Trailblazers Award

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

Geographic Scope: United States (research institutions)

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

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.