The Researcher Development team are delighted to launch the Images of Research Competition for 2025!
Can you make a unique, creative image – a painting, diagram, digital image or a photograph – that captures the essence of your research, or an element of it, in an artistic way? Include a catchy title and a 150-word abstract summary, and your entry for the Images of Research Competition will be ready for submission. It's time to put the academic lingo aside and get creative.
The competition is a unique opportunity to raise your research profile and engage with a public audience. The entries will be promoted on the university website, social media channels and in exhibition spaces across NTU campuses. There will be a prize in line for each of the three Strategic Research Themes, as well as a Technicians Prize, a PGR Prize and a Public Vote Prize.
The winners will be announced and congratulated at the launch event in July 2025.
The aim of the competition is to showcase and engage people with the breadth and diversity of research at NTU, both within our community of postgraduate researchers, early career researchers and established researchers – and across our strategic research themes and Schools.
The 2022 winning image
The overall winner was Sally Bashford-Squires from the School of Social Sciences with her entry ‘The Gift of a Sheep.’
Submit your entry
The competition opens on 26 February 2025 and closes on 5 May 2025. Please note that entries received after the closing date will not be considered.
What we are looking for
1. An image that really draws us in and entices us to want to know more about your research.
2. An accompanying 150-word abstract summary that is accessible, interesting, informative and explains what the image is and how it relates to your research.
To enter the competition
3. Please read the frequently asked questions and terms and conditions below.
4. Complete this entry form and upload your image.
This year, your submission should be aligned to at least one of NTU’s Strategic Research Themes below.
Safety and Sustainability
Combining expertise from a broad range of disciplines, our world-leading safety and sustainability research is focused on safeguarding lives and protecting the future of our planet, ensuring a safer, greener future for all. We currently have fully-funded Safety and Sustainability PhD studentships available.
More about our safety and sustainability research
Digital, Technology and Creative
Our digital, technology and creative research pushes the limits of virtual reality, artificial intelligence and digital design, shaping the future of creative expression and immersive experiences. We currently have fully-funded Digital, Creative and Technology PhD studentships available.
More about our digital, technology and creative research
Health Innovation
With a focus on healthy living and improving patient outcomes, our health innovation research is shaping the future of smart medical textiles, robotics and devices, as well as driving forward innovations in microbiology, cell therapy, imaging, and social prescribing. We currently have fully-funded Health Innovation PhD studentships available.
More about our health innovation research
Prizes and Winners
Each winner will receive an academic publication (print or e-book) to the value of £45, a framed certificate and their image professionally displayed on campus.
There will be one prize for each Strategic Research Theme, a Technician's Prize, a PGR Prize and a Public Choice prize.
The Public Choice will be open to an online vote in the run up to the launch event and in-person voting on the day.
The overall winner will also have their image featured in a future issue of LeftLion Magazine.
View the 2022 entries to get a sense of what we're looking for
Frequently Asked Questions
All NTU colleagues conducting and/or supporting research including those in technical, management and administrative roles and doctoral candidates currently enrolled at NTU are invited to apply.
Along with your image, please provide a title and a concise summary (up to a maximum of 150 words) of what the image is and how it relates to your research. This information will be presented alongside your image. The summary and title should be in plain English – free from jargon, acronyms and academic article or thesis titles. The aim is to creatively engage all people with your research including non-experts and the general public, as well as academic colleagues, so please ensure the image and accompanying text is accessible to all.
The photo you take or image you capture or create must connect with or represent your research. It must be original and created by you (not AI or someone else’s work, or sourced from an image bank). If the image includes identifiable people, you must have their written consent (or their legal guardian’s consent). You can view the entries to the 2022 Images of Research Competition.
Photos should be:
- 300 dpi, high-resolution (at least 2MB), jpeg or tif format (not gif)
- Full colour, sepia or black and white
- Landscape or portrait, 2D or 3D drawing or painting.
For drawings, paintings, collages or other physical mediums, please photograph these in good lighting against a plain background following the above formatting so that they can be printed and displayed properly.
Terms & Conditions
Entrants must be the exclusive owners of the submitted image/artwork. No AI images are allowed. By entering the competition, you are giving NTU permission to use your entry (photo/ image/ drawing/ painting/ text summary) for a variety of means including to advertise this competition, in exhibitions and in future NTU research marketing materials, including on the NTU website and social media accounts. Credit will be given to the photographer/researcher where possible.
Please note that each entrant may only submit one image. Upon submission your entry will be reviewed by the Research and Strategic Partnerships Development Team to confirm suitability and entry into the competition.
Header image credit: Srinithya Parachuri