News

U.S. 2014 National Geothermal Student Competition opened

U.S. 2014 National Geothermal Student Competition opened Subsurface modeling (source: DOE)
Alexander Richter 25 Feb 2014

The U.S. 2014 National Geothermal Student Competition, sponsored by DOE's Geothermal Technolgies Office has been opened to college and university students.

The 2014 National Geothermal Student Competition (GSC), sponsored by the Geothermal Technologies Office in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), seeks to engage college and university students in our goal of advancing the development of geothermal as a domestic clean energy resource. In previous years, GSC topics have included field analysis of the Snake River Plain and development of a geothermal power business plan.

Program overview

The theme of this year’s Geothermal Student Competition, sponsored by DOE isGeoEnergy is Beautiful 2014. Student teams from leading colleges and universities, as well as high school seniors are invited to create concepts for high-quality, high-impact infographics and outreach materials that convey the important role of geothermal energy in the nation’s clean energy mix. Energy production can be a complex topic to explain to a broad public audience, and describing energy that comes from a subsurface environment—difficult to visualize for many—amplifies the challenge of explaining geothermal energy, how it works, and how it can benefit the U.S.

The GSC therefore invites student to develop cutting-edge geothermal communications tools that marry accurate, technical information with a graphical visualization. These visualizations, often referred to as infographics, are put to use in various media outlets by the federal government, private companies, institutions and individuals to convey ideas and messages. Infographics provide the opportunity to distill large quantities of data and information to facilitate insight, comprehend relationships and patterns, and understand complex messages with a minimum of words.

Visit the NGSC proposal requirements page to learn more about the competition and application process. A kick-off teleconference will also be held on Friday, March 25, 2014 to answer questions from prospective student teams.

Timeline

  • Feb. 21Application opens
  • March 25: Kick-off call with prospective student teams
  • April 5: Round 1 deliverables due, including project plan, communications and education strategy and infographic mock-up
  • NLT April 16: Five finalists are notified and invited to submit full application packages
  • June 14: Final packets due
  • NLT June 27: First, second and third place teams are notified
  • Sept. 28 – Oct. 1 GRC Conference: Five finalists attend the GRC conference in Portland and winners are announced. Additionally, GRC attendees will have the opportunity to vote for a “People’s Choice Award,” the winner of which will be announced at GRC’s conclusion.

Source: Oak Ridge Institute for Science & Education