STM publisher Elsevier has announced its first Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge. As the world's population quickly approaches 9 billion, the strain on the planet's resources is steadily increasing too. This means that the need to develop alternatives or think of ways to make existing raw materials more sustainable is greater than ever before.
The Challenge has been launched to encourage development of novel and innovative ideas and solutions in the field of green and sustainable chemistry that advance environmentally friendly and sustainable processes, products and resources and are suitable for use in developing countries; the first prize winner will be awarded €50,000, and the second prize winner will receive €25,000.
The Challenge is open to individuals and organisations in both the not-for-profit and commercial sectors from all countries. Projects can be in any area of green and sustainable chemistry as long as they are applicable for use in developing countries.
The Challenge will open for submissions on June 1, 2015 and the deadline for proposals is September 14, 2015. The contest is open to individuals and organisations from all countries. The official rules and entry forms are on the challenge website.
Submitted proposals will be reviewed by a board of scientific experts, and the Top 50 proposals will be announced in October.
From the Top 50 proposals list, the scientific jury will select five proposals. These finalists will be invited to the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Conference held in Berlin April 4 - 6, 2016, to present their proposals where the winners of the Challenge will be announced. The conference is chaired by Prof. Klaus Kümmerer, Professor of Sustainable Chemistry and Material Resources and Director of the Institute for Sustainable and Environmental Chemistry at the Leuphana University in Lüneburg, Germany.
