-19 solutions with early research on mRNA vaccines and antibody therapies.

Similarly, ARIA, which is slated to take-off in 2022, aims to develop transformative innovations at speed by overcoming bureaucratic barriers and fast-tracking funding procedures – a mission fundamental to the project.

Set to be led by world-class scientists, ARIA is expected to provide the right platform and support for pioneering researchers. Amanda Solloway, Science and Innovation Minister, stated “ARIA will unleash our most inspirational scientists and inventors, empowering them with the freedom to drive forward their scientific vision and explore game-changing new ideas at a speed like never before.”

While many scientists welcomed the news, others were critical about the same owing to an unclear plan and purpose shared with the public. Moreover, for the next few years, only $1.1 billion is allotted for ARIA, whereas its American counterpart, DARPA, has an annual budget of almost $3.5 billion. James Wilsdon, a science-policy researcher at the University of Sheffield, in an interview with Nature. “This is not an enormous amount of money.” This is because ARIA is set to receive around 2% of the total science budget of the country.

In addition to being free of certain rigid rules that government-funded projects regularly face, ARIA is also likely to be exempted from the Freedom of Information Act, worrying skeptics that ARIA could become a hub for secretive military projects.

While the project can be instrumental in establishing the UK as a global scientific leader, it remains to be seen how the questions and concerns about ARIA and how it’s meant to impact science in the UK are addressed lan by the UK government.

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References:

UK to launch new research agency to support high risk, high reward science

UK Announces “High-Risk, High-Reward” Research Development Agency

Defence research agency for 'high-risk' projects on cards for UK