Images of Research is back for 2025 by popular demand! Find out more about the 2025 competition and plans for a public exhibition.
Representing research with an image
Images of Research is a competition for staff that invites them to use visual imagery and a short simple description to tell people about research and its benefits to society. Submissions to the competition will then form the Images of Research exhibition, which will be exhibited as part of the Vice-Chancellor's Engage Awards and Showcase on Wednesday 25 June, 11am-1pm.
Benefits of taking part
Since 2009 nearly 750 images have been submitted by colleagues from right across the University. Over this time, researchers and other staff who were involved told us that thinking about the research visually and being challenged to write about their research succinctly, engaging and non-technically was valuable in supporting them in developing their communication skills. Winner of the 2022 Health and Wellbeing category Dr Jo Daniels highlighted how:
taking part is one of the rare opportunities to be genuinely creative through another medium in my work. Public engagement is a vital part of my research, so it's also helpful to produce something that can be used in engaging people in my programme of work.
How to get involved in Images of Research 2025
Taking part in Images of Research 2025 couldn't be simpler, and to help, we've developed five categories that reflect the University's strategic priorities and research themes:
- Digital – research that is creating positive digital futures.
- Health and Wellbeing – research that is addressing pressing health and wellbeing issues people are facing.
- Local – research that is working with people from Bath and North East Somerset and creating positive outcomes for them and their communities.
- Partnerships - research that is working in collaboration with people outside academia, including industry, policymakers, civil society and community-based organisations.
- Sustainability – research that is finding sustainable solutions to issues facing the planet and people.
Submissions must include an image (which could be a photograph, a drawing, a digital creation or an image from research), a title, a 150-word description and an alternative-text description of the image.
What's important to remember that we're looking for submissions demonstrating why research happening at the University matters - the difference University research is making to society.
Eligibility
Images of Research 2025 is open to all staff from the Education and Research (including doctoral students) and Technical and Experimental job families we also welcome submissions from staff in the Management Specialist and Administration job family who support and input into research.
Next steps
If you want to take part in Images of Research 2025 head to the Images of Research 2025 Submission Guide for full details of how to take part and the criteria we'll be using to judge entries. You can also check out some of the submissions from last year's competition for inspiration. Once you're ready all you need to do to enter is fill in the Images of Research 2025 Submission Form and then send over your image to the Public Engagement Unit. Submission must be received by 4pm, Tuesday 29th April 2025.
Good luck and please feel free to drop us a line (public-engagement@bath.ac.uk) if you want to discuss anything about the competition.
Dean Veall is Deputy Head of Public Engagement at the University of Bath.
Posted in: Doing Public Engagement