The AlgaePrize
The AlgaePrize Competition
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.
Find more information below about our most recent competition, which concluded in July 2025.
AlgaePrize 2023-2025 CompetitionÂ
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.Â
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.Â
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!Â
You may also find more information about each of our winning teams below.Â
Grand Champion Team
Parachlorella Plastic Pals | University of California, San Diego
From Protist to Plastic: Microalgal Feedstock for Synthesis of 100% Algae-based Polyurethanes
Champion Teams
AlgaeNano+ | University of Puerto Rico, RÃo Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Macroalgae-Derived Carbon Nanomaterials: The Next Frontier in Energy Materials and Soil Remediation
Aloha Limu | University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hilo, Hawai‘i
Up-cycled Vertical Bag Culture of Halymenia
BlazerBloom | Hood College, Frederick, Maryland
Harvesting Microalgae Using Magnetotactic Bacteria
JCCC Chlorella Cavaliers | Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas
Genetically Engineered Algae to Degrade Plastic and Improve Ecosystems
Finalist Teams
$10K
AlgaeUnlocked
Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Carbondale, Illinois
Unlocking Algae’s Potential Using Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution
$10K
Algators
Livingston High School, Livingston, New Jersey
Microalgae as Promising Biocatalysts to Enhance Food Production
$10K
Blue Genes
Solano Community College, Fairfield, California
Phycocyanin: An Algae Pigment to Dye For
$10K
Clean Green Feed
University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Methionine Supplementation in Poultry Feed
$10K
Green Skies
The Blake School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
AI-Driven Site Selection for Algae Farming
$10K
Green Thumbs
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado
A Volt of Clarity
$10K
Just AD Algae
Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Microalgal Impact on Biogas Yield in Anaerobic Digestion of Used Cooking Oil
$10K
KelBerry
University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
Improving Strawberry Shelf Life with Seaweed-Derived Edible Coatings
$10K
Team ASAP
Camas High School, Camas, Washington
Automated Sporophyte Algae Production (ASAP)
$10K
The Algenius Thinkers
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Green Gold: A Dynamic Duo for Cleaner Energy