Decarbonization is the only sustainable route out of the climate crisis, but environmental changes are outpacing current mitigation efforts. The Advanced Research + Invention Agency is seeking proposals for opportunity seeds – funding of up to £500,000 for early-stage research that explores new pathways for climate adaptation and resilience.
What we are looking for
We are interested in ideas ranging from early-stage, curiosity-driven research through to advanced translational science. Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Carbon dioxide removal: Novel concepts to accelerate the drawdown of atmospheric carbon.
- Extreme weather forecasting: Breakthroughs in predicting extreme weather events to better prepare vulnerable systems.
- New ideas related to solar geoengineering: New ideas related to solar geoengineering, strictly excluding proposals specifically designed to investigate the potential to alter the Earth’s surface temperature by affecting planetary albedo, incoming solar radiation, or the atmosphere’s emissivity – as these are the core focus of the main Exploring Climate Cooling ECC programme.
Out of scope
- Ideas that squarely fit within the Exploring Climate Cooling programme.
- Emissions reduction projects and improvements to the energy efficiency of buildings or vehicles.
- Commercial products or research that would likely be funded by traditional venture capital or grants.
Technical constraints + independent oversight
Any proposal for outdoor experiments must strictly demonstrate its ability to conform to the governance mechanisms and principles outlined in ARIA’s governance framework for outdoor experiments. Additionally, all successful applicants must sign our Intellectual Property Pledge to ensure findings are accessible for the public good.
For more information read the call for proposals and apply.
Application deadline: 31 July 2026 (14:00 BST)
Download resources on the official website
