Art of Science Contest

This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Art of Science Contest, hosted by the UC San Diego Library’s Research Data Curation Program (RDCP) and Communications and Engagement Program. The contest showcases the beauty that can emerge from scientific exploration and the power of science communication, inspiring curiosity and engagement with some of society's most pressing challenges and cutting-edge research happening on our campus.

Over the contest's first four years, we've received submissions from a diverse range of disciplines. These include chemistry, biochemistry, oceanography, climate science, neurobiology, synthetic biology, medical research, pharmacology, cognitive science, materials science, geophysics, planetary physics, music, urban studies and planning, and various engineering fields such as bioengineering, nanoengineering, and electrical and computer engineering.

The contest emphasizes inclusivity by showcasing work from across the academic spectrum—faculty, project scientists, graduate students, and undergraduates alike. This approach aligns with UC San Diego's commitment to fostering research skills early in students' careers, creating a vibrant and diverse scientific community.

2025 Contest Timeline

• Submissions: December 2, 2024 - April 25, 2025
• Judging and Community Voting: May 5 - May 23, 2025
• Winners notified: June 2024
• Geisel Library Gallery exhibit and event: Fall 2025

Prizes and Recognition

• Each winning image in the four participant categories (undergraduate, graduate, postdoc, and faculty) will receive a cash prize of $75. Additionally, there's an open voting category where the winning image is chosen by members of our Triton community and the public.
• Winning images will be exhibited at the Geisel Library exhibit gallery.
• Judge-selected images:
  • One winner from each participant category (undergraduate, graduate, postdoc, and faculty/project scientist) will receive a $75 prepaid Visa card.
  • Up to three honorable mentions (no monetary award).
• Open Voting winner (crowd-nominated favorite): $75 prepaid Visa card.

What Can Be Submitted

Undergraduates: Submissions can be based on research conducted during course, laboratory, or formal research projects.

Graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and project scientists: Submissions should be original research outputs based on original research conducted in residence at or in affiliation with UC San Diego.

The contest welcomes a wide range of visual submissions, including: photographs, microscope images, illustrations, visual depictions of complex datasets, the result of modeling and simulation, combined images, and creative representations of your work. Images may be modified to enhance their aesthetic, such as combining multiple images into one artistic work.

• For instance, those whose work is highly theoretical or conceptually challenging may wish to design a novel visual metaphor to make it more accessible.
• Photographs may be of instrumentation, apparati, devices or other objects used in your scientific investigation.
• Photographs of original art or three-dimensional physical models or representations are also eligible as long as they depict your original science or mathematics research.

Submission Guidelines

• Include a title, a one-line caption, and a description that intrigues the audience, inspires curiosity about the research, and communicates the science clearly and concisely in language accessible to non-scientists.
• Accepted file formats: jpg, gif, tif, or png.
• Image size: Either the width or the height must be at least 2160 pixels.
• Images cannot contain any personally identifiable information.
• UC San Diego and UC San Diego affiliated undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral and faculty researchers are eligible to participate.
• One submission per participant or team.

Judging

A panel of judges composed of faculty members, senior academic staff, and administrators will review all eligible entries.

Evaluation Criteria

• Image: aesthetic excellence (captivating, stunning, and/or otherwise visually interesting) as well as scientific or technical interest.
• Caption: the one-line caption should tantalize audiences, inspiring them to learn more about the research. It should use clear, concise language that is accessible to non-scientists.

A small group of UC San Diego Library administrators will tally votes and, in cases where the judge’s nominations do not coalesce around a clear winner, they will select one from among the top candidates.

Open Voting

Anyone with a PollUnit Art of Science contest link can vote for a single favorite image. The image with the most number of “likes” will be designated as the Open Voting winner.

Winning images will also be exhibited in Spotlight, the Library’s digital exhibit platform. All submissions will be preserved in the Library's Digital Collections repository.

Please direct questions about the contest to Abigail Pennington at apennington@ucsd.edu.

Image credit:  
Current page: Gregory Rouse, "The By-the-Wind Sailor, Velella," 2024 contest winner.
Previous page, "Explore" section: Adi Khen, "Bigeye Octopus Suckers," 2021, Open Voting Winner.