Opportunity Information: Apply for EPA G2016 P3 Q2
The 13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under its P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) Award Program. The purpose of the competition is to support student-driven teams proposing practical, real-world solutions to sustainability challenges, with an emphasis on using sound scientific and engineering principles to research, develop, and design innovative approaches that can be tested or demonstrated. The overall aim is to push projects beyond theory by encouraging designs that are grounded in technical rigor and oriented toward measurable outcomes that could improve environmental conditions and human well-being.
At the center of the program is the idea of the "three pillars of sustainability": protecting the planet (environmental stewardship and resource conservation), supporting people (public health, community needs, equity, and quality of life), and promoting prosperity (economic viability, efficiency, and scalable benefits). Projects are expected to reflect this balanced approach rather than focusing narrowly on a single dimension of sustainability. In practical terms, this means proposals should show how a solution addresses environmental impacts while also being workable for communities and realistic from an economic or implementation standpoint. The EPA frames the competition as a way to respond to ongoing technical needs and to cultivate the next generation of sustainability-focused problem-solvers.
This opportunity is structured as a grant funding mechanism within the EPA's environment-related assistance programs and is associated with CFDA number 66.516. The funding opportunity number is EPA G2016 P3 Q2. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $15,000 per award, and the EPA anticipated making about 41 awards under this announcement. The original application closing date listed for this cycle was December 8, 2015, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of October 6, 2015.
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," but the official announcement directs applicants to consult Section III for the detailed eligibility requirements. Given that this is explicitly described as a national student design competition, eligibility typically centers on student teams working with an academic institution and a faculty advisor, though the precise rules, required registrations, and any restrictions on institution type or team composition would be spelled out in that eligibility section of the full notice.
In summary, this EPA P3 funding opportunity supports student-led, sustainability-focused design and research projects that aim to produce innovative, scientifically grounded solutions with clear benefits across people, prosperity, and the planet. It provides modest seed funding to help teams move ideas into actionable designs and prototypes, while reinforcing the EPA's broader mission of advancing sustainable technologies and practices that can address real environmental and societal challenges.Apply for EPA G2016 P3 Q2
- The Environmental Protection Agency in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 66.516.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2015-10-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2015-12-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $15,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 41 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the 13th Annual P3 Awards competition?
The 13th Annual P3 Awards is a national student design competition for sustainability offered as a discretionary grant opportunity by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under its P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) Award Program.
What does "P3" stand for in this program?
P3 refers to People, Prosperity, and the Planet, which are described as the three pillars of sustainability that projects are expected to address in a balanced way.
What is the main purpose of this EPA P3 grant opportunity?
The purpose is to support student-driven teams that propose practical, real-world solutions to sustainability challenges. Projects should use sound scientific and engineering principles to research, develop, and design innovative approaches that can be tested or demonstrated.
What kinds of projects is the EPA looking to fund through this competition?
The competition focuses on student-led sustainability design and research projects that move beyond theory. Proposals are expected to be technically rigorous and oriented toward measurable outcomes that could improve environmental conditions and human well-being.
How should a proposal address the "three pillars of sustainability"?
Projects are expected to reflect a balanced approach across: protecting the planet (environmental stewardship and resource conservation), supporting people (public health, community needs, equity, and quality of life), and promoting prosperity (economic viability, efficiency, and scalable benefits). The EPA indicates that proposals should not focus narrowly on only one pillar.
Does the competition require projects to be testable or demonstrated?
Yes. The program emphasizes designs that can be tested or demonstrated, encouraging teams to push concepts beyond theory toward actionable designs and prototypes.
Is this opportunity a grant or a prize?
This opportunity is structured as a discretionary grant funding mechanism under the EPA's environment-related assistance programs, even though it is framed as an awards competition.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA number 66.516.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is EPA G2016 P3 Q2.
How much funding is available per award?
The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $15,000 per award.
How many awards does the EPA expect to make?
The EPA anticipated making about 41 awards under this announcement.
When was the application closing date for this cycle?
The original application closing date listed for this cycle was December 8, 2015.
When was this opportunity record created?
The opportunity record shows a creation date of October 6, 2015.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others." The official announcement instructs applicants to consult Section III for detailed eligibility requirements. Because this is described as a national student design competition, eligibility typically centers on student teams working with an academic institution and a faculty advisor, but the exact requirements would be defined in Section III of the full notice.
Do applicants need to review the full announcement to confirm eligibility details?
Yes. The information provided indicates that detailed eligibility requirements are located in Section III of the official announcement, and applicants are directed to consult that section.
What is the overall goal of the EPA in running this competition?
The overall aim is to cultivate sustainability-focused problem-solvers and respond to ongoing technical needs by encouraging innovative solutions that are grounded in scientific and engineering principles and offer measurable benefits for environmental conditions and human well-being.
What does "practical, real-world solutions" mean in the context of this competition?
Based on the description, it means proposals should be workable for communities and realistic from an economic or implementation standpoint, while also demonstrating technical rigor and clear sustainability benefits.
Is economic or implementation realism considered in project expectations?
Yes. The prosperity pillar includes economic viability, efficiency, and scalable benefits, and the description notes that proposals should show a solution is realistic from an economic or implementation standpoint.
Does the competition emphasize measurable outcomes?
Yes. The opportunity description highlights that designs should be oriented toward measurable outcomes that could improve environmental conditions and human well-being.
What type of funding is this described as (discretionary vs. mandatory)?
It is described as a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the EPA.
What is the program context within EPA?
This opportunity is offered under the EPA P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) Award Program and is part of the EPA's environment-related assistance programs.
What is the key theme that proposals should avoid?
Proposals should avoid focusing narrowly on a single dimension of sustainability; instead, they are expected to address the three pillars of sustainability in a balanced way.
What kind of support does the funding provide to teams?
It provides modest seed funding intended to help student teams move ideas into actionable designs and prototypes.
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