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EPA Awards 45 Universities with Grants to Help Design Sustainable Technologies - James Madison University

Release Date: 11/18/2011
Contact Information: Terri A. White, 215-814-5523 [email protected]

PHILADELPHIA (Nov. 18, 2011) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Phase I grants for the 2011-2012 school year. A team from James Madison University in Harrisonburg is one of 45 teams of college and university students across the country that won funding to design creative solutions to sustainability challenges in the developed and developing world.

The James Madison students will use their $15,000 P3 grant for a project exploring the benefits of on-campus composting. The team of undergraduate engineering students aims to provide JMU a sustainable means of recycling food waste from the dining halls, and lawn debris generated by the university’s grounds crews. The team will design and construct a prototype aerobic composting reactor and develop plans for a full scale composting system on JMU’s campus.

“EPA’s P3 grant to James University’s team of students represents an investment in our nation’s young innovators, the health of our communities, and the planet’s health,” said Shawn M. Garvin, EPA mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator. “I commend the James Madison team for their enthusiasm in designing a sustainable solution that has potential to support the growth and stability of our nation’s future.”

EPA’s P3 grants challenge students, working together on interdisciplinary teams, to design and build sustainable technologies that improve quality of life, promote economic development and protect the environment. The annual competition begins with Phase I grant awards of $15,000 to student teams that then work on projects in a range of categories including water, energy, agriculture, built environment, and materials and chemicals.

After working on the project for eight months, the teams will bring their designs to the 8^th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C around Earth Day. At the expo, the projects will be judged by a panel of experts. A few teams will be selected for Phase II grants up to $90,000 for students to improve their designs, implement them in the field, or move them to the marketplace.

Applications are being accepted through Dec. 22, 2011, for the next round of Phase I awards for the 2012-2013 school year. In addition to the categories above, teams can also propose innovative ideas for green infrastructure and designing clean cookstoves.

More information on the P3 Phase I grant awards: https://www.epa.gov/ncer/p3/current.

More information on applying for a 2012-2013 Phase I P3 award: https://www.epa.gov/ncer/p3/apply.