Q.

I am an undergraduate student in my last year of studies and am conducting original research for my honours thesis. Am I eligible to apply?

A.

No, the competition is only open to current graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

We suggest that undergraduate students looking to showcase their research on campus check out the Undergraduate Research Initiative, which hosts the Festival of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (FURCA) annually. UAlberta is exploring opportunities to celebrate undergraduate work in the future. Undergraduates are also welcome and encouraged to deposit their research into ERA, our institutional repository.

Q.

Is there a limit to the number of images I can submit?

A.

Yes, only one image per person can be submitted.

Q.

Can the image depict research conducted at a previous university?

A.

No, the image must represent University of Alberta research.

Q.

Can I submit an image from previous graduate and post-graduate research conducted at UAlberta?

A.

No, if you are currently a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow, you must submit an image based on your most current research at UAlberta. If you are no longer a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow, then you are ineligible to submit an entry.

Q.

I applied last year but did not win a prize. Can I resubmit?

A.

Yes, but you must submit a new image, title, and description. Images that have been submitted in previous years will not be accepted. However, the new image can originate from the same research. Previous prize winners are ineligible to resubmit.

Q.

What are the technical requirements for submission?

A.

Our technical requirements can be found on Preparing Your Entry. Submissions not meeting the technical requirements will be disqualified.

Q.

Can I get help with technical questions? For example, how do I set my image to be 300 dpi?

A.

To get technical help, please register for one of the in-person workshops being offered from 2-4pm on the following dates:
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Monday, January 13, 2020
Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Q.

Are there special considerations for images with people?

A.

If your image features people, it is your responsibility to ensure that each person signs a photo release.

Q.

Can I get PD credit for attending an Images of Research workshop?

A.

Yes, you can get PD credit for attending an Images of Research workshop. See registration link above.

Q.

Who judges the entries?

A.

The entries are judged by an interdisciplinary panel of 5-7 people. The panel consists of faculty from various disciplines, 1-2 GSA reps, and a library representative. It can also include other campus community members and community members with expertise in art & design. A new panel of judges is constructed every year.

Q.

How are the winners and semifinalists selected?

A.

Images that have met the technical requirements will be judged according to the following competition criteria:

• Overall originality/creativity
• Aesthetic appeal of image
• Relationship between image and entrant’s research
• Clarity of written description and title

Within the context of the above criteria, all aspects of qualifying Entry Submissions are considered, including typos, exceeding maximum word length, etc. For additional information please visit the Preparing Your Entry and Competition Official Rules pages.

Q.

How is the People’s Choice winner chosen?

A.

A. The People’s Choice voting is open to the public and includes the semi-finalist images, as chosen by the judges. The image with the highest number of votes will be declared the People’s Choice Winner.

Q.

Are there examples of previous submissions that I can look at?

A.

Examples can be found on the Past Competitions page. Past winning and semi-finalist images can also be found through the Images of Research Competition collection in ERA. In addition, select images from previous exhibitions will be on display in the Rutherford Galleria from January 8-31, 2020.