NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award (Trailblazer)
NSF's Trailblazer Award funds innovative research projects from individual engineers/scientists exploring new directions to address national needs and advance US leadership.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
U.S. National Science Foundation has archived this opportunity.
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: November 15, 2024 (Letter of Intent) | January 14, 2025 (Preliminary Proposal) | June 2, 2025 (Full Proposal)
Funding Amounts: Up to $3,000,000 per award over 3 years; at least 5 awards anticipated; total program budget $15M (FY25).
Summary: Supports individual investigators in engineering proposing bold, novel research directions distinct from their prior work, with potential for transformative national impact.
Key Information: Letter of Intent and Preliminary Proposal are required; only invited PIs may submit full proposals; single-PI only—no co-PIs or collaborative proposals allowed.
Description
The NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award (TRAILBLAZER) is designed to support individual investigators in engineering who propose innovative, high-impact research projects that represent a significant departure from their previous or current research areas. The program seeks to catalyze new directions in engineering and science, address national needs or grand challenges, and advance U.S. leadership in engineering research. Projects should be bold, creative, and potentially transformative, with a strong emphasis on convergence across engineering and science domains.
All funded PIs will join a TRAILBLAZER cohort and are expected to participate in annual meetings and potentially other program activities. The program places a strong emphasis on broadening participation in STEM and requires a Broadening Participation Plan as part of each proposal.
