15th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources | EPA G2018 P3 Q2

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the 15th Annual P3 Awards opportunity?

The 15th Annual P3 Awards is an EPA student-focused design and research competition under the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Award Program. This cycle is centered on safe and sustainable water resources and supports student teams proposing practical, technology-based solutions to real-world water challenges.

What is the main purpose of this competition?

The main goal is to support teams that propose workable solutions using sound scientific and engineering principles. EPA is looking for projects that are intended to be deployable in realistic settings, not just ideas on paper.

What theme is this cycle focused on?

This cycle is focused on safe and sustainable water resources, meaning proposals should address water-related challenges while also demonstrating sustainability and real-world feasibility.

What kinds of projects is EPA looking to fund?

EPA is looking for practical, technology-based solutions to water challenges. Projects are expected to include a plan to research, develop, design, and demonstrate a solution, such as prototype development, pilot testing, field demonstration, or other credible proof-of-concept work.

Are purely conceptual ideas eligible?

The opportunity emphasizes moving beyond purely conceptual ideas. Competitive proposals should describe credible steps toward demonstration, such as building a prototype or conducting pilot or field testing to show the idea can work under realistic conditions.

What does "proof of concept" mean in the context of this opportunity?

Proof of concept refers to credible activities that demonstrate the solution can work in realistic settings. The notice suggests examples like prototype development, pilot testing, and field demonstration.

What is the "triple bottom line" requirement in the P3 program?

A defining requirement of the P3 program is that proposals must deliver benefits across all three pillars at the same time: People, Prosperity, and Planet. Strong proposals clearly connect the technical approach to human outcomes, economic value, and environmental protection as integrated goals.

What counts as "People" benefits?

"People" benefits include improvements to quality of life, health, safety, or equity outcomes. The opportunity especially emphasizes benefits for communities with limited resources or heightened vulnerability.

What counts as "Prosperity" benefits?

"Prosperity" benefits relate to economic value, such as affordability, cost savings, local job creation, scalable business potential, or reduced operational burdens for households or utilities.

What counts as "Planet" benefits?

"Planet" benefits involve environmental protection, which may include reducing pollution, conserving water and energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing waste, improving watershed health, or using safer and more sustainable materials and processes.

Do the People, Prosperity, and Planet benefits need to be addressed separately?

The opportunity indicates that strong applications do not treat these as separate or secondary considerations. Instead, proposals should show an intention and realistic capability to deliver all three benefits simultaneously as part of a unified project approach.

Is there a geographic focus for proposed solutions?

Yes. The competition is framed around meeting needs within the United States, with an explicit emphasis on solutions that can help small, rural, tribal, and disadvantaged communities.

What types of communities are emphasized?

The solicitation highlights small, rural, tribal, and disadvantaged communities. This signals a preference for solutions that are realistic for under-resourced contexts.

What characteristics make a solution realistic for under-resourced contexts?

The notice suggests solutions that are low-cost to install and maintain, resilient to disruptions, simple to operate, adaptable to different geographies, and compatible with limited technical staffing or infrastructure.

What water topics are relevant to this opportunity?

Relevant topics can reasonably include drinking water safety, treatment and disinfection, contaminant monitoring, wastewater and stormwater management, water reuse, source water protection, and decentralized or point-of-use treatment approaches, as long as they align with the safe and sustainable water resources theme and the P3 triple-benefit framework.

Does my topic need to be explicitly about drinking water?

Not necessarily. The opportunity describes a broad range of water-related topics (including wastewater, stormwater, monitoring, reuse, and source water protection) as long as the project fits the safe and sustainable water resources theme and meets the P3 triple bottom line expectation.

What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a grant.

Is this a formula grant program?

No. This is described as a discretionary grant opportunity, meaning awards are competitively made rather than distributed by formula.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling is $15,000 per award.

How many awards does EPA anticipate making?

The notice anticipates a total of about 20 awards.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number is 66.516.

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is EPA G2018 P3 Q2.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed as "Others." The notice indicates that applicants must consult the solicitation's "Additional Information on Eligibility" section for the specific eligible applicant types and conditions.

Where can applicants find the official eligibility rules?

The opportunity directs applicants to the solicitation's "Additional Information on Eligibility" section for specific eligible applicant types and conditions.

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on December 22, 2017.

What was the original application closing date?

The original closing date was February 7, 2018. The notice also directs applicants to the solicitation's Section IV for any close-date details.

Where should applicants look for close-date details?

The notice points applicants to the solicitation's Section IV for closing date details.

How should teams think about the project scope given the funding level?

The opportunity is best understood as seed funding for student teams. Competitive projects typically propose an achievable path to develop and demonstrate a water-focused solution, including a clear plan for research, development, design, and some form of credible demonstration.

What elements do successful proposals generally include?

The notice indicates that successful proposals generally present a clear problem statement tied to community needs, a technically credible design and work plan, a realistic demonstration pathway, and a persuasive explanation of how the project delivers simultaneous benefits for people, economic prosperity, and environmental protection.

How important is demonstrating real-world deployment constraints?

It is central to this opportunity. EPA signals it is looking for solutions that are not only innovative but also realistic for the settings emphasized, including under-resourced communities where maintenance, staffing, resilience, and affordability can be decisive.