Closed · 26-502 · CFDA 47.041 · Discretionary
NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award
Federal grant opportunity posted by U.S. National Science Foundation, cataloged on Grants.gov.
- Varies
- Award range
- Closed
- Status
- July 24, 2026
- Close date
- -
- Expected awards
The verdict
NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award is a closed discretionary listing from U.S. National Science Foundation that offered Varies by applicant. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number.
- Varies
- award range
- Closed
- application status
- 47.041
- CFDA program
Opportunity snapshot. This Grants.gov announcement - NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award - is cataloged under number 26-502 and tied to CFDA assistance listing 47.041, posted by U.S. National Science Foundation. Grants.gov currently shows the opportunity as closed, first posted on December 12, 2025. The funding category is Discretionary, delivered as a grant.
Award economics. The award range on file is Varies by applicant. The agency has projected $15.0 million in total estimated funding for this announcement. Cost sharing is not required, so applicants do not need to commit matching funds to be competitive on this opportunity. Federal award ranges are often upper bounds; actual allocations reflect program appropriations, the strength of the applicant pool, and the evaluation committee's scoring.
Deadline and action path. This opportunity closed on July 24, 2026. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number, so monitoring the parent program page is the most reliable way to catch re-announcements. Every Grants.gov submission requires an active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID. Review the Eligibility section below carefully, federal eligibility categories (nonprofit, state or local government, tribal, individual, educational institution, small business) have distinct registration and reporting requirements. Pre-application outreach to the listed agency contact is permitted and often welcomed, it helps clarify scope and scoring priorities. Before acting on the deadline or award figures above, verify them directly on the official Grants.gov listing, amendments can change dates and amounts after this page was last refreshed.
Award Range
Varies by applicant
Close Date
July 24, 2026
Posted
December 12, 2025
Est. Total Funding
$15,000,000
Instrument
Grant
Description
The NSF Trailblazer Engineering Impact Award (TRAILBLAZER) program supports individual investigators who propose novel research projects with the potential to innovatively and creatively address new areas of fundamental or applied research, catalyze development of new industries or capabilities that increase the leadership position for the country, and/or make significant progress towards addressing a national need or grand challenge, particularly in current priority areas including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence (AI), bioengineering, quantum engineering, robotics, and nuclear engineering. TRAILBLAZER will support engineers and scientists who leverage their distinctive track record of innovation and creativity to pursue new research directions that are distinct from their previous or current research areas. All funded TRAILBLAZER projects will form an NSF TRAILBLAZER cohort, and principal investigators will be expected to participate in an annual meeting. TRAILBLAZER investigators may also be invited to additional activities. INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR:The Emerging Frontiers and Multidisciplinary Activities (EFMA) Office will host an informational webinar in early calendar year 2026 to discuss the TRAILBLAZER program and answer questions about the FY 2026 TRAILBLAZER solicitation. Details on how to join this webinar will be posted on theDirectorate for Engineering and EFMA Websites.
Eligibility
Grants.gov lists this opportunity under eligibility category code 25. These codes correspond to applicant types (state/local government, tribal organization, nonprofit, educational institution, individual, small business, etc.) defined in Grants.gov's own eligibility reference. See the current Grants.gov eligibility categories or check the official listing below for this opportunity's exact eligibility statement.
Official Listing on Grants.gov
View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.
Parent Grant Program
Engineering Grants
National Science Foundation
Agency Contact
NSF grants.gov support grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov
Key Dates
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Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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| Sources | the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov |