About
Capture Your Research! is an image competition where students, faculty, and staff can submit one image that captures the essence of their research. They will be judged on originality/creativity, appeal of the image, relationship between the image and their research, and the clarity of the written description.
The top 25 entries will be displayed at our Capture Your Research Reception and Awards Ceremony. We will have four award categories for undergraduate, graduate, faculty/staff (including the research labs/centers), and people’s choice. The awards will be presented at an awards ceremony at the Old Capitol Museum on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 4 p.m. This will be followed by a reception featuring hors d’oeuvres and displaying the top 10 pieces in every category. All are welcome to join us!
The images will be digitally preserved and added to the Iowa Digital Library. You can find the 2023 winners in our digital gallery.
Definition of Research
What is your day like as a researcher? We want to capture images that feature how interesting life is in research. What images might you be seeing in your day-to-day life that others might not? What images could encompass your work? What drives you to continue to work in research?
Research is broadly defined to mean any systematic investigation or study into a product, process or concept to develop new and improved products and understandings. Examples can range from redesigning a more ergonomic chair or investigating toxicology in drinking water or developing treatments to devastating illness or investigating human behavior in order to better understand ourselves, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Prizes
Winners will be selected from four categories with a first, second, and third place awarded in each category.
- Undergraduate student
- Graduate student
- Faculty/staff/researchers
- People’s choice
The top 10 the first three categories will be part of the online voting for people’s choice and displayed during the awards ceremony.
Submission requirements
Submission deadline is Oct. 13
The image must be a high-resolution image with a 2:3 or 3:2 aspect ratio suitable for printing as a 20″ x 30″ poster
- Best: 6000 pixels x 9000 pixels
- Minimum: 2500 pixels x 3750 pixels
- Check your photo quality
Submission can be changed, withdrawn or adjusted up until the Oct. 13 deadline through the online form or by emailing Kari Kozak.
AI use statement
All original images must be created or curated by the participant (e.g., photography, drawing). While images can be enhanced using artificial intelligence, any submissions found to be entirely AI-generated or using generative fill will be disqualified.
Timeline
Aug. 29: Submission opens
Oct. 13: Submission closes
Mid-October: Judging
Oct. 28–Nov. 1: People’s choice voting
Nov. 12: Awards ceremony/reception, Old Capitol Museum, 4–6 p.m.
This will be based on a similar project at the University of Alberta. You can find examples of images submitted to the University of Alberta competition on its website.
Find previous submissions in the Iowa Digital Library.
View the winners’ digital gallery our 2020 digital gallery and the 2023 digital gallary.
See more information on the Official Rules and Creative Commons License
Voting for people’s choice
Voting opens Oct. 28
The voting deadline is Friday, Nov. 1, at 11:59 p.m. The top three choices will be announced during the awards ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Old Capitol Museum from 4 to 6 p.m.
Capture Your Research! is sponsored by Hanson Center for Communication, Lichtenberger Engineering Library, NEXUS | Artineers, and Office of Undergraduate Research.
