Arctic Science to Art
We are now accepting entries for the 2025 edition of the Arctic Science to Art competition
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 is partnering with ArcticNet, the Centre for Northern Studies (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 have a chance to have their research and comic strip featured on ArcticNet's blog or podcast Arctic Minded, as well as in the ARF's blog Arctic Focus.
Click here to submit an application.
Deadline: July 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST
Get inspired! Below are the winning comics of the past three years.
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
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.
Submissions are due by July 15, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST.
If you have any questions, please contact Nathaniel Holloway (nholl057@uottawa.ca) or Krista Penn (kristina.penn@ucalgary.ca).