Student teams from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Cornell University received funding to develop sustainable technologies to help solve environmental and public health challenges.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $45,000 in funding Tuesday for three student teams through its People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) grants program.

Grantees include two student teams from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

One NJIT team is devising a sustainable process based on reactive nanobubbles technology to control and mitigate harmful algal blooms. Another NJIT team is developing a novel device that will remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from drinking water.

The student team from Cornell University is developing a pump with the goal of zero electricity drinking water treatment.

“Students at New Jersey Institute of Technology and Cornell University are creating affordable, sustainable solutions to the real issues we are challenged by in Region 2,” EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez said in a statement. “These students are applying science and cutting-edge technology to tackle important environmental threats to our lakes and the quality of our drinking water.”

The P3 competition challenges students to research, develop and design innovative projects that address a myriad of environmental protection and public health issues. The Phase I teams will receive grants of up to $15,000 each to fund the proof of concept for their projects.