Deadline Date: July 31, 2026
The Advanced Research Invention Agency is seeking proposals for opportunity seeds to support early-stage research that explores new pathways for climate adaptation and resilience.
The opportunity focuses on carbon dioxide removal through novel approaches for accelerating atmospheric carbon drawdown, extreme weather forecasting to improve prediction and preparedness for high-impact events, and new ideas related to solar geoengineering, while explicitly excluding proposals that aim to investigate altering Earth’s surface temperature through changes in planetary albedo, incoming solar radiation, or atmospheric emissivity, as these are covered under a separate programme.
They support “opportunity seed” projects designed to enable bold, high-risk ideas that could shift scientific understanding or open new technological pathways, ranging from curiosity-driven research to near-commercial development. The aim is to back proposals that demonstrate strong originality and the potential to challenge existing assumptions within the climate and weather domain.
Funding ranges from £10,000 to £500,000 per project, inclusive of VAT and all associated direct and indirect costs, with project durations extending up to three years and no minimum duration requirement. Eligibility is open across the research and development ecosystem, including individuals (even those without organisational affiliation), students, academic staff, universities, research institutions, companies of all sizes, charities, and public sector organisations.
Priority is given to applicants based in the United Kingdom or those willing to conduct more than 50% of the project within the United Kingdom, although international applicants may be considered in exceptional cases where the work is expected to provide significant benefit to the United Kingdom.
For more information, visit ARIA.
