2025-2026 R&D Student Competition

NYSP2I's Sustainable Innovation Student Competition enables students to propose, research, develop, and design solutions to real world environmental challenges. The competition seeks innovative projects focused on sustainability that respond to a defined topic or issue. The competition fosters creative thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and collaboration across disciplines and provides an opportunity for students to present their projects to environmental experts, gain insight from established professionals, and receive recognition by potential future employers. The program provides funding to offset project costs, as well as awards at the culminating competition exhibition.

Open to full-time students enrolled at any of NYSP2I’s five partner universities, the Sustainable Innovation Student Competition recognizes both graduate- and undergraduate-level sustainability projects in defined topic areas. Teams selected for the competition will display their research and project results and give oral presentations to a panel of judges in person at the 2025-26 Sustainable Innovation Student Competition Exhibition, competing for awards totaling $18,000. The Exhibition will take place in Rochester, NY, during Earth Week, on Monday, April 20, 2026.

As an exciting bonus opportunity, teams will have a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to present their research at the 2027 REMADE® Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference in Washington, D.C.