GBEP Youth Award
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GBEP is dedicated to boosting youth participation, while celebrating their impactful research in the bioenergy field. The GBEP Youth Award encourages and acknowledges outstanding student research in diverse bioenergy areas, including policy, technology, sustainability, supply chain, climate change, and more.
Each year the GBEP Youth Award will be associated with that year's GBEP Bioenergy Week and will have the same regional focus. Winning candidates will be awarded with a certificate during a special session at the GBEP Bioenergy Week and will have the opportunity to present their research to a unique platform of key bioenergy stakeholders and experts.
The 2025 GBEP Youth Award was presented to Suleiman Usman Yunusa, a young researcher from Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria, by Robin Nandy, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Uganda.
Dr Yunusa's research explores the use of rice husk briquettes and novel binders as a clean energy alternative.
His work offers practical solutions for energy access and climate change mitigation through circular economy and optimized production.
He had the possibility to present his research during the 12th GBEP Bioenergy Week, and to take part in the global conference and field visits.
From left to right: Robin Nandy, UNICEF representative in Uganda, Suleiman Usman Yunusa, 2025 GBEP Youth Award winnder, and Tiziana Pirelli, GBEP Coordinator, FAO.
Past GBEP Youth Award winners
2024
Czaneil Gomez, a researcher from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, is the winner of the 2024 GBEP Youth Award. Ms. Gomez presented her work "Harnessing Rice Straw to Empower Rice Farming Communities in the Philippines" at the 11th GBEP Bioenergy Week at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Ms. Gomez's research focused on evaluating the potential of a rice straw biogas system in Laguna, Philippines. Her research found that rice straw is a viable feedstock for bioenergy, and if implemented, it can significantly reduce emissions from agriculture, support energy security, and introduce bioeconomy approaches to local farmers.
Czaneil Gomez (fourth from left) received the 2024 GBEP Youth Award for her study on a rice straw biogas pilot facility in Laguna, Philippines.
2023
In 2023, the GBEP Youth Award was focused on students from research institutions in the Asia-Pacific region. The 2023 winner is Mr Rakesh Godara, from Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-energy. Rakeshad had the unique opportunity to showcase his groundbreaking work on "Design and development of a smart hybrid anaerobic digestor" at the 2023 Bioenergy Week and even at COP28 side event "Agrifood Systems Solutions are Climate Solutions".
2022
The call for papers in 2022 was linked with the 9th GBEP Bioenergy Week that took place in Asunción, Paraguay 26-29 September 2022, and it was dedicated to students studying in a research institute in the Americas.
The winning candidate was Ms Karla Jared Azcorra May (Yucatan Center for Scientific Research, Mexico) with her paper on "Sargassum Biorefineries". She presented her research and was awarded with a certificate during a special session at the 9th GBEP Bioenergy Week.
2021
The call for papers in 2020/2021 was linked with the 8th GBEP Bioenergy Week held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (due to COVID-19, the GBEP Bioenergy Week was held online 16-18 March 2021) and therefore directed specifically to students studying in an African research institution.
The winning candidate was Ms Lilian Motongori Jamunga (University of Eldoret, Ethiopia) with her paper on "Mechanically (pedal) driven village-level reactor for production of biodiesel from non-edible oils". She presented her research and was awarded with a certificate during a special session at the 8th GBEP Bioenergy Week.
