Get Details About the Next Two Competitions!
Initially launched in January 2022, the AlgaePrize is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) national competition, in partnership with the Algae Foundation and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 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 incentivize and reenergize American innovation in the energy marketplace.
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. BETO supports research and development (R&D) to lower the costs of producing algal biofuels—such as sustainable aviation fuels—and bioproducts. BETO is working to build the algae bioeconomy of the future to support a variety of renewable, abundant, and flexible sources of energy.
Through the AlgaePrize, BETO 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 biofuel 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. Novel Products, Analytical Tools, or Ecosystem Services
- New product development
- Remote sensing and modeling
- 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
BETO 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@ee.doe.gov.
Past AlgaePrize Competitions
To view results from a past AlgaePrize competition or to view information, visit the page listed by year.