NHMRC Science to Art Award 2027: Submit Digitally Enhanced Research Imagery by 11 December
The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is accepting original images for its 2027 Science to Art Award. The award recognises visually compelling images generated through NHMRC-funded medical or health research. Digitally enhanced and altered images are eligible, provided the submitter explains the modifications. It is a research-imagery and visualisation award, rather than a general photography or digital-painting competition.
Deadline and precise funding eligibility
The official closing time is Friday 11 December 2026 at 5pm AEDT. Images must have been generated from research supported by an NHMRC grant, and the application requires the specific NHMRC grant reference number. A person without a connection to eligible NHMRC-funded work cannot treat this as an open-to-all art contest. The public form does not itself establish a blanket rule that every entrant must hold Australian nationality or live in Australia; this article does not count it as a nationality- or residence-restricted call.
Digital image format and submission materials
Submit one eligible image in JPG, PNG or TIF form, up to 32MB, with a title and description of no more than 200 words. The form asks whether the image has been digitally enhanced or changed and requires an explanation if so. The image rights holder must confirm ownership and give NHMRC a continuing non-exclusive licence to use the image for non-commercial purposes. A contact email is offered for technical upload difficulties; the organisers specify a minimum image resolution of 300dpi for emailed files.
Award and research-art context
The Science to Art Award forms part of NHMRC's biennial recognition of Australian health and medical research. The agency's 2025 winner was Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe of the University of Queensland, whose digital image, Battleground beneath the skin, visualised immune and cancer cells using spatial proteomics. That previous edition illustrates the type of image-based scientific practice acknowledged by the programme. The current 2027 call does not state a cash amount for its Science to Art award, so no cash prize is claimed here.
About NHMRC
NHMRC is Australia's national health and medical research funding and policy agency. Its website publishes both the biennial awards announcement and a dedicated Science to Art entry page, with an upload form and contact at nhmrc.awards@nhmrc.gov.au. Research ownership, any institutional permission and a potential grant's conditions must be respected when using images that contain identifiable patients or research data.
Apply through the official form
Entries are collected directly on the NHMRC page. Applicants supply their contact details, research image, short description, funding reference and ownership declaration. The page has at least one stale reference to an earlier award year in its licence/privacy wording; the separately published current 2027 announcement confirms the 11 December 2026 deadline. Where document wording appears inconsistent, the NHMRC awards office is the authoritative contact.
This article provides a summary. To avoid misunderstandings, please be sure to check the official page for full details.
Information verified: 19 October 2026.
Our competitions
Aion Laboratory separately runs the Aion Digital Art Award with different subjects and entry conditions.
Publish an opportunity
We offer paid publication for creative jobs and open calls.