The Promoting Electric Propulsion competition has quickly grown into one of the strongest workforce development programs for students interested in robotics, mechanical engineering, and maritime solutions. PEP 24 featured 36 universities, 42 boats in Virginia Beach, and 35 qualified boats. For context, the first collegiate PEP in 2021 at the US Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore had 6 collegiate teams.
We invite you to find your future workforce and support this non-profit STEM program.
Engineering Community with Heart
What is PEP?
PEP is the Office of Naval Research program focused on today's workforce development. Teams build crewed and uncrewed craft with speed and strength necessary for today's operations.
PEP's 100s of Engineers Achieve Success
(Email us today to partner with us!)
Annual competitors, like Princeton, and first-year teams, like Arkansas Tech, have passionate, innovative student engineers. Pushing boundaries and developing the skills that will empower any organization into the next decade. These students understand how to work with power, put it to use efficiently, work within a team environment, and find solutions to challenging problems. Help us get these bright, enterprising students into our industry!
Sponsorship Opportunities
We can support your workforce development needs by connecting your organization with these students from their initial design through the capstone competition.
| PEP Supporter | PEP Sponsor | PEP Champion |
| Schools supported: 3 | Schools supported: 10 | Schools supported: 20 |
Unlimited job postings
Recorded job discussion | Unlimited job postings
2 live job webinars | Unlimited job postings
4 live job webinars |
Logos on: Team Boats
University Pages | Logos on: Team Boats
University Pages
PEP T-shirts | Logos on: Team Boats
Race Buoys
Safety, Food Tents
University Pages
PEP T-shirts |
| Full-page ad in Naval Engineers Journal | Inside front cover ad in Naval Engineers Journal | Front page, back cover ads in Naval Engineers Journal |
| Public SM thanks from ASNE | Public SM thanks from ASNE and PEP teams | Public SM thanks from ASNE and PEP teams
Press releases in 3 national publications |
| | Title sponsor of pre-PEP event | Title sponsor of 2 pre-PEP events |
| $25,000 | $100,000 | $300,000 |
Support HBCUs, Two-Year Institutions
(Email us today to partner with these great institutions!)
We have the expertise and drive to support a wide range of schools through this program. HBCUs have had tremendous success in PEP with students already joining companies like Lockheed Martin and Duke Power. This year, Madison Area Technical College even finished second out of 25 schools in the uncrewed divisions. Bring us your partners and we can help them grow!
Support Tomorrow's Navy Today
Please contact us to discuss any opportunities you foresee at education@navalengineers.org.
PEP 25 Teams Committed
| University of Rhode Island | William & Mary | Texas A&M |
| Florida Atlantic University | Princeton University | Washington College |
| North Carolina State | Wake Forest University | University of Pittsburgh |
| University of Kentucky | University of Iowa | Stevens Institute |
| Stevens Institute | Johns Hopkins | University of Connecticut |
| University of Georgia | University of Wisconsin | Virginia Tech |
| Syracuse University | University of Notre Dame | University of Buffalo |
| University of Buffalo | Northeastern University | University of Central Florida |
| University of Virginia | George Mason University | Vanderbilt University |
| University of Tennessee-Knoxville | University of Alabama | Auburn University |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Howard University | University of Illinois |
| Georgia State | Madison College | Stony Brook |
| Arkansas Tech | Elon College (new 2025) | Old Dominion University (returning 2025) |