Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for your interest in the Images of Research competition. We are excited to provide this opportunity for graduate students at the UofA. Below are general questions that have been asked in the past:

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

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

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. UAL is exploring opportunities to celebrate undergraduate work in the future. Undergraduates are also welcome and encouraged to deposit their research into ERA.

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

Yes, only one image per person can be submitted.

Can the image be from research done at a previous university?

No, the image must represent University of Alberta research.

Can I submit an image from previous graduate work done at the UofA?

If you have graduated from your program and are no longer a graduate student then unfortunately, you are ineligible. If you have entered into a new program (e.g. gone from a Master's to a Doctoral program at the UofA) you must submit on your most current research.

I applied last year. Can I resubmit?

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.

What are the technical requirements for submission?

All Entry Submissions should be in .jpg or .tiff (LZW compression recommended) file formats and 300 dpi. The size of the image on the short edge should be a minimum of 24”. Entry Submissions must not be resampled in Photoshop to increase the size or dpi. Entry Submissions not meeting these specifications may be disqualified.

If your image features people, each person must sign a photo release.

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

You may contact Campus Design & Print Solutions by email at print@ualberta.ca.

In-person help sessions are also being offered on Thursday, January 17 and Wednesday, January 23. To learn more about these sessions and to register, please to go to the Workshops page on UAL’s website.

If you are limited to using a cell phone camera because of field work constraints, try to stabilize the phone as much as possible to avoid blurring. Make sure to send in the highest resolution version of your image, for example using the “JPEG max” or “Original Size” settings to avoid compression.

Are there examples of Images of Research I can look at to get a better idea?

Examples can be found on the Past Competitions page. Past winning and semifinalist images can also be found through the Images of Research Competition collections in ERA. In addition, select images from previous exhibitions are on display in the Rutherford Galleria until January 31.

Most of the answers to commonly asked questions are found on the Competition Details page (our full rules and Regulations). If you have further questions, please contact ior@ualberta.ca.