TRR259 Scientific Image Competition 2026

The TRR259 is pleased to announce its first Scientific Image Competition.

We are looking for compelling images that communicate scientific discoveries within the TRR259. The competition recognizes images that combine scientific relevance with aesthetic quality, inspiring curiosity about aortic research.

Submitted images may be used by the TRR259 for science communication and outreach, including publication on the TRR259 website, social media channels, and in materials such as flyers, posters or event announcements.

Take this opportunity to express your creativity, demonstrate your technical skills, and showcase the fascinating visual side of your research. We look forward to seeing your images.

Quick Facts:

Eligibility: All individuals working in the laboratory of a TRR259 project leader
Accepted format: Scientific images (no videos or other media)
Number of submissions: One image per submitting author
Prizes: Vouchers and, if desired, a printed display of the winning image
Submission deadline: 16 June 2026
Announcement of winners: During the TRR259 retreat

Please review the information below before submitting your image.

The Art of Aorta: Insights into Aortic Disease Mechanisms

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Submission Guidelines and Participation Terms

Who can Participate?

The competition is open to all individuals working in the laboratory of a TRR259 project leader.

Co-authored images and team contributions are allowed. However, only one image per submitting author may be submitted.

How to Participate

To participate in the competition:

Complete the online submission form and agree to the terms of participation. To get to the submission form, click here.
After submitting the form, you will receive a link to a Sciebo drop-off folder for uploading your image file.
Once your submission has been checked for completeness, you will receive a confirmation email.

Image Requirements

The submitted image must be related to research conducted within the TRR259.
Eligible submissions include, for example:
- microscopy images
- experimental data visualizations
- photographic documentation of experiments
- laboratory instruments or research environments
- in silico prediction results
Images should represent scientific content that would also be suitable for presentation in a scientific context (e.g. publications or conferences). Images containing identifiable persons are therefore not permitted.
Images may have been previously used in scientific publications, presentations, or conference materials, provided that the participant holds the necessary rights to submit and share the image. Please ensure that you retain the required rights if the image has already been published.
Images should originate from research conducted during the current second funding period.
Post-processing using image editing software is permitted, provided that such processing does not alter the scientific content or misrepresent the underlying data.
Images generated entirely or partially using artificial intelligence (AI) are not permitted.

Image Format

File formats: JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG or GIF
Colour space: sRGB
Images should be of the highest quality available with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi and a maximum resolution of 5000 x 5000 pixels

Image Title and Description

Each submission must include the following information:

Title
- A concise and engaging title describing the image
- Maximum 100 characters (including spaces)
Author Information
- Name of the submitting author
- Names of co-authors or collaborators (if applicable)
- Affiliation
  - TRR259 project (if applicable)
  - Institute and university/clinic
Technical Information
- Imaging device or method used
- Any relevant image processing steps
Image Description
- A brief explanation of what is shown in the image
- Maximum 1000 characters (including spaces)

Evaluation

Submitted images will be evaluated by a TRR259 Image Competition Jury, composed of representatives of the TRR259.

Entries will be reviewed anonymously. Names and affiliations will only be revealed to the jury after the evaluation process has been completed.

Images will be assessed based on:

image quality and technical execution
scientific relevance
ability to communicate scientific concepts
aesthetic impact
originality
clarity of the accompanying description

Prize

Three winning entries will be selected.

The winners will receive:

1st Prize: Voucher worth 200 €
2nd Prize: Voucher worth 100 €
3rd Prize: Voucher worth 50 €

The TRR259 is pleased to offer the winners a printed display of their image — either on acrylic or as a poster print with frame. Winners will be contacted by the organizers to confirm whether they would like to take advantage of this optional offer.

The winners will be announced during the TRR259 retreat.

Image Rights and Usage

By submitting an image to the competition, participants agree to the following conditions:

The organisers receive the non-exclusive right to use the submitted images free of charge and without temporal or geographical limitation.
Submitted images may be used by the TRR259 for communication and outreach purposes, including publication:
on the TRR259 website
on social media
in presentations
on posters, invitations, flyers and programmes
in exhibitions or displays

Images may be cropped or shortened for these purposes.

The copyright remains with the participants. By submitting an image, participants grant the TRR259 permission to publish the work under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND licence, provided that proper author attribution is given and the work is not used for commercial purposes or modified.

By submitting an image, participants confirm that: