In celebration of UNC Research Week 2026 (October 19-23) and this year’s theme, “What’s Next?”, the School of Medicine is soliciting nominations for innovative scientific images that showcase outstanding biomedical research and the beauty reflected in scientific discovery. We invite SOM laboratories to submit images that capture cutting-edge research, novel approaches, and scientific insights that advance knowledge and have the potential to transform health and medicine.
Each SOM lab is eligible to submit one scientific image that was taken or published within the last 18 months and represents the biology, technology, or scientific question that is the focus of the lab. Labs must be currently in the School of Medicine. Previous winners must wait at least one year before submitting an image for the competition.
A submission should include:
- One original research image (please provide the highest-resolution image available; must be >300 dpi at 8″ × 8″ or larger)
- A title and brief description of what the image represents and its biomedical significance
- The name of the Principal Investigator for the lab and the person(s) who captured the image. The PI must have a primary or joint appointment in the SOM.
- Acknowledgment of Core Facilities used to acquire the image (if applicable)
Submission Deadline
All submissions must be emailed to Oor_submissions@med.unc.edu by September 4, 2026. Please include a link to a OneDrive or Dropbox location if the file size is too large for email.
Images will be evaluated based on their aesthetic excellence, scientific or technical interest, and ability to engage both scientific and non-scientific audiences. Up to three images will be selected for display during UNC Research Week, and each winning lab will receive a $300 award.