Chemistry Nobel prize-winner joins board of UK’s newest funding agency

Organocatalysis pioneer David MacMillan, a joint recipient of the 2021 chemistry Nobel prize, is one of five new directors appointed to the board of the UK’s new Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria). The government made the announcement as it formally established Aria as an independent body.

Over the last two years, the government has been working to establish Aria – a new blue skies funding agency modelled on the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The body will have a budget of £800 million to invest in ‘high risk, high reward’ science. The government states that Aria will involve ‘minimal bureaucracy’ and will speed up the allocation of funds to promising projects.