Image competition
Get a glimpse into the world of brilliant, diverse postgraduate and early career research at the University of Sussex
The Emerging Researcher Image competition
The Emerging Researcher Image competition offers a visual perspective on Sussex’s current postgraduate and early career research, building our interdisciplinary community.
There are 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. The 2026 judges were Susanna Broom, Head of the Sussex Researcher School; Stuart Robinson, University Photographer; and Maggie Symes, Research and Open Scholarship Librarian.
Shortlisted entries will be displayed in an online gallery here and exhibited during the Summer of Research at various locations around campus. Winners will be announced at the prize-giving following the Three Minute Thesis final on Friday 26 June.
Competition entries and People’s Choice 2026
Please have a look at the list of entries for the 2026 Emerging Researcher Image competition and vote for your favourite for the People’s Choice Award.
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: Emerging Researchers Image Competition 2026 [PDF 5.56MB]
2026 prizes
PGR Winner: £200 towards your research.
ECR Winner: £200 towards your research.
People’s Choice (one prize): £100 towards your research.
Judging criteria
Judges assessed 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?
AI statement
This competition welcomes research images created in any medium, including those generated or enhanced using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. To ensure transparency and integrity, entrants must clearly indicate if AI has been used in the creation or modification of their image.