2025-2026 R&D Student Competition
The NYSP2I Sustainable Innovation Student Competition Exhibition & Research Poster Showcase celebrates student-led solutions to real-world environmental challenges. The event brings together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, industry professionals, and sustainability leaders from across New York State to highlight innovative research and applied problem solving.
Event at a glance:
Date: Monday, April 20, 2026, during Earth Week
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Louise Slaughter Hall (Building 78)
Parking: Please park in the Global Village (GV) lot, with lot T for overflow. Click the link for information and to register for the required parking pass.
Participating universities: Binghamton University, Clarkson University, Cornell University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Rochester Institute of Technology
Awards: Up to $18,000 in competition awards + up to five $1,000 research poster awards
Through oral presentations and a poster showcase, the event highlights both newly developed competition projects and existing student research, creating a collaborative forum for applied problem-solving, knowledge sharing, and recognition.
Event registration is encouraged, but not required, to help us plan for refreshments and ensure an accurate headcount. The cost is free.
Agenda
| Monday, April 20, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. | Check-in for Student Competition & Poster Showcase Participants |
| 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. | Check-in for All Other Attendees |
| 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. | Welcome Remarks |
| 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. | Student Competition Team Presentations & Judging |
| 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. | Poster Showcase Presentations & Judging |
| 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Exhibition & Networking |
| 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. | Lunch & Awards Ceremony — Closed to the public
1:00 – 1:30: Keynote Speaker
1:30 – 2:00: Closing Remarks |
The event is open to the general public from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. only.
If you have questions about the event, please contact Ambika Walker, apwgis@rit.edu.
Sustainable Innovation Student Competition
Application Period: Closed
Exhibition: April 20, 2026 | RIT
NYSP2I’s Sustainable Innovation Student Competition supports full-time undergraduate and graduate students from NYSP2I’s five partner universities in proposing, developing, and designing solutions to defined environmental challenges.
Selected teams receive funding to advance their projects and present their research at the 2026 Exhibition & Research Poster Showcase. A total of up to $18,000 in awards is distributed to top-performing teams based on innovation, impact, feasibility, and presentation quality. In addition, competition teams may be selected for an all-expenses-paid trip to present their work at the 2027 REMADE® Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference in Washington, D.C., providing national exposure and professional networking opportunities.
Featured Research Projects
Two outstanding teams from Cornell University will present their work at the 2026 Exhibition:
Project Title: Energy Atlas: City-Scale Digital Twin for Operational Carbon Reduction and Retrofit Planning in Tompkins County, NY
Team Level: Graduate
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Timur Dogan
This project leverages digital twin technology to model and reduce operational carbon emissions across buildings at a community scale, enabling strategic retrofit planning and data-driven climate action in Tompkins County.
Project Title: Circularity Beyond Compost: Valorizing Cornell’s Food Waste through Hydrothermal Liquefaction
Team Level: Undergraduate
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jillian L. Goldfarb
This research explores hydrothermal liquefaction as an innovative pathway to convert food waste into valuable bio-based products—advancing circular economy solutions beyond traditional composting methods.
Student Research Poster Showcase
Application Period: Closed
Showcase: April 20, 2026 | RIT
The Student Research Poster Showcase will feature high-quality sustainability research already underway across NYSP2I’s partner universities. The showcase provides students with an opportunity to gain visibility, receive feedback from sustainability professionals, and connect with peers and industry leaders at the April 20 event.
About the Poster Showcase
- Open to undergraduate and graduate students from NYSP2I’s five partner universities: Binghamton University, Clarkson University, Cornell University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Rochester Institute of Technology
- Up to five (5) teams per university will be selected
- Work must be existing research or coursework (not new or specially created projects) that demonstrates environmental impact, technical innovation, or applied sustainability solutions.
- Format: Poster presentation
- Participants will engage directly with judges and attendees
- Up to five (5) awards of $1,000 per team will be presented
Getting Here
RIT's Louise Slaughter Hall/CIMS Building 78
149 Lomb Memorial Dr. | Rochester, NY 14623
- Turn Right on Brooks Ave., and take a quick right onto Rte 390 South.
- Take the first exit, Scottsville Rd.
- Make a right onto Scottsville Rd.
- Travel straight for approximately 2.8 miles, then turn left at Jefferson Rd (Rte 252).
- Travel on Jefferson Rd for 0.5 miles to the main entrance. The main entrance is on the right hand side of the road and is indicated by a large sign that reads, “Rochester Institute of Technology, Founded 1829”.
- When you get to lots J and T, turn left. This will take you to the GIS Building #81 and CIMS #78.
- Look for the Visitors Parking signs in the first row between lots J and T, in front of the stairs. Take stairs to top and enter the GIS building on left, or continue straight to the CIMS building ahead on the right.
- If you are planning to park in the Global Village (GV) lot, refer to the RIT campus map below.
- Take exit 46 and proceed north on 390 to Hylan Dr (exit 13).
- Turn left onto Hylan Dr and continue north approximately 1.5 miles to Jefferson Rd (Rte 252).
- Turn left onto Jefferson Rd and drive approximately 1.5 miles to the main entrance. The main entrance is on the left-hand side of the road and is indicated by a large sign that reads “Rochester Institute of Technology, Founded 1829”.
- When you get to lots J and T, turn left. This will take you to the GIS Building #81 and CIMS #78.
- Look for the Visitors Parking signs in the first row between lots J and T, in front of the stairs. Take stairs to top and enter GIS building on left or continue straight to the CIMS building ahead on the right.
- If you are planning to park in the Global Village (GV) lot, refer to the RIT campus map below.
Click to enlarge
Parking
You must register for parking here: https://rit.t2hosted.com/pnw2/selectevent.aspx
(best viewed in Google Chrome)
How to register for parking
- Open the link above
- Select the event: "4/20/26 - Sustainable Innovation"
- Add it to your basket and enter your vehicle information
- Check out — no account or additional information required
Note: If you've parked on campus before, you may see a warning that your vehicle is already in the system. Simply click past it and continue to check out.
Parking questions or issues?
If you experience any problems during parking registration, please email Rachel Kohl at rakfms@rit.edu with a screenshot of the issue, and include the reservation number for reference.
