Research Image Competition 2024
Giving a glimpse into the world of brilliant, diverse postgraduate research across Sussex. The 2025 competition opens on 14 April.
Enter the Emerging Researcher Image Competition 2025 and share your work with the world!
Images should inform, engage and intrigue a non-specialist academic audience and offer a visual perspective on your current research. It's a great way to keep building our interdisciplinary research community and to discover more about the huge range of postgraduate and early career research projects going on across campus.
This year's competition will combine PGR and ECR research into one exhibition for the first time, truly reflecting Sussex's vibrant emerging researcher community, and fostering links between different career stages.
We will be anouncing the 2025 judging panel shortly.
How does it work?
The competition will be open for entries from Monday 14 April to 12 noon on Monday 19 May. Read the guidance below carefully before you enter, paying particular attention to the requirements around image resolution, copyright and identifiable subjects.
Depending on the number of entries received, we may need to shortlist a selection to go forward to the exhibition and voting. Shortlisting will be based on the competition criteria.
Shortlisted entries will be displayed in an online gallery here, and exhibited during the Summer of Research (9-20 June), at various locations around campus.
There are now two prizes - one for PGRs and one for ECRs - as well as the People's Choice award that is voted for by Sussex students and staff. Winners will be announced at the prize-giving following the Three Minute Thesis final on Friday 20 June.
In need of inspiration? Check out last year's entries in the gallery at the bottom of this page. We can't wait to see what you submit!
2025 Prizes
PGR Winner: £200 towards your research
ECR Winner: £200 towards your research
People’s Choice (one prize): £100 towards your research
Eligibility
The Image Competition is open to researchers currently registered for a research degree or employed as an early career researcher (ECR) at the University of Sussex.
For the purpose of this competition, ECR is defined as staff on a research-only contract at grades 6-8, broadly encompassing research assistants, postdoctoral researchers, research fellows and senior research fellows.
Guidance
Entrants should note the following:
- Images must be generated as a result of research carried out during your postgraduate research studies (PGRs) or while working at the University of Sussex (ECRs).
- Each researcher can submit only one image.
- Submitted images must be accompanied by a title and caption (max 100 words) that explains what your image shows and how it relates to your research.
- The caption must be accessible to a non-specialist academic audience.
- Images must be submitted as a JPEG or PNG file. The image resolution needs to be 300dpi. At A4 size that means that your photos will need to be about 2500 x 3500 pixels.
- It is the responsibility of the photographer to secure permission from any identifiable persons in their photograph before submitting to the competition.
- Your image must not have been submitted to a previous SussexDocFest or ECR Symposium competition.
- The University of Sussex shall not be liable in any way for a submission.
Copyright
The University of Sussex retains the right to use all submitted images – including those not chosen to win prizes – in promotional materials without further permission from, or compensation to, the photographer. The use of images may also extend to online galleries. Credit will be given to the photographer if reproduced. The photographer will retain copyright.
Judges will assess the images according to the following criteria:
Image
- Is the image eye-catching and engaging?
- Does the image effectively communicate the nature of the research?
- Is the image of sufficient technical quality?
Title and caption
- Is the title engaging?
- Is the caption written in a style that is accessible to a non-specialist audience?
- Do the image, title and caption work together to form a coherent and clear narrative?
| Key dates for 2025 competition | |
|---|---|
| Applications open | Monday 14 April |
| Deadline for submitting your entry | Monday 19 May, 12 noon |
| Entries reviewed by judging panel | Monday 19 May - Friday 30 May |
| Shortlisted images announced, and online gallery launched | w/c Monday 26 May |
|
Exhibition during Summer of Research |
Monday 9 June - Friday 20 June |
|
Online voting for People's Choice award |
Monday 9 June - Friday 20 June, 1.00pm |
| Winners announced at prize-giving after 3MT final |
Friday 20 June, around 3.15-3.30pm |
Research Image Shortlist 2024
For the best viewing experience, open the Sway in full screen. The accessibility view provides a high-contrast design and screen reader access.
View entries in pdf: PGR Research Image Competition Entries 2024 [PDF 5.71MB]