The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is offering the Trailblazer Award, an exceptional grant opportunity specifically for NIH-defined New and Early Stage Investigators. This award supports innovative research programs that bridge engineering and physical sciences with the life and biomedical sciences. Projects can be exploratory, developmental, proof of concept, or high risk-high impact, encompassing technology design-directed, discovery-driven, or hypothesis-driven approaches. A key feature of this grant is that preliminary data are not required, expected, or encouraged, making it ideal for pioneering concepts. However, if available, limited preliminary data (up to half a page with one figure, independently produced and unpublished) are permitted. This grant is for advancing groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research with minimal prior evidence.
Opportunity ID: 358073
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | PA-25-169 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | Trailblazer Award for New and Early Stage Investigators (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | – |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Grant |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Health |
| Category Explanation: | – |
| Expected Number of Awards: | – |
| Assistance Listings: | 93.286 — Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | No |
| Version: | Synopsis 2 |
| Posted Date: | Jan 08, 2025 |
| Last Updated Date: | Jun 16, 2025 |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | Jan 07, 2026 |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | May 07, 2026 |
| Archive Date: | Jun 06, 2026 |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | – |
| Award Ceiling: | – |
| Award Floor: | – |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | For profit organizations other than small businesses Small businesses State governments County governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Special district governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Independent school districts Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification) City or township governments |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession; Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | National Institutes of Health |
| Description: |
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. |
| Link to Additional Information: | https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-25-169.html |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
NIH Grants Information
grantsinfo@nih.gov Email:grantsinfo@nih.gov |
Version History
| Version | Modification Description | Updated Date |
|---|---|---|
| Update close date per NOT-EB-25-007. | Jun 16, 2025 | |
| Jan 08, 2025 |
DISPLAYING: Synopsis 2
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | PA-25-169 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | Trailblazer Award for New and Early Stage Investigators (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | – |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Grant |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Health |
| Category Explanation: | – |
| Expected Number of Awards: | – |
| Assistance Listings: | 93.286 — Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | No |
| Version: | Synopsis 2 |
| Posted Date: | Jan 08, 2025 |
| Last Updated Date: | Jun 16, 2025 |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | Jan 07, 2026 |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | May 07, 2026 |
| Archive Date: | Jun 06, 2026 |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | – |
| Award Ceiling: | – |
| Award Floor: | – |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | For profit organizations other than small businesses Small businesses State governments County governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Special district governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Independent school districts Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification) City or township governments |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession; Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | National Institutes of Health |
| Description: |
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. |
| Link to Additional Information: | https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-25-169.html |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
NIH Grants Information
grantsinfo@nih.gov Email:grantsinfo@nih.gov |
DISPLAYING: Synopsis 1
General Information
| Document Type: | Grants Notice |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | PA-25-169 |
| Funding Opportunity Title: | Trailblazer Award for New and Early Stage Investigators (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) |
| Opportunity Category: | Discretionary |
| Opportunity Category Explanation: | – |
| Funding Instrument Type: | Grant |
| Category of Funding Activity: | Health |
| Category Explanation: | – |
| Expected Number of Awards: | – |
| Assistance Listings: | 93.286 — Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health |
| Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: | No |
| Version: | Synopsis 1 |
| Posted Date: | Jan 08, 2025 |
| Last Updated Date: | Jan 08, 2025 |
| Original Closing Date for Applications: | – |
| Current Closing Date for Applications: | Jan 07, 2026 |
| Archive Date: | Feb 12, 2026 |
| Estimated Total Program Funding: | – |
| Award Ceiling: | – |
| Award Floor: | – |
Eligibility
| Eligible Applicants: | Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Independent school districts Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) For profit organizations other than small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education County governments Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Small businesses Special district governments Public and State controlled institutions of higher education State governments City or township governments |
| Additional Information on Eligibility: | Other Eligible Applicants include the following: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs); Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government; Faith-based or Community-based Organizations; Hispanic-serving Institutions; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized); Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations); Regional Organizations; Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) ; U.S. Territory or Possession; Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed. |
Additional Information
| Agency Name: | National Institutes of Health |
| Description: | 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. |
| Link to Additional Information: | https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-25-169.html |
| Grantor Contact Information: | If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:
NIH Grants Information
grantsinfo@nih.gov Email:grantsinfo@nih.gov |
Related Documents
Folder 358073 Full Announcement-PA-25-169 -> PA-25-169-Full-Announcement.pdf
Packages
| Agency Contact Information: | NIH Grants Information grantsinfo@nih.gov Email: grantsinfo@nih.gov |
| Who Can Apply: | Organization Applicants |
| Assistance Listing Number | Competition ID | Competition Title | Opportunity Package ID | Opening Date | Closing Date | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORMS-I | Use for due dates on or after January 25, 2025 | PKG00289943 | Jan 16, 2025 | May 07, 2026 | View |
Package 1
Mandatory forms
358073 RR_SF424_5_0-5.0.pdf
358073 PHS398_CoverPageSupplement_5_0-5.0.pdf
358073 RR_OtherProjectInfo_1_4-1.4.pdf
358073 PerformanceSite_4_0-4.0.pdf
358073 RR_KeyPersonExpanded_4_0-4.0.pdf
358073 PHS398_ResearchPlan_5_0-5.0.pdf
358073 PHSHumanSubjectsAndClinicalTrialsInfo_3_0-3.0.pdf
Optional forms
358073 RR_Budget_3_0-3.0.pdf
358073 RR_SubawardBudget30_3_0-3.0.pdf
358073 PHS398_ModularBudget_1_2-1.2.pdf
358073 PHS_AssignmentRequestForm_4_0-4.0.pdf
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