The Vizzies: NSF and Popular Science Visualization Challenge

Do you love animating data, creating science apps, or taking macrophotographs? In the 2014 Visualization Challenge, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Popular Science, your handiwork can receive its due glory and win you cash prizes.

Some of science's most powerful statements are not made in words. From DaVinci's Vitruvian Man to Rosalind Franklin's X-rays, science visualization has a long and literally illustrious history. To illustrate is to enlighten! Illustrations provide the most immediate and influential connection between scientists and other citizens, and the best hope for nurturing popular interest. They are a necessity for public understanding of research developments.

The National Science Foundation and Popular Science are cosponsors of the long-running Visualization Challenge, now called The Vizzies. The competition, which runs through Sept. 30, 2014, aims to recognize some of the most beautiful visualizations from the worlds of science and engineering.

Visualization Challenge participants can submit their entries in one or more of five categories: Photography, Video, Illustration, Posters & Graphics and Games & Apps. The Experts' Choice winner in each category will be awarded $2,500, and a People's Choice prize of $1,000 goes to the best overall entry.

Expert judges appointed by NSF and Popular Science will select a winner in each of the five categories.

Access the Vizzies website here for challenge details, guidelines and instructions.

Important Dates

  • The Visualization Challenge competition closes September 30, 2014.
  • The deadline for all entries is 11:59 p.m. PST on Sept. 30, 2014.
  • Competition judging rounds take place in October 2014.
  • The 2014 winning entries will be announced in March 2015.
  • Contest results will be publicly announced in Popular Science and on popsci.com in March 2015, andPopular Photography will recognize the winning photo. NSF will also publish the names of the winners on its website.

We urge you and your colleagues to enter the competition now! If you have questions, you may contact the coordinators at vizzies@nsf.gov.

NOTE: NSF previously cosponsored the competition with AAAS journal Science. The competition was formerly named the International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge (SciVis).

View video highlights of past Visualization Challenge winners.

The information above was current at the time that it was retrieved from the host site. Visit http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/scivis/challenge.jsp for current updates and information.