Opportunity
Simpler Grants.gov #FOR-EB-26-001
NIH Trailblazer Award Funding Opportunity for New and Early-Stage Investigators (Notice of Intent)
Buyer
National Institutes of Health
Posted
June 11, 2025
Respond By
February 16, 2026
Identifier
FOR-EB-26-001
NAICS
541715
This notice announces the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intent to publish a funding opportunity for the Trailblazer Award, supporting innovative research at the intersection of engineering, physical sciences, and biomedical sciences. - Government Buyer: - National Institutes of Health (NIH) - National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) - National Eye Institute (NEI) - National Institute on Aging (NIA) - National Cancer Institute (NCI) - National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) - Purpose and Scope: - Trailblazer Award for New and Early-Stage Investigators - Supports exploratory, developmental, proof-of-concept, or high-risk/high-impact research - Focus on integrating engineering/physical sciences with life/biomedical sciences - Utilizes the R21 activity code (Clinical Trial Optional) - Eligibility: - Small businesses, for-profit organizations, nonprofits, educational institutions, and government entities - Unique Requirements: - Designed to foster trans-disciplinary collaborations and innovative biomedical research - No specific products or services requested at this stage - Applications are not yet being solicited; this is a notice of intent - No OEMs or vendors are specified, as this is a grant funding opportunity, not a product or service procurement
Description
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, along with several other NIH institutes, intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Trailblazer Award. This award targets NIH-defined New and Early Stage Investigators to pursue research integrating engineering and physical sciences with life and biomedical sciences. Projects may be exploratory, developmental, proof of concept, or high-risk high-impact, and can be technology design-directed, discovery-driven, or hypothesis-driven. The NOFO will use the R21 activity code and encourages trans-disciplinary research collaborations.