About the Challenge
On June 1st, The Elsevier Foundation Green & Sustainable Chemistry Challenge opens its doors for the next round of applications. Our 2017 competition builds off of the first Elsevier Green & Sustainable Chemistry Challenge which announced its winners on the 5th of April at the First International Green & Sustainable Chemistry Conference, in Berlin. Our 2017 Challenge will be open to individuals and non-profit organizations whose projects use green and sustainable chemistry solutions to tackle some of the developing world’s greatest sustainability challenges whether in water, sanitation or energy. The Elsevier Foundation is proud to support the Challenge and to partner with our distinguished judges and our publishing colleagues at Elsevier.
Read the complete guidelines and official rules of the Elsevier Foundation Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge:
Submissions are open!
Projects will be reviewed according to the following criteria:
- Be replicable, scalable, sustainable and set a benchmark for innovation – new ideas or concepts in development will be given preference over more advanced projects.
- Have practical applicability; include an implementation plan. Please note that if the project has been developed in a high income country, contextually appropriate development knowledge will need to be demonstrated, for instance through a developing country implementation partner.
- Be suitable for use in developing countries. Have considered the project’s social impact on local communities, including whether it has a possible gender dimension either in design or implementation.
- Have at least two of the following Green and Sustainable Chemistry objectives:
- Reduce or eliminate the use or generation of one or more hazardous substance or material
- Provide a more sustainable use of resources, materials, or products, or more sustainable manufacturing or application of a chemical product
- Provide increased reuse, repair or recyclability
- Present a new business model fitting into the criteria of green and sustainable chemistry.
Early stage projects are preferred. The winning project in the Elsevier Green & Sustainable Chemistry Challenge will receive a single payment of Euros € 50,000; the winner of the second prize will receive a single payment of Euros € 25,000.
There is no entry fee.
Judging
Applications will be reviewed against the Elsevier Foundation Green & Sustainable Chemistry Challenge criteria by the Elsevier Foundation Green & Sustainable Chemistry Challenge advisory group, comprised of relevant internal and external Green & Sustainable Chemistry specialists. Those in contention for the short list will be reviewed by an expert panel of external judges.
The shortlist will be announced on January 2017. Shortlisted candidates will be given the opportunity to refine and elaborate on their proposals. Five candidates selected from this shortlist will be invited to present their proposals at the Second International Green & Sustainable Chemistry Conference to be held in Berlin, 14-17 May 2017, where the winners will be announced.
Meet the winners of the 2016 First International Green & Sustainable Chemistry Conference
Yunsang Kim, PhD, displays the winner’s check, surrounded by Conference Chair Prof. Klaus Kümmerer, PhD (left), and Elsevier Senior Publisher Rob van Daalen.
The proposal presented by Dr. Yunsang Kim’s won first prize because of the innovative green chemistry aspect and the large positive impact on the environment: he will use innovative textile dyeing technology using nanocellulosic (NC) fibers to reduce the generation of wastewater and release of toxic chemicals
“I am really very happy and overwhelmed in winning this prize,” he said. “I feel responsible in developing this project to the next stage and for the actual implementation of the project, and I will do my very best for that.”
The textile industry is considered as one of the most ecologically harmful in the world. Yunsang’s project aims to develop an innovative textile dyeing technology using nanocellulosic fibers to reduce the generation of wastewater and release of toxic chemicals in dyeing process. The proposed technology is expected to reduce more than 80 percent of water consumption and help diminish environmental footprint of textile industries around the globe. The NC fibers are a naturally produced raw material that is abundant, biodegradable, and renewable in nature.
His team will use the prize money for further research on the dyeing technology using NC fibers and the production of prototype fabric and evaluation of its dyeing performance.
Second prize winners Prof. Suzana Yusup, PhD, and Daniel Joe Dailin, PhD, pose with pose with Conference Chair Prof. Klaus Kümmerer, PhD, (left) and Elsevier Senior Publisher Rob van Daalen.
Dr. Yusup’s team proposed to use a unique combination of different plant extracts to develop a water-based bio-pesticide. He will start his project with the formulation and development of synthesized bio-pesticide at laboratory scale. The bio-pesticide will be formulated using different plant extracts such as ginger, garlic, red chili and Neem. The formulated product will be tested on paddy plants and should improve the productivity of paddy fields.
“I am so exited and thrilled in winning this award,” Dr. Yusup said. “The prize will help us to implement our project in the local communities of our country, and we will our best to make this a successful project.”
They will use the prize money for further research on the bio-pesticide and its bio-efficacy and a field trial.
- Read the full article on Elsevier Connect: “Winners selected for the Green & Sustainable Chemistry Challenge”, 06 April 2016
