Contests & Awards

2025 Photo Contest 

Over the last few years, ArcticNet has maintained a collection of photographs highlighting the spectacular beauty of polar regions, featuring scientific research, landscapes, wildlife, and communities. With a growing collection of stunning images, ArcticNet’s Polar Photography Gallery is now a resource for educational, media and other research programs. It is committed to communicating polar knowledge to a diverse international audience and to preserving a legacy of iconic and accessible imagery for future generations. 

The ASM2025 Photo Contest is a fantastic opportunity for Arctic researchers, students, partners and collaborators to share their dynamic and captivating photos of people, communities, landscapes, plants, wildlife, and research activities in circumpolar regions.

A total of $2,100 CAD in cash prizes will be awarded. 

ELIGIBILITY

• The Photo Contest is open to all members of the international Arctic research community and their collaborators

• Contestants must be registered to attend ArcticNet’s Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

• Contestants must be willing to sign the Photographer-ArcticNet agreement form

• Contestants must be at least 18 years of age

• Professional photographers and employees of the ArcticNet Administrative Centre are not eligible

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Contestants must be the proprietors of their submissions

• We will accept up to five (5) photos per contestant

• Photos must be submitted in one of the following categories: ***Please specify the category for each photo submitted.

  • Peoples and Communities

  • Landscapes

  • Plants

  • Wildlife

  • Research Activities

• Submissions must consist of your highest resolution digital photos in .JPG or .PNG format

• File names must be saved in the following format: PhotoCategory_ContestantLastName_FirstName_PhotoNumber for that category (e.g., Plants_Lynch_Melody1.jpg; Plants_Lynch_Melody2.jpg; Wildlife_Lynch_Melody_1.jpg)

• Submissions must be accompanied by a separate descriptive caption for each photo, including the location, date taken and name of any person appearing in the photograph

• All entries must be accompanied by a signed Photographer-ArcticNet agreement form

• Any entry that depicts a recognizable person must be accompanied by a Model release form

• Photos and applicable forms must be submitted via Google Forms

DEADLINE

• Photos must be submitted by 11:59 PM Pacific Time, Monday, November 24, 2025.

JUDGING

A panel of judges will evaluate the entries on originality, technique, composition, artistic merit, emotional impact, and message/storytelling ability.

PRIZES:

• Best Photo- Artistic merit and originality (All categories): $600

• Best Photo- People and communities: $300

• Best Photo- Landscape: $300

• Best Photo- Plants: $300

• Best Photo- Wildlife: $300

• Best Photo- Research activities: $300

For any questions, contact Melody Lynch: melody.lynch [at] arcticnet.ulaval.ca.

Graduate Student Poster Competition

The annual Graduate Poster Competition recognizes excellence in science and its presentation by early career researchers. All Masters and PhD students working in fields relevant to ArcticNet’s thematic areas (ecosystems, well-being, infrastructures, energy, economy) are eligible to enter. Applicants are not required to be on a project currently funded by ArcticNet.

To enter, interested applicants must submit their poster abstract to the Call for Abstracts. There is a limit of one poster per applicant.

Applicants will be notified if their submission is accepted in October 2025. A final version of the poster (in JPEG, PNG or PDF format) must be submitted by November 28th, 2025. Instructions for the final version submission will be sent out later on.

A panel of judges will evaluate eligible posters based on set criteria, including clarity, comprehensiveness and conciseness of the abstract, the scientific quality and presentation of the research.

There are three categories in which posters will be judged: Social and Health Science, Marine Science, and Territorial Science. Prizes are available for first, second and third place winners of each category at $800, $600, and $400 CAD respectively. The award winners will be announced at the end of the conference.