Description
"What can be done to make renewable energy mainstream? How do you market sustainability? Which government policies enable businesses to invest in energy efficiency? To achieve the goals of energy and environmental sustainability, we need to innovate the next great technology, process, policy, and business plan. The Energy & Environmental Innovation Competition will award big ideas and big solutions to solving our energy challenge.
Important Dates
March 21 Abstracts Due: Title, Team Description, and 1-paragraph description of topic.
April 14 – 10 page white paper due.
May 1 (or sooner) - Results announced.
Eligibility
· Teams are no longer required. Students may enter alone or in teams. There are no restrictions on team size.
· At least one member of each team must be a UC Berkeley student.
Requirements of Winners
Projects receiving awards shall be required to:
• Post their project on the Big Ideas marketplace
• Post a 6-month update on the concept during Fall 2008.
• Present a poster on the idea and the conclusions of the research at the UC Berkeley Energy Symposium in Spring 2009.
Format
Abstracts (Due by 11:59PM on March 21)
Abstracts should include Project Title, Team Description, and 1-paragraph description of the proposal (no longer than 1 page). ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT.
Submissions (Due by 11:59PM on April 14)
Proposals should be 5-10 pages in length, single-spaced. The following information is required:
• Executive Summary
• Background on the Problem
• Proposed Project/Solution
• Analysis of Solution's Potential Impact
• Description of how the funds will be used
The following information is required and does not count against the 10 page limit:
• Bios of researcher(s)
• Timeline
• Budget
• Appendicies (4 page limit)
Abstracts and Submissions should be e-mailed to energybigideas@gmail.com .
Sample formats may be found on the winner's page of last year's Bears Breaking Boundaries competition:
http://contest.berkeley.edu/main_pages/6.
Awards
A number of awards will be given out at level:
1st place awards - $7,000
2nd place awards - $4,000
3rd place awards - $2,500
Awards will only be granted if there are high-quality submissions. Awards can be used as scholarships or to support the proposed project or idea (e.g. research, travel, workshops, and miscellaneous expenses).
Requirements of Winners
Winners will be required to post their project on the Big Ideas marketplace, which allows people and organizations to make online donations to support specific student projects and initiatives. The competition winners will be required to prepare presentations for the annual Energy Symposium hosted by the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative and the Center for Energy and Environmental Innovation. This is one of the opportunities you will have to present your idea to the community at large. See the BERC website for more information about the Energy Symposium: http://berc.berkeley.edu
Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Guidelines
The authors of the submission will retain all proprietary rights to the plan regarding its use at all times prior to and following the competition. Due to the nature of the competition, we will not ask judges, reviewers, staff or the audience to agree to or sign non-disclosure statements for any participant.