News Releases from Region 04

EPA Awards Grant to the University of Central Florida for Innovative Technology Projects

ATLANTA – (March 22, 2018) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. with a $15,000 People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) grant. 

Nationally, EPA awarded more than $463,000 in funding for 31 Phase I student teams through the P3 Grants Program. These teams, made up of college students from across the country, are developing sustainable technologies to solve current environmental and public health challenges.

“This year’s P3 teams are applying their classroom learning to create innovative and practical technologies,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “This next generation of scientists has demonstrated a commitment to designing sustainable solutions that will help protect public health and the environment.”

Funding for the P3 competition is divided into two phases. Teams selected for Phase I awards receive grants of up to $15,000 to fund the proof of concept for their projects, which are then showcased at the National Sustainable Design Expo. The 2018 Expo is scheduled to be held at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, DC, April 7-8. Phase I teams are eligible to compete for Phase II awards of up to $75,000 to further develop and implement their designs. 

“This grant will allow the University of Central Florida student team to apply their classroom experiences, and to develop innovative solutions to improve their communities and the environment,” said Regional Administrator Trey Glenn.

“We are proud of our students’ accomplishments. Their success demonstrates how bringing together different academic areas from biomedical sciences to engineering can produce solutions to real-world problems. Working hand-in-hand with our distinguished faculty gives our students an exceptional educational experience, which allows them to become leaders in their chosen fields,” said Elizabeth Klonoff, UCF Vice President for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies.

To learn more about the projects of the 2017 Phase I winners, visit: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/632/records_per_page/ALL

For more information on the P3 Program, visit: http://www.epa.gov/P3