Submissions for the 2013 Princeton University Art of Science Competition are now being accepted. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m., Sunday, April 7, 2013.

The Art of Science exhibition explores the interplay between science and art and consists of images produced during the course of scientific research that have aesthetic merit. The competition is open to the entire Princeton community, including undergraduates, faculty, research staff, graduate students, and alumni. For submission guidelines, please see this FAQ.

The theme for the 2013 exhibit is “Connections.”

“We chose ‘connections’ as the theme because it is such a rich and wide-ranging concept,” said Victoria Sanchez, a graduate student in chemical and biological engineering who is one of the Art of Science organizers. “We are curious as to how ‘connections’ are important in the research that takes place across the many different laboratories at Princeton.”

Andrew Zwicker, another Art of Science organizer who is director of science education at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, said that some of the most exciting scientific discoveries have come from breaking down the traditional walls that separate scientitfic disciplines.

“For example with physics and biology every day there is a new finding showing that the two are connected in the most fascinating and profound way,” Zwicker said. “In a similar vein, connecting the aesthetics of laboratory images to their scientific importance has transformed how we look at our data and results. With the 2013 Art of Science competition we are celebrating all manner of connections.”

The top three entrants will be awarded cash prizes in amounts calculated by the golden ratio (whose proportions have since antiquity been considered to be aesthetically pleasing): first prize, $250; second prize, $154.51; and third prize, $95.49.

The opening reception for this year’s exhibit will be at 4:30 p.m., Friday, May 10, in the Friend Center Atrium. Everyone from the Princeton community is invited to attend.

The prize winners will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges, who are expected to be David Dobkin, Dean of the Faculty; Emmet Gowin, professor of Visual Arts; Paul Muldoon, professor of creative writing; James Steward, director of the Princeton Art Museum; and Shirley M. Tilghman, President.

The exhibit also be displayed in an online gallery.

Art of Science 2013 is sponsored by the David A. Gardner ’69 Fund in the Council of the Humanities, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science. It is co-sponsored by the Office of the Dean for Research, Lewis Center for the Arts, PICSciE, Keller Center, Office of the Vice President for Facilities, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, the Cooperative Institute for Climate Science, and the departments of Astrophysical Sciences, Computer Science, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Molecular Biology, Physics, and Psychology.

In addition to Sanchez and Zwicker, the organizers for Art of Science 2013 are Zach Donnell, Department of Molecular Biology; Adam Finkelstein, Department of Computer Science; Teresa Riordan, School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Image courtesy of the laboratory of Lisa Boulanger.