Works in Progress x ARIA: Lightning talks

​Join the Works in Progress team for an evening with ARIA, a UK R&D funding agency created to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs.

​ARIA Programme Directors have unique independence to shape and lead high-impact R&D programs with a budget of ≈£50M each. You can learn more about ARIA’s first cohort here.

​We'll hear lightning talks from three ARIA Programme Directors, sharing scientific developments which they’re particularly excited about:

• ​Jacques Carolan wants to reimagine ways to interface with the human nervous system. He’ll direct funding into uncovering minimally-invasive treatments for brain disorders that can be implemented at scale.

• ​Jenny Read is exploring advances in robotic hardware. She’ll direct funding into areas such as new materials for robot bodies or co-designing hardware and control.

• ​Mark Symes is focused on mitigating or preventing climate and weather disasters. He'll fund research aimed at developing a scientific framework for responsible climate and weather intervention technologies.

​We'll also hear from Pippy James, Chief Product Officer at ARIA, on what they're looking for in the next cohort of Programme Directors, recruiting from September 2024 – see more here.

​Pippy oversees the design and development of ARIA's entrepreneurial science initiatives, and their operating and funding model. She previously co-founded Gleen, a women’s health start-up, and was Global Product Manager at Entrepreneur First.

​Works in Progress is a magazine of new and underrated ideas to improve the world.

​ARIA (Advanced Research and Invention Agency) is an R&D funding agency built to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone.