EnergyTech University Prize 2025

Submission deadlines for both the Faculty Track and the Student Track are quickly approaching!

As a reminder, faculty who would like to be considered for Faculty Explorer awards should submit their applications by Jan. 13. Students ready to accelerate the clean energy market with a concise business plan that leverages national laboratory-developed or other emerging energy technologies should apply with a 200-word summary by Feb. 3.

We recommend beginning your submission well in advance of each deadline to leave time for any technical problems you may encounter in the process. 

Questions? Ask a prize administrator!

There are still two opportunities to hear more about the prize and have your questions answered live by the EnergyTech UP prize team. Register today to reserve your spot:

• Office Hours on Jan. 8 at 12 p.m. ET | Register here
• January Informational Webinar (Student Track Only) on Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. ET | Register here

Additional Resources

Curious about what you need to submit as part of your application? Make sure you read the official prize rules before submitting any materials. Plus, you can hear from past prize winners and gain a better understanding of the competition by watching a recording of the December informational webinar. 

We hope to see your submission soon! 

Any faculty interested in being considered for one of the ten $5,000 Faculty Explorer prizes should start preparing now to meet the Jan. 13 Explore Phase submission deadline! 

During the Explore Phase, prize administrators are looking for faculty interested in incorporating or expanding energy technology commercialization and entrepreneurship topics into their institution’s educational activities. This track is designed to help faculty implement their ideas through cash prizes, resources, and mentorship. 

Read more about the success of the inaugural Faculty Track in this recently published technical report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

Submission Next Steps

Step 1. Click “solve this challenge” on HeroX to begin your Faculty Track submission.

Step 2. Upload the following submission materials:

• A project title and short summary of your proposal (no more than 250 words)
• A single slide that summarizes the proposal for integrating or expanding the topics of energy technology commercialization and entrepreneurship 
• A three-page written document addressing the suggested content shown in Table 10 of the Official Rules
• A completed entry form on HeroX with answers to all required questions, including institutional demographics
• Resume or CV.

Read more about submission materials for each phase in the Official Rules. 

Step 3. Press “submit final entry” by 11:59 p.m. ET on January 13, 2025.

A Reminder for Student Track Competitors

There’s still time to gather your team, choose an energy technology to leverage in a business plan, and get your initial submission ready before the student deadline on Feb. 3! If you still have questions about competing, consider bringing them to upcoming office hours on Jan. 8 (register here) or attending the final informational webinar on Jan. 23 (register here).

Good luck to all competitors! 

You can now stream a recording of the Dec. 10 webinar covering important prize details such as track information, submission materials, key deadlines, and bonus prizes offered in the 2025 cycle of EnergyTech UP. You’ll also hear testimonials from past competitors and learn more about upcoming events for student competitors.

As a reminder, there are two more opportunities in January 2025 to hear about the prize and ask your lingering questions. 

• Office Hours on Jan. 8 at 12 p.m. ET | Register here
• January Informational Webinar (Student Track Only) on Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. ET | Register here

Faculty who would like to be considered for Faculty Explorer awards should submit their applications by Jan. 13.  

Students ready to accelerate the clean energy market with a concise business plan that leverages National Laboratory-developed or other emerging energy technologies should apply with a 200-word summary by Feb. 3. 

We hope you have an enjoyable holiday break! In the meantime, feel free to post public questions on the HeroX forum or reach out to  with questions. 

Did you know EnergyTech UP offers multiple bonus prizes from an array of U.S. Department of Energy program offices to students who develop business plans around specified energy technologies? 

In the Explore Phase, bonus prize finalists will be awarded $5,000 each and invited to advance to the Refine and Pitch phases of the competition. At the conclusion of the Pitch Phase, each program office will choose a final Bonus Prize Winner to be awarded $20,000. Read more about the bonus prize focus areas below and in a new, updated Official Rules document located in the Resources tab. 

Applicants interested in learning more about these bonus prize opportunities are also encouraged to join the next informational webinar on Dec. 10. At this event, attendees can learn about the prize, including more information about the differences between the Student Track and Faculty Track, and ask questions during the live Q&A. Register for the webinar today to reserve your spot! 

Below are the DOE technology offices and their corresponding bonus prize challenges: 

• Arctic Energy Office Bonus Prize 

As a team made up of Alaska-based students, demonstrate and propose an innovative business model for an emerging energy technology that helps meet the energy, science, and security needs of the U.S. and its Arctic allies. 

• Geothermal Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to increase the adoption of geothermal technologies that address key exploration and operational challenges.

• Office of Nuclear Energy Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced technologies supporting advanced reactors and fuel cycle technologies. 

• Office of Electricity Grid-Enhancing Technologies (GETs) Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to increase the adoption of GETs to benefit the U.S. power grid. 

• Office of Electricity Grid-Scale Power Electronics (PE) Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to stimulate the adoption of advanced power electronics in the U.S power grid. 

• Office of Electricity Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to propose an LDES technology solution, explain the technology’s use case, and address market challenges to enable greater adoption of LDES in the U.S. power system. Innovative energy storage use cases are encouraged. 

• Solar Energy Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to improve the performance, affordability, reliability, and value of solar technologies in the U.S. grid and to tackle emerging challenges in the solar industry. 

• Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models to identify mechanisms for commercially viable hydrogen technologies to achieve market liftoff, supporting domestic competitiveness, job creation, and achievement of climate goals. 

• Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains Bonus Prize 

Develop an innovative business model or commercialization plan to increase the adoption of industrial decarbonization improvements at small- and medium-sized manufacturers. 

• Water Power Technologies Office Bonus Prize 

Develop innovative business models for a novel hydropower or marine technology of your choice that tackles emerging challenges in the water power industry and aims to improve the performance, affordability, reliability, and value of hydropower or marine energy in the United States. 

Below are additional bonus prizes offered by the Office of Technology Transitions: 

• As in past years, the Office of Technology Transitions: National Lab IP Licensing bonus prize is awarded to a team who develops innovative business models to help accelerate the commercialization of technologies available on the Lab Partnering Service website.
• Back again after its inaugural run in the EnergyTech UP 2024 cycle, the Office of Technology Transitions will also offer a bonus prize to an undergraduate-only team. Eligible teams must be made up of only undergraduate students, including those pursuing an associate degree or bachelor’s degree.

Ready to learn more? Register today for the Dec. 10 informational webinar! 

Don’t forget, tomorrow, Nov. 15 at 12 p.m. ET, is your next opportunity to meet with prize administrators and learn more about EnergyTech UP 2025. Office hours are a great opportunity for interested applicants to receive a high-level overview of the prize and ask questions about eligibility, teaming, submission materials, and more. 

Register today to reserve your spot at office hours!

Other Learning Opportunities 

Can’t make tomorrow’s office hours session? We’ve got you covered. Here are a few additional ways you can find out more about EnergyTech UP 2025: 

• Read the Official Rules document
• Watch a recording of the October informational webinar
• Register to join an informational webinar on Dec. 10 (where you can have your questions addressed live by prize administrators) 

We hope to see you at an event soon!