The AlgaePrize, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office and supported by The Algae Foundation and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), challenges students to become the next generation of bioeconomy professionals by expanding novel solutions to production, processing, and new product development on the way to gigaton-scale algae commercialization for fuel, food, products, and carbon dioxide utilization/sequestration.
Student teams competing in the AlgaePrize will range from high school through graduate programs. The competition will last 18 months. The AlgaePrize will assist in establishing the competitors as serious candidates for the next generation of bioeconomy positions and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Competitors will prepare creative solutions for real-world issues in the algae value chain. Students will compete to earn prize money and national recognition.
The three areas of interest for the AlgaePrize include both microalgae and macroalgae. Student teams should focus their project on one of the following areas of interest:
This competition will award two separate rounds of prizes:
The winning teams as well as the Grand Champion will be invited to participate in the Algae Biomass Summit in the Fall of 2023 to present their research and network with Summit participants from the national and international algae community.
The Official Rules Document provides a framework for research work, submissions, and judging evaluation.
Please see the 2022–2023 AlgaePrize Rules.
The Official Rules Document provides a framework for research work, submissions, and judging evaluation.
Please see the 2022–2023 AlgaePrize Rules.*
Products made from algae are the natural solution to the energy, food, economic, and climate challenges facing our world today. Algae have the power to simultaneously put fuels in our vehicles, recycle carbon dioxide, provide nutrition for animals and humans, and create jobs for millions of Americans.
Competitors will learn about the algae industry and will go on to support the nation’s biofuel research, algal commercial enhancement, and promote industry-driven education, training, and workforce development.
Student competitors will:
The Official Rules Document provides a framework for research work, submissions, and judging evaluation.
Please see the 2022–2023 AlgaePrize Rules.
Competitors will prepare creative solutions for real-world issues in the algae value chain. Qualifying teams will complete a research project and attend the AlgaePrize Competition Event (pandemic permitting) where teams:
The AlgaePrize invites participation of teams composed of at least two student members enrolled in a U.S.-based educational institution (high school, accredited community college, college, university and/or graduate school). Students must be enrolled in at least one class and must be pursuing a degree or diploma at the time a student joins a team. Teams with students from multiple educational institutions are allowed, and multiple teams from the same educational institution are allowed. However, individual students may be members of only one team.
Student participation may be integrated into a senior project or thesis, count as elective or independent study course credit, be added to the curriculum of existing classes, treated as a seminar topic, engaged in as part of a student interest club, or be an extracurricular student activity.
Each team must have a faculty advisor employed by a U.S.-based educational institution to provide input, guidance, and support. Judges, competition organizers, federal employees, and national laboratory employees are not eligible to compete in the competition. Immediate family members of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Algae Foundation, and NREL employees are not eligible to compete in the competition.
High School Competitors: Student teams composed of all high school students under the age of 18 must have their faculty advisor register the team on HeroX. Each high school may support more than one team. High school students may not be on multiple teams.
*All required rules are documented in the 2022–2023 AlgaePrize Rules.