A US computer scientist has been named the next chief executive of the UK’s Advanced Research and Inventions Agency (Aria).

Kathleen Fisher, chair of computer science at Tufts University, will join the UK research funder in February when current boss Ilan Gur returns to America, it was .

An expert on language programming, Fisher has held senior roles in the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), the “high-risk, high-reward” funding agency on which Aria is based. This includes overseeing the agency’s Information Innovation Office, which involved a $500 million (£385 million) portfolio of research activities covering more than 50 programmes, Aria said when announcing her appointment.

She also founded and ran the agency’s High-Assurance Cyber Military Systems and the Probabilistic Programming for Advancing Machine Learning programmes – cybersecurity projects that have helped protect military assets.

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According to Aria, the agency received 314 applications “from top researchers, successful founders, and ARPA veterans worldwide” to succeed Gur but Fisher was the “standout candidate in an exceptional field”.

“Her decision to leave one of America’s most prestigious research institutions to join Aria reinforces what our early programme momentum has already shown — the UK is building something that draws the world’s best,” it said.

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Gur’s departure reflected Aria’s governance model in that it was “designed with time-limited leadership from the start, a deliberate choice to stay dynamic as we evolve.”

“We’ve reached a natural inflection point – and the next chapter is clear: turning the ambitious programmes we’ve launched into breakthroughs with the power to transform the world. Kathleen brings the track record to help get us there,” it added.

Fisher’s arrival comes amid growing expectations for the new agency, with chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing in June’s spending review that the government would “significantly scale up” Aria’s funding in the four years up to 2030, when it will receive “at least £1 billion”. Its initial five-year budget was £800 million, although some of its funds have so far gone unspent.

As head of Aria, Fisher is likely to become one of the UK’s most highly paid civil servants. Gur’s compensation package in 2024-25 , including a base salary of between £380,000 and £385,000, a £47,500 bonus and pension contributions – nearly three times the prime minister’s £172,153 salary.

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The appointment of a computer scientist with a background in running military-aligned programmes is also likely to raise questions about whether Aria’s programmes will become more defence-focused – a ministerial desire for the AI-focused Alan Turing Institute, which recently announced that one of its “major challenges” will now be defence.

In its statement, however, Aria said its mission “stays the same”.

“Our model – programme director-led, long-term funding, and the freedom to take bold, informed risks – remains unchanged,” it said, adding: “Kathleen will build on the foundations Ilan has established to ensure that scientific breakthroughs don’t just advance knowledge, but transform industries, lives, and communities.”

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com