The AlgaePrize

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The AlgaePrize Competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office (AFFO formerly BETO) and supported by The Algae Foundation and the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), challenges students to become the next generation of bioeconomy professionals by developing novel solutions for algae production, processing, and new product development—paving the way toward gigaton-scale algae commercialization. Student teams compete for prize awards and national recognition, while shaping the global future of converting algae to biofuels (e.g., sustainable marine and aviation fuels), vitamin- and protein-rich foods and animal feeds, ecological services, and industrial compounds (e.g., biopolymers).

The registration date for the current iteration of the competition, AlgaePrize 2025–2027 has been postponed to a date yet to be determined. We are awaiting updates from the U.S. Department of Energy regarding the amended timeline and will share information as soon as it becomes available. Visit and follow our official competition site for more information.

Official AlgaePrize Competition Site

Find more information below about our most recent competition, which concluded in July 2025.

AlgaePrize 2023-2025 Competition

The AlgaePrize 2023–2025 Competition launched in August 2023 with 50 teams and hundreds of students from across the country submitting innovative proposals in hopes of earning the title of Grand Champion, winning up to $35,000 in prize funds, and gaining national recognition. Competitors represented high schools, colleges, and universities nationwide, gaining hands-on STEM experience.

From the initial 50 teams, 15 finalists were selected and awarded $10,000 each to conduct research over two academic years. Their efforts culminated in the AlgaePrize 2025 Competition Weekend, held July 18–20, 2025, at NLR's campus in Golden, Colorado. There, teams presented their research to an expert panel of judges, competed for additional prizes, and gained invaluable networking and professional development opportunities.

In total, 13 finalist teams from 11 states across the country and Puerto Rico showcased their projects to the judges. View all the photos from the AlgaePrize 2025 Weekend to relive the excitement!

You may also find more information about each of our winning teams below.

Grand Champion Team

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Prize: $35,000

Parachlorella Plastic Pals | University of California, San Diego
From Protist to Plastic: Microalgal Feedstock for Synthesis of 100% Algae-based Polyurethanes

Champion Teams

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AlgaeNano+ | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Macroalgae-Derived Carbon Nanomaterials: The Next Frontier in Energy Materials and Soil Remediation

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Aloha Limu | University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawai‘i
Up-cycled Vertical Bag Culture of Halymenia

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BlazerBloom | Hood College, Frederick, Maryland
Harvesting Microalgae Using Magnetotactic Bacteria

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JCCC Chlorella Cavaliers | Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas
Genetically Engineered Algae to Degrade Plastic and Improve Ecosystems

Finalist Teams

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$10K

AlgaeUnlocked
Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois
Unlocking Algae’s Potential Using Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution

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$10K

Algators
Livingston High School, Livingston, New Jersey
Microalgae as Promising Biocatalysts to Enhance Food Production

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$10K

Blue Genes
Solano Community College, Fairfield, California
Phycocyanin: An Algae Pigment to Dye For

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$10K

Clean Green Feed
University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Methionine Supplementation in Poultry Feed

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$10K

Green Skies
The Blake School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
AI-Driven Site Selection for Algae Farming

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$10K

Green Thumbs
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado
A Volt of Clarity

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$10K

Just AD Algae
Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Microalgal Impact on Biogas Yield in Anaerobic Digestion of Used Cooking Oil

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$10K

KelBerry
University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Improving Strawberry Shelf Life with Seaweed-Derived Edible Coatings

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$10K

Team ASAP
Camas High School, Camas, Washington
Automated Sporophyte Algae Production (ASAP)

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$10K

The Algenius Thinkers
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Green Gold: A Dynamic Duo for Cleaner Energy