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EPA Challenges & Prizes

Challenges and prizes represent tools for EPA to find solutions by tapping into the ingenuity and creativity of crowds. EPA outlines the specifications and criteria for a problem, and the public can submit ideas and proposals for successful solutions. 

You can subscribe to the EPA challenge & prize competition email list to stay up-to-date on the latest news.

Explore EPA's active challenges below to learn how you can get involved!


On this page:

  • Active Challenges
  • Completed Challenges (2019 - 2021)

Want More Information?

  • Challenge & prize resources
  • EPA challenges & prizes completed prior to 2019
  • Science Matters article on the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges
  • Science Matters article on the Septic System Nitrogen Sensor Challenge

View the infographic below, or read the text of the information contained in the graphics.

  • 40+ EPA hosted challenges - from addressing PFAS to indoor air quality, EPA challenges have addressed a wide range of issues all aimed at improving human health and the environment.
  • More than $1,000,000 awarded to prize winners
  • Types of challenges: sensor development, video challenges, hack-a-thons, app development, project designs
  • EPA has partnered with: 14 federal agencies, 25 non-profits, 10 private companies
  • Solvers engaged: students, academic researchers, non-profit organizations, private individuals, businesses
  • Solvers' impacts: green infrastructure designs implemented, winning technologies on the market, air sensors deployed, and more
 

Active Challenges


  • Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge

    The challenge calls on innovators to develop a sensor that can identify whether there are chemical pollutants and natural toxins in various types of water much faster and less expensively than current lab methods for detecting individual, specific chemicals. 

    Phase II coming soon.

    Learn more about the Water Toxicity Sensor Challenge
  • Make A Market Tech Challenge

    make a market tech challenge graphic identifiar

    EPA launched the Make a Market Tech Challenge to solicit evaluations of new technologies developed by EPA researchers. The challenge asks teams or individual participants to choose one of five patented EPA technologies listed below and develop a market assessment for the selected technology.

    No longer accepting applications. Winners expected to be announced in spring 2023.

    Learn More About the Make a Market Tech Challenge
  • Environmental Justice (EJ) Student Video Challenge

    This challenge enhances communities’ capacity to address environmental and public health inequities. The goal of Phase 1 is for students to create a video to demonstrate innovative approaches to identify and characterize an EJ issue in a select community using data and publicly available tools.

    Accepting applications until February 3, 2023. 

    Learn more about the EJ Student Video Challenge & Webinar
  • Pollution Prevention Works: A Storytelling Challenge for Students

    infographic for TRI challenge

    The Challenge invites high school and college students and to use the TRI P2 Search Tool to identify a TRI facility that has reported implementing source reduction practices and tell a compelling story about how those practices or techniques benefit the business and positively impact communities and the environment. 

    Accepting applications until February 17, 2023. 

    Learn more about the Pollution Prevention Works Challenge & Webinar
  • NARS Data Analysis Innovation Challenge

    This challenge invites students, scientists, and analysts from a variety of disciplines to apply National Aquatic Resource Survey (NARS) data to critical research questions in the areas of climate change, environmental justice, nutrient management, and other critical water quality challenges. 

    No longer accepting applications.

    Learn more about the NARS Data Analysis Innovation Challenge

Completed Challenges (2019 - 2021)


Let's Talk About Heat Challenge

logo for the lets talk about heat challenge. circle of grass with two skyscrapers on one side with solar panels on the roof and two solar reflecting houses on the left. Also have people hanging out in the shade of a tree and a person on a bicycle.

This challenge aimed to identify innovative and effective communication strategies that inform people of the risks of extreme heat and offer ways to keep safe during the hottest days.  

  • Learn more about the Let's Talk About Heat Challenge.

Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges

logo for the next gen fertilizer challenges.

These challenges aimed to identify concepts for novel fertilizer technologies and other product innovations that could reduce the environmental effects from modern agriculture while maintaining or increasing crop yields. Submissions include technologies not currently on the market. 

  • Learn more about the Next Gen Fertilizer Challenges.

EcoTox TARGET Challenge

EcoTox Target Challenge

The Technology Advancing Rapid Gene Expression-based Testing (TARGET) challenge called for respondents to develop high quality, low cost, technologies/platforms for evaluating global gene expression in samples from four common aquatic toxicity test organisms. 

  • Learn more about the EcoTox TARGET Challenge.

Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfire Challenge

This challenge was the first step in EPA's effort to stimulate the development of new technologies to clean indoor air. It offered a cash prize for the best technology design for cleaning indoor air during wildfire smoke events and high pollution days.

  • Learn more about the Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfire Challenge.

Campus Rainworks Annual Challenge

This is a green infrastructure design competition for U.S. colleges and universities that seeks to engage with the next generation of environmental professionals, foster a dialogue about effective stormwater management and showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure practices. (Stage 3). 

  • Learn more about the Annual 2021 Campus Rainworks Challenge.

Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge

The Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge was a technology-accelerating water quality challenge launched in 2017 to demonstrate how nutrient sensors can be used by states and local communities to help manage nutrient pollution. 

  • Learn more about the Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge.

‘See a Bloom, Give It Room’ High School Video Challenge

See A Bloom, Give It Room: Harmful Algal Bloom Video Challenge

This Challenge called for videos from high school students (grades 9-12) that promote public awareness of harmful algal blooms through creative filmmaking. The public safety videos (under 2 minutes in length) explained how to spot harmful algal blooms and how people and their pets should be safe around them. 

  • Learn more about the See a Bloom, Give it Room Challenge.

Advanced Septic System Nitrogen Sensor Challenge

EPA and partners identified and spurred development of technologies to monitor nitrogen concentration in effluent from wastewater treatment systems. This research helps ensure that advanced septic nitrogen removal system are effective. 

  • Learn more about the Advanced Septic System Nitrogen Sensor Challenge.

Innovative Ways to Destroy PFAS Challenge

This challenge asked solvers to submit detailed plans for a non-thermal way of destroying PFAS in concentrated film forming foam (AFFF), while creating the least amount of potentially harmful byproducts. 

  • Learn more about the Innovative Ways to Destroy PFAS Challenge.

EPA has been running Challenges and Prizes since 1996. View EPA Challenges & Prizes completed prior to 2019.

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Last updated on January 19, 2023
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