Carbon Capture Innovation Prize

in association with MOF 2024


Winner Announced

Help shape the future of Carbon Capture


The Carbon Capture Innovation Prize is a groundbreaking contest designed to accelerate the development of sustainable materials solutions to climate change. 

Organized alongside MOF2024, taking place in Singapore on 15 - 19 July, this challenge focuses on the innovative use of a state-of-the-art scientific instrument capable of measuring the capture of carbon dioxide in adsorbent materials, including both direct air capture and flue gas capture.

The winner of this contest will receive – on behalf of their institution - a DVS Carbon instrument completely free of charge with a value of over $150,000, enabling them to advance their research and contribute significantly to the fight against global warming. 

2024: Winner of the Carbon Capture Innovation Prize
(Click to Expand)

The winner of the Carbon Capture Innovation Prize 2024 is:


Heriot-Watt University (UK)
Following a vigorous review process, we are happy to announce the 6 shortlisted finalists for the Carbon Capture Innovation Prize. See the final winner announced on the Plenary Stage at MOF 2024 in Singapore, at 14:30 on Friday 19th July. 

Shortlist:
- Arizona State University (USA)
- Avnos (USA)
- CICECO – Aveiro Inst. of Materials (Portugal)		 - Georgia Inst. of Technology (USA)
- Heriot-Watt University (UK)
- Tsinghua University (China)


The winning organization of the Carbon Capture Innovation Prize will be awarded an incredible package of experimental lab resources to help make your research dreams a reality.


This incredible Carbon Capture Solution will be built around a groundbreaking gravimetric sorption analyzer capable of measuring uptake of carbon dioxide in solid materials - The DVS Carbon. This groundbreaking new instrument, valued at over $150,000, offers state-of-the-art capabilities for accurately measuring the uptake of CO2 in a solid material at a range of temperatures, concentrations, and in the presence of water vapor.

Whether you are determining the effectiveness of materials for Direct Air Capture, Post-Combustion Capture, Solid Sorbent Characterization, Carbon Sequestration, or Temperature/Moisture Swing, the DVS Carbon is a unique instrument that enables you to pioneer new materials development in Carbon Capture.

In addition, you will be gifted a one-year warranty on the instrument, with additional access to advanced instrument training, application-based scientific resources, and technical support. This will be rounded out with a laboratory computer set up with our Experiment Control & Analysis Software. 

You can find out more about the DVS Carbon below:

 
 



Enabling innovation in
Carbon Capture

Surface Measurement Systems launched this challenge to enable researchers to explore and develop new innovations in Carbon Capture with groundbreaking technological advances, developing new materials for Direct Air Capture, Post-Combustion Capture, Solid Sorbents, and more.

The Grand
Scientific Prize

The winning proposal will be awarded, for their institution, a state-of-the-art DVS Carbon sorption analyzer (valued at $150,000), a groundbreaking instrument that precisely measures the Carbon Dioxide capture in solid-state materials at a range of temperatures, concentrations, & in the presence of moisture.

Announced at
MOF2024

The winning proposal and 5 runner-ups were showcased in an official award ceremony during the conference program of MOF2024, taking place on the Plenary Stage at 14:30 on 19 July. 

Prize Guidelines

  1. Non-student Participation: Entrants must not be enrolled as students. This contest is open to academics, professional researchers, and innovators.
  2. Affiliation: Entrants must be currently employed by or associated with an academic institution, government laboratory or start-up company.
  3. Authorization for Installation: Entrants must have the authority from their employer or institution or company to receive the instrument in their laboratory or designated research area. Proof of authorization will be required by the competition winner. 
  4. Commitment to Share Knowledge: By entering this contest, participants agree to take part in two Surface Measurement Systems hosted webinar at a future date to present their findings and share their insights with the wider research community, thereby fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Participants are required to submit a brief but comprehensive scientific proposal on their planned use for the DVS-Carbon, detailing the following information:

  1. Introduction: A brief overview of your team, laboratory, including your background in carbon capture technology or related fields. (400 words)
  2. Objective: Clearly state the aims and goals of your proposed research. Describe how the use of the DVS-Carbon carbon dioxide capture measurement instrument will advance your research objectives and why it is essential to this project. (400 words)
  3. Methodology: Outline the scientific methods and approaches you will employ to achieve your objectives. Include a brief explanation of how the DVS Carbon instrument will be integrated into your research activities. (400 words) 
  4. Impact: Describe the potential impact of your research on developing sustainable solutions to climate change. Highlight how your project could lead to innovations in carbon capture technologies or the development of new materials as well as your research dissemination plan. (200 words)
  5. Future Applications: Discuss the broader applications of your research and how it could benefit not just the scientific community, but also contribute to societal and environmental sustainability. (200 words)
  6. Format: Please submit your proposal in the form below in PDF or Microsoft Word Format. 


  1. Relevance to Carbon Capture: Evaluate the alignment of the proposed research with the overarching goals of the competition, which is to develop materials and technologies for efficient CO2 capture. Look for proposals that directly address the challenges and opportunities in the field of carbon capture.

  2. Innovation: Assess the novelty and originality of the proposed research approach. Look for innovative ideas that push the boundaries of current understanding and technology in carbon capture materials.

  3. Scientific Rigor: Evaluate the scientific validity and robustness of the proposed methodology. Ensure that the research design is sound, characterisation methods are appropriate, comprehensive data analysis is envisaged, etc.

  4. Impact Potential: Consider the potential impact of the research on advancing carbon capture research. Look for proposals that demonstrate a clear pathway to either new fundamental understanding, novel materials, overcome process scale-up challenges, and generally have the potential for significant contributions in Carbon Capture and reducing CO2 emissions.

  5. Clarity and Feasibility: Assess the clarity and coherence of the proposal, including the feasibility of the proposed research plan within the given timeframe and resources. Ensure that the objectives are well-defined, and the proposed methods are feasible and realistic.

  6. Potential for Collaboration: Consider the potential for collaboration and knowledge exchange within the scientific community. Look for proposals that demonstrate openness to collaboration and dissemination of findings to maximize impact and advance the field collectively.

The winner(s) will be announced after a thorough review of all submissions by a panel of experts in the field of climate science and sustainable technologies. The winner will receive:

  • The DVS Carbon: Advanced Carbon Dioxide Capture Measurement Instrument: A cutting-edge tool designed to accurately measure the capture of carbon dioxide in materials, enabling advanced research in the field.
  • Public Recognition: The winning team will be featured in press releases and highlighted at a special ceremony announcing the winner on the plenary stage at MOF 2024 in Singapore, gaining recognition for their innovative contributions to climate science.
  • Webinar Presentation Opportunity: An invitation to present their research findings and share their insights in an exclusive webinar, reaching a wide audience of industry professionals, researchers, and environmental advocates.


All proposals must have been submitted by Friday 21st June 2024. The winner will be announced on the plenary stage at MOF 2024.

  1. Publications where the instrument data is included should mention the instrument name and manufacturer, if agreed by both parties.
  2. Commitment to conduct an In-house workshop, dates to be mutually agreed, to showcase the instrument applications.
  3. Permission granted for our marketing team to build a campaign around the installation of the equipment at the selected location.
  4. Upon mutual agreement, act as reference laboratory for local prospective customers of such equipment.
  5. Extra cost that may derived after installation (i.e: relocation, service and aftersales support) are not included on this award.
  6. Submissions must be made with the approval of the institution assigned to receive the instrument.

Submissions Now Closed!