Trailblazer Award for New and Early Stage Investigators
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Maximum budget of $400,000 in direct costs
Funding duration of up to three years
Support innovative research integrating engineering and physical sciences with life and biomedical sciences
Encourage exploratory and high-risk projects without the need for preliminary data
New and Early Stage Investigators
Biomedical research community
Eligible organization types include higher education institutions, nonprofits, for-profit organizations, local and state governments, and tribal governments
Non-domestic entities (foreign organizations) are not eligible to apply
U.S.-based organizations are eligible
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. organizations are not eligible
Projects must integrate engineering and physical sciences with life and biomedical sciences
No preliminary data are required, expected, or encouraged; minimal preliminary data may be allowed
Maximum budget of $400,000 in direct costs over three years
No cost-sharing is required
Application due date is January 7, 2026
Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization
Applicants are ineligible if they have submitted an R01, R15, or any other R21 application within the same review cycle
Awardees may not hold concurrent Trailblazer awards
Applications must follow the instructions in the Research Instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide
Preliminary data must be clearly marked and limited to one-half page
Applications will be evaluated based on significance, innovation, rigor, and feasibility
Applications will undergo a peer review process by the NIH Center for Scientific Review
Focus on innovative approaches to address unmet biomedical research needs
Encouragement of high-risk, high-reward projects
Applications with extensive preliminary data may be considered non-compliant
Projects should have potential for future development under other funding mechanisms
Focus on early-stage investigators may provide a competitive edge for new researchers
Innovative and exploratory project proposals
Including excessive preliminary data in applications
Clearly articulate the significance and potential impact of the proposed research
Highlight unique aspects of the proposed research that align with NIH priorities