The PGT Gallery

• To apply you must be a postgraduate taught student currently registered at the University of Birmingham.
• Entrants are limited to one submission.

• Image may be portrait or landscape.

• Images can be a photograph, collage, or a digital drawing created by the researcher.

• Please upload images in high resolution to allow for printing. The file should be as close to 300 dpi (dots per inch) at A3 size as you can get.  If taking a photo, set your camera to high resolution with no image compression. Mobile phone cameras are increasingly default set to low resolution; please check your settings before taking your photograph. Low quality images are unlikely to be shortlisted.

• Either jpeg or tiff format – no other file formats can be accepted.

• Text can be used as part of the visual composition of the image but should not be added to describe or offer explanation of the image.

• If submitting a digital collage, it is not permissible to use images downloaded from the Internet unless you have permission to use them. Only images which have been downloaded from bonafide royalty-free websites, such as Pixabay and Unsplash, may be used.

• If submitting a photo, entrants must be the exclusive owners of the submitted image. Commissioned work such as professional photographs or photographs taken by someone other than the entrant are not allowed.

• You must have written permission from any identifiable persons (or their legal guardians) contained within the image.

• AI may be used to generate the image if clearly stated in the accompanying narrative, but you should not feed research data directly into AI resources. Please refer to the University's framework for using Generative AI for guidance. 

• Your image title should ideally be 2 - 5 words with a strict maximum of 10 words.

• Your accompanying narrative should ideally be 80 - 100 words with a strict maximum of 110 words.

• Your image narrative must give a description of your image and place it in the context of your research.

• Your narrative must be accessible to a non-specialist audience.

• If AI has been used to generate your image, this must be stated in your narrative and you must include your process of using AI in your narrative.

• AI must not be used to write the narrative.

Entries to the PGT Gallery can be a photograph, collage, or a digital drawing created by the entrant. The subject of your image has no limitations but should be visually striking and representative of an element of an element of your work as a PGT.

AI may be used to generate the image if clearly stated in the accompanying narrative, but you should not feed research data directly into AI resources. Please refer to the University's framework for using Generative AI for guidance. If you choose to use AI to generate your image, you must think carefully about how and why using AI shows your own creativity and originality, key aspects of the judging criteria.

Your image subject might be a depiction of research data, a photograph of your research process, or even a staged composition that represents your research.

Do not be deterred if your research does not lend itself to literal interpretation: very few do, and we are looking for creativity! Your Image Narrative gives space to provide the context and connection to your research and demonstrate your innovative thinking.

You can see examples of effective entries from a range of disciplines below. At the bottom of this page you will also find links to the previous PGT Gallery competition entries that may give you some inspiration. Please note that these examples come from PGR students in a previous iteration of the competition before it became a PGT-only opportunity, but the format is exactly the same.

Consider an audience viewing an exhibition in an open gallery, your image needs to be engaging at a distance to stand out. It should catch the eye and encourage a viewer to investigate further. Compelling images come in many forms and may engage your audience for different reasons.

• Your image may be aesthetically appealing such as a beautiful landscape, pleasing use of colour (mono, tonal or contrasting) and/or a well-considered image composition.
• Your image may be compelling as it challenges the viewer, such as a new view of the familiar, a juxtaposition of ideas or an image that seems to communicate a complex story.

You are encouraged to be creative in your image composition: as you can see in our judging criteria, we’re looking for originality and impact. Your image narrative should provide some context and detail of your composition methods. 

If your image captures the attention of your audience effectively, the next visible element is the title. Your image title should either provide more insight, or more intrigue but should not attempt to provide an academic description of your research.

• Your image title should ideally be 2 - 5 words (max. 10 words).
• Try to make your image title compelling and intriguing, it should work alongside your image to capture the attention of a non-specialist audience.       
• It could be simple, expressive, thought provoking or even pose a question.
• It will differ from your working research title, which is aimed at a more specialist academic audience.

If your image and title are compelling, they will work as hooks to draw the audience in, providing you with an opportunity to engage them with your work. You should continue to keep the audience in mind though, asking yourself what they would want to know, as well as what you want to tell them.

You can start by explaining your image, describing what can be seen and how it was captured. Whether further description is required will be dependent on your image. For example, if your image is of scans you might include the type of imaging machine, details of the subject, or how they can be interpreted. If you have composed the picture yourself, your audience may want to know your methods (digital, mixed material) or perhaps your inspiration. If your image is a photograph, you might include where and when it was taken or what else was happening around you at the time. If you have used AI to produce your image, you must clearly state how and why you used AI to create your image in the narrative.

You should then explain the link to your work, the question or topic you are addressing and the potential impact of your studies.

• Your supporting narrative should ideally be 80 - 100 words (max. 110 words)
• A focused supporting story that gives the context of your image and connects it with your work.
• To help you get started, try drafting your narrative by writing one sentence to answer each of the questions below.
  • What does your image show/represent?
  • How/why was your image made?
  • What is the link to your work?
  • What is the fundamental problem your studies are trying to address?
  • How will your research make a difference?

Guidance created by the PGT Gallery Team:

• This Word document uses previous PGT Gallery entries to demonstrate how they were effective in meeting the submission guidance The PGT Gallery - Guidance in practice. Please note that these examples come from PGR students in a previous iteration of the competition before it became a PGT-only opportunity, but the format is exactly the same.

External guidance on communicating your research in images:

• Article from Journal of Chemical Education 'Communicating Science through Photography' 
• Article from BioScience 'Science Photography:Communicating Research through Photos'

External guidance on creating great images:

• External article with tips on how to capture a good photo 'Techniques – 10 Characteristics of Great Photos'
• External blog post written by a photographer on the topic 'What makes a photo good'
• External blog post written by a photographer on the topic 'Elements of a great photograph'