Friday, March 29, 2024

EPA selects Washington State University, Gonzaga University for P3 sustainability grants

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected two Washington universities, Washington State University (WSU) and Gonzaga University, to compete in this year’s People, Prosperity and Planet (P3) program, awarding student teams from each school $15,000 to develop sustainable technology.

“This year’s P3 teams have created innovative research projects that tackle some of our most pressing environmental and public health challenges,” EPA Science Advisor and Research and Development Office Deputy Assistant Administrator Dr. Thomas A. Burke said. “These students have the opportunity to bring their exciting new ideas for innovation in sustainability to life, by expanding their learning experience beyond the classroom.”

The WSU team’s project is “TrashWalls: Ultra Low-Cost Energy Retrofits.” It seeks to provide low-cost means to increase the energy efficiency of old and low income rental properties by installing a temporary interior insulating envelope made of recycled scrap cloth, paper and other materials.

The Gonzaga team’s project, “Design Support for Green Building in the Wildland-Urban Interface to Enhance Sustainability and Fire Resistance,” would create support tools to help homeowners and builders develop green buildings that are resistant to wildfires.

The teams, along with those from the other 36 universities selected for the first phase of the P3 program, will submit their projects at the National Sustainable Design Expo later this year. If selected, they will continue on to the second phase, where they will receive up to $75,000 to continue work on their projects.