Core Research Facilities (CRF) Art in Science Image Competition 2025

Have you ever captured a breathtaking image during your research? One that combines technical brilliance with artistic beauty. Here’s your chance to showcase your work in the first Art in Science Image Competition hosted by the Microscopy Core lab at the Core Research Facilities (CRF) of UMass Lowell (UML) and sponsored by JEOL USA.

This competition celebrates the fusion of art and science. We’re inviting all CRF members to submit stunning images captured using electron microscopy. Your image could showcase groundbreaking research, reveal a hidden world, or simply capture the artistic elegance of science.

Your image will not only compete for prizes but will also be featured in CRF and UML promotional materials, including our website, and displayed in our labs.

We can’t wait to see your entries. Let’s celebrate the artistry hidden in science together!

Eligibility

Competition is open only to CRF Members (Faculty, Students, Industry Users) at UMass Lowell. Only electron microscopy images will be considered.

Prizes

  1. First Place: $250 prepaid card, sponsored by JEOL USA.
  2. Second Place: $150 prepaid card, supported by Microscopy Core Lab, CRF.
  3. Third Place: $75 RiverHawk Store gift card, supported by CRF, UML.
  4. Honorable Mentions (2): $25 RiverHawk Store gift card, supported by CRF, UML.

Submission Deadline

Midnight eastern time (ET), April 30, 2025.

How to Enter

Complete a Contest Entry Form and upload your photos.

Judging Criteria

  1. Artistic Merit: Composition, symmetry, and visual impact
  2. Technical Merit: Clarity, focus, depth of field, and resolution
  3. Context: Insight and clarity provided in the caption to explain the image’s significance

Meet our Judges

Our judging panel includes representatives from across UMass Lowell’s research and academic community:

  • Dhimiter Bello, Sc.D., M.Sc., Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Professor, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences
  • Paul Bryce, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Professor, Kennedy College of Sciences
  • Karen Hamlin, Executive Director, Core Research Facilities
  • Anne Maglia, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development
  • Amy Peterson, Ph.D., Associate Chair - Master's Studies, Professor, Francis College of Engineering
  • Misha Rabinovich, M.F.A., Associate Professor, College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Image Requirements

Images must be generated by the person listed on the contest entry form. Accepted file formats: TIFF, PNG, BMP, or RAW, file size must not exceed 35 MB and should be high-resolution; reasonable image processing or enhancement is allowed for artistic purposes only.

Submission Limit

Up to two submissions per person (complete a separate entry form for each image). Only one image per participant may win an award.

Questions?

Contact Anna Maria Routsi, Ph.D., Sr. Lab Manager (email: annamaria_routsi@uml.edu) or Miguel Matos (email: miguel_matos@uml.edu), Senior Microscopy Technologist at the Microscopy Core Lab, CRF.

Copyright and Usage Agreement:

By submitting an image to this contest, you confirm that you are the copyright holder of the image and are giving the UML permission to use this image for media purposes, including but not limited to: website, social media, flyers, and event advertising.