How much funding does Trailblazers Award provide?

Trailblazers Award provides $120,000 in funding.

When is the deadline for Trailblazers Award?

This grant has a rolling deadline or the deadline has not been announced.

Trailblazers Award

1907 FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL INC

Foundation Annual Grants for Mental Health Grants for Science Research

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Funding Amount

$120,000

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Grant Type

foundation

Overview

Trailblazers Award

Funder: 1907 Foundation International Inc (FL, US)

Status: Active

Focus Areas: Mental health research; brain illness research; neural circuits; causes and cures for brain illnesses

Geographic Scope: United States (research institutions)

Award Amount: $120,000 per grant

Eligibility:

Early-career scientists (pre-tenure preferred)

Researchers proposing novel, disruptive ideas

Applications focused on functional approaches rather than symptomatic approaches

"Symptom blind" — applicants can address any mental health condition

Research must focus on causes and cures, not just treatments

What They Fund:

Basic research on brain mechanisms and neural circuits

Novel ideas that challenge the status quo

Risk-seeking research proposals

Interdisciplinary and innovative research

Research with potential to understand underlying mechanisms of mental illness

What They Don't Fund:

Symptomatic treatment approaches

Traditional or bureaucratic research proposals

Research focused solely on symptoms without addressing causes

Review Process:

Identity blind review: Applicant names, institutions, resumes, and demographic information are removed during review

Symptom blind: Applications evaluated regardless of which condition is addressed

Reviewed by 12+ core scientists, research directors, and advisory board members

Multiple reviewer sample for ethical decision-making

Lightning round initial review process

Blinding continues through most of the review process; identifying information only introduced in final stage

Organization Background:

501(c)(3) charity (Tax ID: 83-2880126)

Founded 2018 (as corporate entity); received charitable status November 2019

First award process conducted in 2020

First recipients: Dr. Benjamin Bartelle (Arizona State University, $120,000) and Dr. Laura Lewis (Boston University, $120,000)

Mission: Support emerging scientists in discovering causes and cures for brain illnesses

Contact & Additional Information:

Website: 1907.foundation

Associated technology: Atala (grant management software platform)

Philosophy: "The best science wins, period" — funding decisions based on quality of research, not researcher credentials

How to Apply

Application Process

Overview: Applications are submitted through the 1907 Foundation website. The process emphasizes the scientific merit of novel ideas while maintaining identity blindness.

Key Application Principles:

Identity blind during most of review process

Focus on the research/idea, not the researcher

Emphasis on novel, disruptive approaches to understanding brain mechanisms

Application Features:

Applicant names, institutions, resumes, and demographic information are digitally stripped from applications during review

Reviewers see only the relevant scientific proposal and ideas

"Guards" in the system make it difficult to expose identifying or sensitive applicant information

Data safeguards throughout the review process

Submission Method:

Online application through 1907 Foundation website

Utilizes Atala grant management software platform

Note: Specific application materials, narrative questions, and detailed submission requirements are not detailed in the available website content. Applicants should visit the grants page at https://www.1907.foundation/grants-1 for complete application instructions and requirements.

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