Trailblazer Award for New and Early Stage Investigators (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)

Closed Posted

Opportunity number
PA-25-169
Agency
Applications due
Award size
Not on record

Opportunity facts

Funding instrument
Grant
Category
  • Health
Eligible applicants
  • State Governments
  • Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
  • Non-501(c)(3) Nonprofits
  • County Governments
  • Other
  • Special District Governments
  • Higher Education Inst. (Private)
  • Higher Education Inst. (Public)
  • Independent School Districts
  • For Profit Organizations
  • City/Township Governments
  • Small Businesses
  • Tribal Organizations (Not Federally Recognized)
  • Public or Indian Housing Auth.
  • 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
Points of contact
Full announcement

Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

Written by GovTribe AI ·

The Trailblazer Award, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH), is seeking research proposals from New and Early Stage Investigators that integrate engineering and physical sciences with life and biomedical sciences. This R21 grant opportunity supports exploratory, developmental, proof of concept, or high risk-high impact research projects that can be technology design-directed, discovery-driven, or hypothesis-driven. A distinctive feature of this funding opportunity is that no preliminary data are required, expected, or encouraged; if included, preliminary data must be strictly limited to one-half page with a maximum of one figure. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, tribal organizations, nonprofits, higher education institutions, small businesses, and other governmental entities. The grant is designed to support innovative research approaches with minimal existing preliminary data, with applications due by May 7, 2026.

The Trailblazer Award is funded through three CFDA programs: Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations (93.286), Aging Research (93.866), and Vision Research (93.867). While specific award amounts are not explicitly stated, R21 grants typically provide moderate funding levels for exploratory and developmental research projects. The research is expected to be conducted at the recipient's facilities, with project durations likely ranging from two to three years. Funding will support investigations that propose novel research approaches across various biomedical and technological domains, with a focus on innovative and potentially transformative scientific exploration.

Synopsis

2 versions

Update #2 · Latest ·

This Trailblazer Award is an opportunity for NIH-defined New and Early Stage Investigators (https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-investigators/index.htm) to pursue research programs that integrate engineering and the physical sciences with the life and/or biomedical sciences. A Trailblazer project may be exploratory, developmental, proof of concept, or high risk-high impact, and may be technology design-directed, discovery-driven, or hypothesis-driven. Importantly, applicants must propose research approaches for which there are minimal or no preliminary data.A distinct feature for this FOA is that no preliminary data are required, expected, or encouraged. However, if available, minimal preliminary data are allowed. Preliminary data are defined as material which the applicant has independently produced and not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal. All preliminary data should be clearly marked and limited to one-half page, which may include one figure. Applications including data more than one-half page or more than one figure will be considered noncompliant with the FOA instructions and will not go forward to review.

Update #1 ·

This Trailblazer Award is an opportunity for NIH-defined New and Early Stage Investigators (https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-investigators/index.htm) to pursue research programs that integrate engineering and the physical sciences with the life and/or biomedical sciences. A Trailblazer project may be exploratory, developmental, proof of concept, or high risk-high impact, and may be technology design-directed, discovery-driven, or hypothesis-driven. Importantly, applicants must propose research approaches for which there are minimal or no preliminary data. A distinct feature for this FOA is that no preliminary data are required, expected, or encouraged. However, if available, minimal preliminary data are allowed. Preliminary data are defined as material which the applicant has independently produced and not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal. All preliminary data should be clearly marked and limited to one-half page, which may include one figure. Applications including data more than one-half page or more than one figure will be considered noncompliant with the FOA instructions and will not go forward to review.

Files

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