Arctic Science to Art Contest
The window for submissions for the 2025 edition are now closed!
Congratulations to Konrad Borowski, the 2025 AS2A contest winner!
Early-career researchers, students and northern research assistants are encouraged to demonstrate their knowledge about an issue that affects northern communities and explain their work in plain language. Each year, the contest winner will collaborate with a graphic artist to create a comic strip about their research.
For this fourth (2025) edition of the Arctic Science to Art (AS2A) contest, APECS Canada partnered with ArcticNet, the Centre d'études nordiques (CEN) and the Arctic Research Foundation (ARF). In addition to collaborating with an artist to create a comic strip about their research, the contest winner will also receive:
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Paid registration to the 2025 ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting;
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A chance to have their research and comic strip featured on ArcticNet's blog or podcast Arctic Minded; and
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A chance to have their research and comic strip featured in the ARF's blog Arctic Focus.
Submission Criteria
To enter the contest, please submit:
(1) a 100-word plain language summary of your northern research
(2) a photo of your research
(3) answers to all questions in the application form
One submission will be selected for an opportunity to work a professional artist who will transform your research into an illustrative story panel.
Eligibility:
(1) Applicant must be associated with a Canadian university, college, or other institution
(2) Any discipline (natural science, social science, applied science, humanities)
(3) The research must be conducted within the defined geographic boundary
(above the discontinuous permafrost line)
Please note that APECS Canada Board Members are ineligible to apply.
Check out our winning comic strips from the past four years below!
The 2025 winner is Konrad Borowski, a Master`s candidate at the University of Waterloo.
Konrad worked with Yukon-based graphic artist and researcher Maya Chartier to illustrate their research on a novel method of biomimicry-inspired ice preservation that can slow sea ice loss and mitigate the impacts of climate change in the Arctic.
Check out full versions of this comic in Inuinnaqtun, English, and French.
Also, check out more great work by artist Maya Chartier (Akassiyah)!
2025
The 2024 winner is Maria Ramirez Prieto, a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo School of Public Health Sciences.
Maria worked with graphic artist and Université Laval PhD candidate Madeleine-Zoé Corbeille-Robitaille to illustrate their research on food preferences among and culturally sensitive food supports for Inuvialuit youth in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region.
Check out full versions of this comic in Inuvialuktun, English, and French.
Also, check out more great work by artist and biologist Madeleine-Zoé Corbeille-Robitaille!
2024
The 2023 winner was Myrah Graham, an MSc candidate at the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Myrah worked with graphic artist Misha Donohoe to illustrate their research on benthos communities in Nunavut and Nunatsiavut .
Check out the comic to the right! Scroll to see versions in English, French, Inuktitut, and Inuttitut.
Also, check out more great work by Misha Donohoe!
2023
