EVERGLADES FOUNDATION GRAND CHALLENGE:

A $ 10 MILLION SCIENCE

PRIZE

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Everglades Foundation: who we are?

Science based organization dedicated to the Greater Everglades ecosystem.

‣ EXCEPTIONAL SCIENCE, ‣ EDUCATION, and ‣ SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

USA

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Why Phosphorus ? National Water Quality Inventory

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2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

12.000

Nu

mb

er

of

wate

r b

od

ies

List of impaired waterbodies by State Cause of impairment

Total: 41,509 impaired waterbodies

Source: USEPA (2009)

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Lake Okeechobee Sub-watersheds Drainage area of 3.5 million acres

Use of fertilizers – phosphorus P, nitrogen N

Non treated wastewater and stormwater (P, N)

Manure (P, N)

Polluted run-offs

Drainage into the Lake

Urban, agricultural and farming

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Total Initial Costs - $ 13 – 15 billion

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Solution = Innovation

Phosphorus Grand Challenge

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$10 million science prize aimed at solving worldwide phosphorus problems.

Aims to attract innovative ideas and provides an opportunity to test breakthrough technologies.

7 year competition to evaluate performance at a large scale.

It will succeed in reducing the cost of phosphorus removal technologies.

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TO WIN THE $10 MILLION, THE WINNER MUST

DEMONSTRATE THE FOLLOWING:

Remove excessive phosphorus from the water body in both

warm and cold weather conditions.

Find a solution that is cost effective.

Not require modifications to existing laws or regulations.

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Phosphorus Grand Prize

YEAR 1

YEAR 2

YEAR 3

YEAR 4 to 6

YEAR 7

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Phosphorus Grand Prize

YEAR 1

YEAR 2

- Entrants will be given a flow variability graph and the

chemical composition of the water to prepare them

for ulterior stages of the competition.

- Winners will be selected based on submitted

documents and results.

- $ 35,000 will be awarded.

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Phosphorus Grand Prize

- Testing the different technologies in the labs under

cold and warm conditions.

- Each technology will be tested for 2 weeks cleaning

15 gallons per day (steady flow regime but variable P

concentrations).

- $ 50,000 will be awarded.

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Phosphorus Grand Prize

- Each technology will be tested for 3 months cleaning

an average of 150 gallons per day (variable flow

regime and variable P concentrations).

- $ 800,000 will be awarded (4 winners).

YEAR 3

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Phosphorus Grand Prize

- Each technology will be tested for 2 years cleaning

an average of 15 MGD (variable flow regime and

variable P concentrations).

- $ 10 million will be awarded.

YEAR 4

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5 SATELLITE PRIZES

PHOENIX PRIZE

Discover a new high value added P

product (most financial value

per kg of P recovered)

P FOOTPRINT PRIZE

OUT OF THE BOX

PRIZE

EVERGLADES

NATION PRIZE

GATOR TANK

PRIZE

ForEverglades

Grand

Prize

GRAND

PRIZE

Novel and disruptive fresh

approaches to P removal and

recovery from waterbodies

Yr 1: $ 20,000

Yr 2: $ 50,000

Yr 3: $100,00

Calculation of P footprint

and implementation of the methodology

to decrease an entity P footprint

Yr 1: $ 15,000

Yrs 2 and 3: Recognition Prize

$ 10,000 / Yr for 3 Years

Proof of a technology

transfer concept: A business

plan competition

to support the transition of

scientific ideas into commercial

practice

$ 20,000 / Yr for 3 years

Innovative approach to

reduce P input to ecosystem

$ 20,000 / Yr for 3 years 14

TIMELINE

- Applications will be accepted in 2016.

- Awards for sub-prizes will be given out annually starting in 2016.

- Award for the Grand Prize ($ 10 million) will be given out to the

winner in 2022.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.evergladesfoundation.org/grandchallenge/

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ENDORSED BY

SIR HAROLD KROTO

NOBEL PRIZE WINNER IN CHEMISTRY, 1996

“Let us applaud this new initiative by

the Everglades Foundation. The Grand

Challenge will capture the imagination

of problem solvers while putting an

international focus on the global threat

of excessive phosphorus in our water

supply.”

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