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P3 Student Design Competition

P3 Award Ceremony

The P3 Award ceremony is held each year at the conclusion of the National Sustainable Design Expo. Periodically, several other organizations also announce awards to recognize the P3 teams.  Admission to the awards ceremony is by invitation only (media is invited).

This year, the P3 Award ceremony will be held at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, DC. At the awards ceremony, EPA will announce the teams that have won the EPA's P3 Award and are eligible for up to $75,000 in funding to take their designs to the marketplace. EPA also announces those teams that have won Honorable Mentions. In addition, the winners of additional awards sponsored by partners of the P3 Award program will be announced.

In previous years, EPA Administrators and Assistant Administrators for Research and Development at EPA have made presentations at the awards ceremony. Other leaders in science and technology for sustainability have also presented including: William Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering; Chad Holliday, CEO of Dupont; and Sanjay Correa of GE's Ecomagination program. Representatives from Capitol Hill have also attended and spoken at the award ceremony.

P3 Award

The P3 Award is given to the highest-rated student designs based on recommendations from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) judging panel and final decisions by EPA. The award includes a recycled glass sculpture and eligibility for additional funding of up to $75,000. Winning the P3 Award and receiving additional funding constitutes Phase II of the P3 program. Phase II is designed to provide additional support to the best sustainability projects, giving students an opportunity to further develop their designs, implement them in the field, and move them to the marketplace with the ultimate goal of benefiting people, promoting prosperity, and protecting the planet.

American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Youth Council on Sustainable Science and Technology (YCOSST) Award

YCOSST was formed by the partnership of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ (AIChE) Institute for Sustainability (IfS) and SustainUS, a nonprofit organization of young people advancing sustainable development and youth empowerment in the United States. YCOSST's mission is to build understanding of sustainability issues and principals, raise awareness of the science and technology behind sustainable choices, and develop grass roots campus efforts.

An award of $1,000 will be provided by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers-Institute for Sustainability (AIChE-IfS)to the team that best meets their criteria.

YCOSST Award Evaluation Criteria:

  • DEVELOPMENT
  • Did research involve interdisciplinary collaboration?
  • Were novel, innovative technologies used to facilitate distance communication during research?
  • Were sustainable practices employed during research?
  • DEPLOYMENT TO REGIONS WITH LIMITED RESOURCES
  • Can youth or people without significant financial ability or property rights obtain and use the device/invention?
  • MATERIALS
  • Are the materials locally produced and available to the general population?
  • Can the device/invention be maintained locally?
  • YOUTH INVOLVEMENT
  • Can youth be an integral part of the implementation?
  • Does the device/invention/finding directly benefit youth?

ASCE/EWB Sustainable Development Award

The ASCE National Capital Section, ASCE Committee on Sustainability and the Engineers Without Borders DC Chapter jointly sponsor the ASCE/EWB Sustainable Development Award.

The $1,000 award recognizes the student team which best represents the project that solves a pressing need in a developing country. The selection criteria are:

Green Building Initiative Award

The Green Building Initiative™ (GBI), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to "greening the mainstream" by promoting credible and practical approaches to green building, will recognize one participating team with a $1,000 award to further its work.

The award will be presented for the "Most Innovative Sustainable Commercial Design Project." The GBI will evaluate teams that submit projects focused on commercial design and address any of the seven areas of assessment from its innovative commercial construction rating and assessment tool, Green Globes™.

These seven areas of assessment are as follows:

  • Use of local raw materials;
  • Simplicity of design;
  • Widespread impact on quality of life for the developing region.
    • Project Management
    • Site
    • Energy
    • Water
    • Resources
    • Emissions, Effluents and Other Impacts
    • Indoor Environment