The Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize encourages Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to develop student-led demonstration projects that increase their knowledge on clean energy and food sovereignty on TCU campuses. Projects may include but are not limited to:
Greenhouses heated or cooled by geothermal (ground-source) energy
Greenhouses powered by wind or solar
Solar arrays that provide shade for crops to grow or livestock to graze.
TCUs are encouraged to incorporate local traditional crops and/or livestock into their designs, as well as relevant clean energy systems to ensure food is sustainably grown for their environments. Students’ valuable exposure and hands-on experience in energy and food sovereignty can then be shared to benefit Tribes.
A Program Structured for Engagement
This prize is intended to build the capacity of TCU students to use clean energy to grow food self-sufficiently with sources on Tribal lands. One student team from each of the 35 TCUs is eligible to apply and will be recognized for their work.
The first phase of the prize will award up to 30 winners from the 35 eligible TCUs. Each winning Phase 1 team will receive a $40,000 cash award and is encouraged to leverage part of Phase 1 funding to offset travel costs to an in-person event hosted by the Office of Indian Energy in November 2025. All applicants are expected to have at least three student team members and one faculty member attend the event.
More Than $4 Million in Incentives
The Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize consists of three phases in which student teams will assemble, plan, construct, and showcase their projects to earn funding that will go directly to their TCU. In addition to the cash prizes outlined below, teams will have access to Power Connectors—organizations that can provide complimentary support and guidance throughout the prize—as teams plan and construct their projects.
The Three Phases
Phase 1: Teaming
Up to 30 winners | $40,000 cash prize to each winning TCU: includes funds for expected travel to the 2025 Indian Energy Program Review in Denver
Build a team and summarize your project.
Phase 2A: Planning and Permitting
Up to 20 winners | $75,000 cash prize to each winning TCU
Create a detailed project plan.
Phase 2B: Construction
Up to 20 winners | $60,000 cash prize to each winning TCU
Construct your project.
Phase 3: Presentations and Awards
First place: $75,000 | Second place: $50,000 | Third place: $35,000 | Up to 4 Honorable Mention prizes: $10,000 each
Attend and speak at the 2025 Indian Energy Program Review.
Start Forming Your Team Now!
Follow this prize by clicking the “Follow” button at the top right of this page to receive updates and start forming your team today.
Guidelines
Stay tuned for the official prize launch and publication of Phase 1 rules in fall 2024.
To receive updates on the Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize, please follow the HeroX channel. If you have any questions, please follow the HeroX channel or message us directly at .
Good news! The TCU Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize will reopen for submissions from Friday, Dec. 13 at roughly 5 p.m. to Friday, Dec. 20 at 5 p.m. ET sharp. Tip: remember to convert 5 p.m. ET into your time zone (i.e., 2 p.m. PT).
The prize administrators highly recommend uploading your submission as early as possible to avoid connectivity issues, upload delays, or challenges navigating HeroX, the official prize platform. Competitors must press the Submit button prior to the 5 p.m. ET deadline on Dec. 20, so get your application ready today!
If you’re not already in touch with Jade Garrett, email her at jade@positivedeviancy.com to set up time to talk. You'll receive mentorship on the prize—free of charge! Chat with Jade to brainstorm ideas for your project, receive support about what to include in your submission, get help submitting your application, and more!
The TCU Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize deadline is extended to this Friday, Dec. 6 (tomorrow) at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. Don’t miss this opportunity to win a cash prize of $40,000 for your TCU!
If you’d like to start a new submission or revise an existing submission, now is your chance!
The prize administrators are happy to support you in submitting your application. Please reach out to TCUprize@nrel.gov immediately with questions or to set up a time to meet prior to the deadline.
In addition, check out the recording of the informational webinar starting at 19:55 for a walk through of how to submit your application on HeroX.
Here are some tips to submit your application:
Upload your video to a streaming service before submitting your application. Copy the link to the video and put the link in your HeroX application. See this tutorial for a step-by-step guide on how to upload a video to the YouTube app.
Read the official rules for a complete list of what to include in your submission.
Do not wait until the last minute, as uploading submissions can take longer than anticipated. Submissions received after the 5:00 p.m. ET deadline will not be accepted.
Today’s the day! Make sure to press the submit button on your Tribal College and University (TCU) Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize application before 5 p.m. ET today. Late submissions will not be accepted. Prize administrators strongly recommend submitting prior to the 5 p.m. ET deadline to manage connectivity issues or slow upload speeds.
This is your chance to contribute to your TCU by bringing a clean energy project that grows food on campus AND earning cash prizes!
Up to 30 teams will win a cash prize of $40,000 directly toward their TCU. A portion of these winnings is expected to cover travel expenses for at least three student team members and one faculty member to attend the Office of Indian Energy Annual Program Review event in person (tentatively scheduled for November 2025).
The TCU Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize submission deadline is fast approaching on Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. ET. The prize administrators highly recommend uploading your submission as early as possible to avoid connectivity issues or upload delays.
Each competitor should read the official rules to see full details on what to include in an eligible submission:
Online video: Create a video under 90 seconds that introduces the project, TCU, community, and team members in a fun and exciting way.
Cover page: List basic information about your submission, including project title, TCU name, short description, and key members.
Narrative: Use the three writing prompts in the official rules to guide your narrative. You may include up to five supporting images or figures. Narrative must not exceed 2,500 words (roughly five pages, not including images or figures).
Summary PowerPoint slide: Make a one-slide submission summary that introduces your team and mission.
Letter of commitment from TCU: Provide a signed letter of commitment from your TCU that confirms the TCU’s full support for the proposed project.
Don’t miss this chance to increase renewable energy on TCU campuses. Upload your submission by 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 4.
Tribal College University (TCU) students and faculty: Now is the time to prepare your submissions for this $4.1 million prize! Finish forming your team and start developing a basic plan for a chance to bring food sovereignty and $40,000 to your TCU. The deadline for Phase 1 submissions is Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. ET, and late submissions will not be accepted.
While many of you may be registered on HeroX, only one person (the Team Captain) will submit your team’s official proposal.
In Phase 1, up to 30 teams will win $40,000 each for their TCUs and be eligible to move on to Phase 2A of the prize. All Phase 1 winning teams are expected to have at least three student team members and one faculty member attend an Office of Indian Energy Annual Program Review event in person (tentatively scheduled for November 2025).
Students and faculty interested in competing in this $4.1 million prize—and making a real impact with their projects—should begin building out their plans now. Start by reading theofficial rules to get an understanding of what to include in your submissions!
Then, reach out to get free mentorship and support to our Power Connector, Jade Garrett from Positive Deviancy! This is a great resource we hope every team will take advantage of to help you brainstorm project ideas, work on your submission, and apply. Reach out to Jade at jade@positivedeviancy.com.
