xvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
a student design
competition
researching solutions for
environmental protection
and public health
PEOPLE • PROSPERITY • PLANET
June 2019
www.epa.gov
How does EPA's P3 program help
professors inspire their students
to learn?
Research shows that quality, hands-on
experience can enhance and strengthen
classroom learning. EPA's P3 competition brings
education to life for the students as they
research and implement solutions for our
biggest environmental challenges.
From coast to coast, our nation's institutions
of higher education can make unique
contributions with their committed and
energized students. Faculty and administrators
can use EPA's P3 competition as a tool to
lay the foundation for the next generation's
environmental achievements.
2017 P3 student teams attending their booths and
talking with guests at the P3 Expo.
What is the National Student Design
Expo?
The Expo is an inspiring exhibition of innovative
technology for a sustainable future. P3 student
teams present their projects alongside EPA
programs, other government agencies, non-
profit organizations and businesses to showcase
their achievements.
The Expo provides P3 award recipients with
the opportunity to make connections with
corporate, government and investment
professionals from a range of disciplines.
Students will be exposed to other P3 award
projects and exhibits with topics ranging from
biotech to agriculture.
What happens after the Competition?
EPA's P3 experience is a launch pad for the real-
world application of P3 team projects. Winners
and competitors alike have turned their projects
into local solutions for global challenges. These
are just a few of the many P3 projects that are
making a difference today:
-	A P3 team from Harvard University launched
One Earth Designs, a startup that sells solar-
powered grills that can also function as space
heaters and electric generators.
-	Sunn Lighting, a company that sells energy
efficient indoor LED light fixtures, was
founded by members of a P3 award team out
of Cornell University.
-	A P3 team from the University of Tennessee
redesigned depression-era housing to green
buildings standards, while still meeting strict
historical preservation codes.
For more information, please contact:
Angela Page (paee.angelad@epa.gov)

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People
'¦ 4.
I > o
Prosperity Planet
Be a game changer!
Through the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) People, Prosperity and the
Planet - or "P3" - competition, you can help
address current environmental issues and join
EPA in its mission to protect human health and
the environment. The P3 program encourages
teams of undergraduate and graduate
students to develop innovative solutions to
environmental problems in the broad research
topic areas of air quality, water, healthy
communities, and chemical safety.
These projects work toward achieving a
healthier environment for all people without
sacrificing the needs of future generations.
What is EPA's P3 Competition?
Teams of graduate and undergraduate
students focus on pressing environmental
challenges, and design tangible, cutting-edge
solutions to real-world problems. These
students create, innovate and strive to make
a difference. They compete for the chance to
win additional grant money to further develop
their sustainable solutions or implement their
designs in the field.
How does the competition work?
The competition has two phases. Potential
Phase I teams submit a proposal of their idea
for a chance at a grant of up to $25,000, which
is awarded in the fall. The winning teams go
on to develop their designs throughout the
school year.
The teams then bring their design projects
to the National Student Design Expo (NSDE),
held every spring. At the Expo, students
showcase their projects alongside exhibits from
EPA programs, other government agencies, non-
profit organizations, and businesses.
P3 Phase I student teams are then eligible
to apply for Phase II awards of up to $100,000.
These grants give students the chance to
expand and improve their ideas and see all
of their hard work come to fruition.
EPA's P3 competition is open to students
and interdisciplinary teams are encouraged
to participate. P3 gives students from all
backgrounds the opportunity to make a tangible
difference in the world around them and help
pave the way for a better tomorrow.
2017 P3 student teams gather for a group photograph at
the 2017 P3 Expo.
www.epa.gov/p3

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