Eligibility
Entry is open to all current Penn State undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff working on materials-related topics.
Awards
Participants must have a Penn State Bursar account or payroll account to receive any monetary prizes. If a winner does not meet the criteria, they will forfeit any monetary prizes.
A panel of judges who are professionals in materials and/or the arts will award the following:
In the Visual Appeal category:
- First place $250
- Second place $100
- Third place $50
In the Imaging category of Computational Rendering:
- First place $250
- Second place $100
- Third place $50
In the Imaging category of Scientific Imaging:
- First place $250
- Second place $100
- Third place $50
People’s Choice Award
This is a fun way for everyone to get involved. All entries will be available online for the public to view and vote electronically for their favorite image. The image that receives the most votes will receive the People’s Choice Award and a $100 prize.
All MCV winners will be published online. All images except for the People's Choice Award will be judged by a professional panel defined by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Research Institute.
Categories and Judging Criteria
Best of Show
All images submitted will automatically be considered for Best of Show and evaluated holistically in this category, on being visually compelling while maintaining scientific integrity. Ranked-choice voting will be used to determine the winner.
Visual Appeal
Images in this category should be visually compelling and may be altered to enhance their appearance. Examples of acceptable enhancements include altering color, cropping, adjusting saturation or contrast, colorizing greyscale images, and rendering additional graphics to enhance the original. The resulting image should maintain the scientific integrity of the source data, but the focus will be on its visual impact.
Images submitted in either Computational Rendering or Scientific Imaging categories are also eligible to enter in the Visual Appeal category (to be judged separately on the criteria below), but an image can also be entered into Visual Appeal only.
The Visual Appeal category is judged on:
- Aesthetics: The visual appeal of the entry, including elements such as color, composition, and overall design. Judges will consider whether the entry is aesthetically pleasing and/or commands their attention.
- Creativity: The level of creativity and originality demonstrated in the entry. Judges should consider whether the entry brings a fresh perspective or new approach to the visualization of materials science data.
Imaging categories
Scientific images can fall into one of two categories, either computational rendering or scientific imaging depending on the data source and postprocessing methods used. Participants will designate which category their image will be judged in when they submit their image. The two category choices are:
- Computational Rendering — the data source is from computational modeling OR the image has been heavily postprocessed using computer graphics or rendering. Images in this category most often illustrate the output from computational materials science approaches. The image should be computer generated and clearly communicate a scientific message to the viewer based on the calculations. Images based on experimental results may also belong in this category if their visualization relies heavily on computer graphics, thus making the entry ineligible for the Scientific Imaging category.
- Scientific Imaging — the data source is from scientific imaging of a physical object AND the image has been only lightly postprocessed (cropping, exposure, contrast, etc.) Images in this category should represent scientific imaging data in the purest form suitable for visualization. Images may be cropped, adjusted for exposure and/or contrast but should otherwise not be altered or retouched beyond what would appear in a scientific publication.
Submissions in both categories are judged on the same criteria. Entries are only judged against others in the designated category. The criteria for both are:
- Relevance: The relevance of the visualization to the field of materials science. Judges will consider whether the entry addresses an important or topical issue in the field, and whether it advances the understanding of the subject.
- Technical Capability: The entry demonstrates exemplary use of technology appropriate to the subject, showcasing technical proficiency in the creation of the visualization. Judges will consider the level of technical skill demonstrated in the entry and whether the technology used is appropriate and effectively supports the communication of the scientific information.
- Clarity: The clarity of the visualization, including how easily the information is conveyed and understood. Judges will consider whether the entry effectively communicates complex scientific information in a way that is easy to understand.
Official Rules
- To enter, you must be a current Penn State student, faculty, staff or postdoctoral scholar. (Must have a Penn State Bursar account or payroll account.)
- Entries are limited to one image as an individual and one image as a group member. An image may be entered into one of the two Imaging category, and/or Visual Appeal category. All entries are entered in the Best of Show category and the People's Choice competition.
- Entries must be a result of the participant’s efforts in research. If necessary, the participant must provide evidence of research upon request.
- Only original work may be submitted, and all noteworthy parties must be included on entry form. If the image has been published, appropriate written permission from the journal editor is required.
- If you are a student, submitted work must be approved by a faculty adviser, who will be notified once the Entry Form is submitted online.
- The image must meet size requirements.
Image Size and Information Requirements
Images will only be accepted in the required size. If you need help with sizing the image, please contact marcom@matse.psu.edu at least five (5) days prior to submission deadline.
- 20 inches x 16 inches or
- 6000 pixels x 4800 pixels or
- 50.8 centimeters x 40.64 centimeters
Image resolution must be 300 pixels. File types accepted: tif, eps, jpg, png, gif, pdf, ai, psd.
Tips: Below are links on file formats for reference.
Tips: Entries must include the following:
- Caption/Title (300 characters or less)
- Scientific Process Statement (1,000 characters or less)
- Artist's Statement (1,000 characters or less)
For more information on writing an artist's statement visit:
If you have questions regarding the above requirements, please contact MarCom@matse.psu.edu.
Image Usage Rights
By selecting ‘agree’ on the MVC Entry Form, the participant acknowledges that all contributors are recognized within the designated area of the entry form, and that the image being entered sole belongs to those individuals. While the participant retains copyright of his or her work, entry in this competition constitutes agreement that Penn State, Materials Research Institute (MRI) and Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) may use any work submitted for promotional purposes. For example, these images may be used in graphic materials such as posters, brochures, newsletters, etc., and may be posted on the Penn State, MatSE, and MRI websites.
