Research in Focus
Civil Engineering Graduate Research Photo Award

 

About:
The Research in Focus – Civil Engineering Graduate Research Photo Award is an initiative led by the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s University. It was developed to celebrate innovation and highlight the dedication to excellence demonstrated by our graduate student researchers. The competition provides a platform to showcase the diverse nature of Civil Engineering and its meaningful contributions to society and the environment. 

As researchers are more frequently called upon to share their work beyond academic circles, visuals offer an effective bridge to the public. They can inspire curiosity, convey emotion, capture attention, and present scientific ideas in a way that feels both accessible and impactful.


Eligibility:
Open to all graduate students currently enrolled in the Civil Engineering MASc or PhD programs at Queen’s University.


Prizes:
Research Innovation: $1,000
People in Action: $500


Categories:

  1. Research Innovation: Highlighting innovative projects, methodologies, or solutions in Civil Engineering research.
  2. People in Action: Capturing moments of researchers in collaboration and engagement within the Civil Engineering community (must show people in action).

Contest Schedule:

  • Competition opens: April 7, 2026
  • Competition closes: May 14, 2026
  • Judging panel review: May 15 to May 29, 2026
  • Winners announced: TBD

Submission Guidelines:

  • Submit your photo online through the online form.
  • Ensure your submission adheres to the specified category.
  • Images must be directly related to contestant’s research and must depict Queen’s affiliated research.
  • Contestant (or their research supervisors) is the copyright owner of the submitted image and has the necessary rights, permissions, and/or licenses to submit the image to the competition, for use by Queen’s. These rights and permissions include permission from the author, any identifiable human subject depicted, and/or permission from publishers, funding agencies, or research partners who have been involved in the work depicted.
  • Participants may submit only one photo per category.
  • Colourization and graphic processing of images using software such as Adobe Photoshop are permitted to clarify or accentuate certain content, but these changes must not misrepresent or distort the content.
  • Images generated fully or partially using Artificial Intelligence will be disqualified.
  • Images should be sent in PNG or JPG format with a minimum of 150DPI (ideally 300DPI) and not exceed 100MB in size.
  • Include a brief description (max. 900 characters) explaining the context and significance of your photo. This description is intended for a non-expert target audience, so should be written in plain language.
  • Include a creative and descriptive title (max. 60 characters).

 

Evaluation

  • The judging panel will review and select the top submissions for each of the two categories based on the following criteria:
    1. Aesthetic appeal, creativity, quality and clarity of the image
    2. Degree to which the image showcases and effectively illustrates the entrant’s research
    3. Clarity and creativity of written description and title in conveying the research impact
  • Photos submitted and participants are eligible to win one category only.
  • The winning images will be announced according to the contest schedule and displayed publicly along with their accompanying text on websites, digital signage and social media.

 

Disclaimer:

  • Contestants must have created the image, and they or their supervisors must own all rights to the image and obtain the consent of any people appearing in it.
  • The Department of Civil Engineering reserves the right to use and publish submitted photos through this contest for promotional purposes (website, social media, publications), regardless of whether the photo was selected as a prize winner.
  • By submitting an image, contestants agree that the Department of Civil Engineering and/or Queen’s University are not responsible for any copyright infringements that might arise or for any litigation that might ensue from such infringements.
  • Decisions made by the Department of Civil Engineering about any aspect of the contest, including the eligibility or disqualification of submissions, descriptions or images, are final and cannot be appealed.
  • Contestants who fill out the submission form and whose images are selected must consent, without compensation, to let the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s to reproduce, publish, transmit and disseminate their names and photos and information about their awards in any publication or promotion activity, to promote the contest, the finalists, the award recipients or the research.
  • All contestants release the Department of Civil Engineering and Queen’s University, their respective personnel, and any party acting on their behalf from any liability for damage of any kind resulting directly or indirectly from the contestants’ participation or attempted participation in the contest.