Illinois State University undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit their work for the 2027 Image of Research Competition. Submissions will be open through Friday, November 13, 2026.
Hosted annually by the Office of Student Research, the Image of Research Competition challenges students across all disciplines to communicate their research, innovation, or creative inquiry through a single compelling image. Students submit one static image accompanied by a short abstract explaining the image and its connection to their project.
Entries are evaluated by community members with expertise in art, scholarship, and creative inquiry and expression on criteria including visual impact, uniqueness, and the clarity of the connection between the image, accompanying text, and project.
Finalists will have their work printed in large format and displayed at University Galleries during the Eighth Annual Image of Research Exhibit throughout the day on Thursday, February 11, 2027. The exhibit is free and open to the public, and visitors are invited to vote for the People’s Choice Award. The reception and awards ceremony will be from 4-6 p.m.
Undergraduate and graduate students compete in separate categories. In each category, first-place winners will receive $200, second-place winners will receive $150, honorable mentions will receive $50, and the People’s Choice Award winner will receive $100. Winning submissions will be displayed at locations across campus, and all finalists will be featured in the online Image of Research exhibit through Milner Library and ISU ReD, Illinois State’s institutional repository.
How to enter
Students interested in participating should review the competition guidelines carefully and submit their application by Friday, November 13, 2026.
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