Late last week saw the publication of the ARIA Framework Agreement.
The framework sets out how the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) will work, and crucially where it will not work, with the newly formed Department for Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
During the passage of the ARIA Bill, one of the major selling points of ARIA was that it is free of the usual research bureaucracy. As far as possible, the idea is that researchers will be given money to pursue the projects that are interesting to them without the approvals, form filling, or the external scrutiny that comes with mainstream research programmes.
In short, the goal is to give talented people from a range of disciplines the maximum amount of time to focus singularly on the biggest problems that face humanity. This should mean that ARIA is not only working on new discoveries – it is also discovering new ways in which to do research.
