Latest Competition Updates!
- Coming soon: 2026-2028 AlgaePrize Competition
- Meet the 2023-2025 Champion & Top Finalist Teams
Initially launched in January 2022, the AlgaePrize is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office (AFFO) national competition, in partnership with the Algae Foundation and the National Laboratory of the Rockies, which encourages students to pursue innovative ideas for the development, design, and invention of technologies within the commercial algae value chain. The AlgaePrize is part of DOE’s American-Made Challenges, which represents a series of unique prize competitions designed to transform bold, new ideas into real energy solutions to accelerate American innovation.
Fast-growing and able to store energy from sunlight, algae can be transformed into a variety of products, such as fuel, food, fertilizer, industrial compounds, and animal feed. AFFO enables research, development, and demonstration to accelerate technology commercialization for the production, storage, delivery and use of alternative fuels, fertilizers, chemicals, and feedstocks to enhance the security and reliability of energy networks and lower energy costs for Americans. As part of DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, AFFO integrates legacy efforts in the Bioenergy Technologies Office and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office under one office.
Through the AlgaePrize, AFFO is committed to fostering a competitive environment that brings new and innovative solutions to help build the algal bioeconomy of the future, stimulate economic growth, and create jobs.
Students will learn about the algae industry and could develop the skills to support the nation’s algal product research, algal commercial enhancement, and promote industry-driven education, training, and workforce development.
Approach
The AlgaePrize is open to teams of two or more students currently enrolled in a U.S.-based high school, community college, college, university, or graduate program. Student teams should focus their project on one of the following areas of interest:
What do we mean by “algae”? The AlgaePrize defines algae as microalgae (microscopic photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms and cyanobacteria) and macroalgae (seaweed), all of which are eligible target organisms for the competition.
1. Production
- Cultivar enhancement
- Aquaculture engineering
- Husbandry and productivity
2. Downstream Processing
- Harvesting, dewatering, and preprocessing
- Development of biorefinery applications
3. Strategic Critical Initiatives, Novel Products, Analytical or Workforce Development Tools, or Ecosystem Services
- Strategic critical initiatives
- Novel products
- Analytical or workforce development tools
- Ecosystem services
Over the course of two academic years, student teams will work on creative solutions for real-world issues in the algae value chain. The competition culminates in an event where teams present their research to a panel of expert judges. Winning teams from the AlgaePrize competition’s areas of interest receive a trophy, prize money, and national recognition.
Media Kit
AFFO provides contacts and resources to media and organizations interested in learning about and promoting the AlgaePrize. Visit the AlgaePrize Competition Media Kit to learn more.
Learn More
To view the full competition details, visit:
For questions about the AlgaePrize, email AlgaePrize@doe.gov.
Past AlgaePrize Competitions
To view results from a past AlgaePrize competition or to view information, visit the page listed by year.