Key Facts

• Amendment 2 proposes renaming 'Advanced Research and Invention Agency' to 'Advanced Research and Engineering Projects Agency'.
• Amendments 3 and 4 are proposed to reflect the name change in clause 1.
• Amendment 26 modifies the short title in clause 15.
• Amendment 1 changes the long title of the Bill to reflect the new agency name.
• The proposed amendment seeks to rename the agency from Advanced Research and Invention Agency to Advanced Research and Engineering Projects Agency.
• Professor Wilsdon emphasised the need for clarity in governance and purpose to prevent future issues.
• Witnesses like Tabitha Goldstaub highlighted the importance of community-based innovation over individual success.
• Dr Highnam described DARPA's successful project-based model, emphasizing clear missions and independent evaluation.
• The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) will be established as a statutory corporation.
• Amendment 5 proposes a memorandum of understanding between ARIA and UK Research and Innovation to avoid overlap.
• Amendment 6 suggests including the Chief Executive Officer of UK Research and Innovation as a non-executive member of ARIA.
• Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser from UKRI stated the importance of communication and personal relationships between key players in the research landscape.
• The framework document agreed between BEIS and ARIA will outline broad principles for interaction with other public R&D funders, including UKRI.
• The Minister argues against over-engineering governance arrangements that could create a bureaucratic process.
• Amendment 9 would require the Secretary of State to have regard to diversity in appointments.
• 'Protected characteristics' refers to those defined under Part 2, Chapter 1 of the Equalities Act 2010.
• Only 12% of all engineers are women.
• 25% of 16 to 18-year-old girls would consider becoming an engineer compared to 51.9% of boys.
• Aberdeen has the highest percentage of non-UK-born citizens outside London.
• Only 7% of managers, directors and senior officials in academic and non-academic higher education positions are black, Asian or minority ethnic.
• Only 24% of the UK STEM workforce are women.
• Black and minority ethnic men are 28% less likely to work in STEM than white men.
• Women represent 9% of people in non-medical STEM careers.
• The UK faces a shortfall of 173,000 STEM workers estimated to cost the sector £1.5 billion annually.
• Chi Onwurah acknowledges the work of previous Chair of the Science and Technology Committee.
• Professor Leyser, UKRI CEO, highlighted the importance of having the right mix of people, skills, and career pathways in the science establishment.
• Dr Dugan from Wellcome notes that specificity of goal and outcome is a good way to increase diversity in idea assessment.
• ARIA will be subject to the public sector equality duty.
• The Equality Act 2010 includes protected characteristics such as sex and gender reassignment.
• Appointments made by the Secretary of State will follow the governance code for public appointments which emphasises diversity.
• Amendment 31 requires both Houses of Parliament to approve the appointment of ARIA's first chair.
• Amendment 32 is consequential to Amendment 31 and modifies clause 4.
• Amendment 33 requires parliamentary approval for the appointment of ARIA's CEO and prevents ARIA from exercising functions or receiving grants until a CEO is appointed.
• Amendment 34 is consequential to Amendment 33 and modifies clause 4.
• The recruitment of ARIA's first CEO is already underway.
• No interim CEO will be appointed.
• The amendment seeks to ensure parliamentary oversight over the choice of CEO.
• £800 million of taxpayers' money will be managed by ARIA.
• Kate Bingham’s appointment was referenced.
• £670,000 spent on a campaign to engage hard-to-reach groups in vaccine trials.
• Dominic Cummings refused to give evidence to the Science and Technology Committee.
• Chi Onwurah is responding to interventions about UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) being criticised as inadequate.
• Concerns are raised about ARIA potentially becoming mired in cronyism without proper safeguards.
• Dame Ottoline Leyser from UKRI stresses the importance of waiting until finding the right people for leadership roles.
• Professor James Wilsdon argues that identifying the right leaders is problematic if the mission lacks clarity.
• There is no precedent for requiring parliamentary consent before appointing ARIA's leadership.
• An experienced expert panel including Sir Patrick Vallance and Jo Shanmugalingam will be responsible for candidate interviews.
• Two additional highly esteemed panellists from the international R&D community will join the selection process.
• The session will be adjourned until two o'clock on the same day.
• There are only two minutes left in the current session.