Leader sought for UK’s blue skies science funding body

The UK government is seeking candidates to spearhead its new independent science funding body.

Announced in February, the creation of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) was driven by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser Dominic Cummings. It is modelled on the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) and aims to support ‘high risk, high reward’ projects.