Since 2015, Chalmers’ Area of Advance Materials Science has organized a photo competition with the aim of highlighting the importance of materials science in a variety of research areas. The winners are announced during the Materials for Tomorrow conference. The competition offers a unique opportunity to showcase how materials can play a crucial role in areas such as health, transport and energy transition, among others.
“The competition is open to PhD students and postdocs at Chalmers and the Department of Biomaterials Science, University of Gothenburg. There are several reasons to participate: it offers the opportunity to make your research visible, but also a chance to win great prizes that can contribute to career development. First prize is a research stay at an international university, which provides a fantastic opportunity to grow and build networks. The second and third prizes are conference grants that gives the opportunity to participate in an international research conference," says Mats Hulander, researcher at Applied Chemistry and project manager for the competition.
From atomic to macroscopic scale
The photo competition gives Chalmers access to unique and visually impressive images.
“It also contributes to creating aesthetically appealing communication material that makes our research more accessible and engaging for a broader audience," says Mats Hulander.
He adds that the images of the five finalists, exhibited in Chalmers' student union building during the conference, bring an additional dimension to the event. They become a natural gathering point where conference attendees stop to discuss the pictures and also vote for the winners.
"The content of the images is also usually very varied and ranges from atomic to macroscopic scale, that is, from a huge magnification of what materials look like at the smallest level - all the way up to what is visible to the naked eye. The motifs also come from materials used in a wide range of processes, from fuel cells and implants to batteries and architecture. ‘It's great to see that materials research at Chalmers covers such a broad spectrum,’ says Mats Hulander.
Got inspired at University College Dublin
“The first time the competition was organized, an external jury of photographers selected twelve entries. A certain Mats Hulander was among the twelve,” recounts Per Thorén, initiator of the competition at Chalmers and at that time Head of Communications for Materials Science.
"After being inspired by a colleague at Physical Chemistry, Peter Sandin, I took the initiative for the competition. Peter, who is a photographer himself, had been a postdoc at University College Dublin, where a photo competition was organised annually for the staff with great commitment from everyone involved," says Per Thorén.
The criteria for the competition are:
- Scientific excellence: The image should clearly reflect the importance of materials science in a specific research area.
- Aesthetics and creativity: We are looking for images that not only have high scientific quality, but also an aesthetic dimension. A good image tells a story and arouses curiosity.
- Community building: We want the competition to help strengthen the community among researchers at Chalmers and provide a chance to showcase the diversity and breadth of materials science.
How to participate:
- Send a maximum of 3 photos to the contest to materials@chalmers.se. Write ‘Photo contest’ in the subject field - we only accept high-resolution images.
- Simple retouching of the images is allowed, but additions or AI generated images are not accepted.
- The deadline for this year's contest is Friday 24 October
- The contest is open to all PhD students and postdocs at Chalmers and the Division of Biomaterials Science at the University of Gothenburg
“If you're not sure if your image is good enough - don't hesitate! Every image has something unique to offer. We look forward to seeing your research through your lens, or your microscope," says Mats Hulander.
If you're not sure if your image is good enough - don't hesitate! Every image has something unique to offer.
- Researcher, Applied Chemistry, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering