Subjects include the haunting beauty of the microscopic world, the vibrant colours of Rio de Janeiro, and how 21^st century scanning can unwrap a mummified snake.

The Research as Art competition celebrates the diversity and beauty of research at Swansea University – a top 30 research university - and the creativity and impact of its researchers.

It is the only competition of its kind, open to researchers from all subjects, and with an emphasis on telling the research story, as well as composing a striking image.

Research as Art will be coming to Austin having just been displayed at the Royal Institution in London, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious scientific organisations. 

The competition has also featured on some of Europe’s biggest news sites, including the BBC and The Guardian.   

The Austin exhibition will be the first time that Research as Art works have been shown outside the UK. 

University of Texas at Austin (pictured) is one of the top universities in the United States, with around 51,000 students and 3,000 teaching staff. 

Swansea University has a blossoming strategic partnership with UT, which involves student exchanges, research collaborations from physics and bioengineering to creative writing, and teaching links, with experts from each institution teaching at the other.

Find out more about Swansea University's strategic partnerships with Texas

The exhibition follows UT’s Undergraduate Research Week, organised by Dr Robert Reichle from UT, who extended the invitation to Swansea to host the exhibition.

Research as Art at UT Austin:

• From Weds 27th April 2016:    Research as Art exhibition: Venue:  Scholars Commons, Perry-Castañeda Library, UT Austin
• Weds 27 April, 1pm-2pm:   Public talk by competition founder, Dr Richard Johnston, Associate Professor in materials science at Swansea University.  Dr Johnston will talk about some of the processes researchers use to develop their pieces and some of the resulting impacts.  Venue: Scholars Commons, Perry-Castañeda Library, UT Austin

The exhibition and the talk are open to all at UT and the wider public.

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Picture:  Rising from the Page, by Dr Sparky Booker.  Overall winner of Research as Art 2015.  More pictures

Dr Robert Reichle, Senior Program Co-ordinator for Undergraduate Research at UT Austin, said:

“The Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of Texas at Austin is very excited that Dr. Johnston will be presenting the project as part of Research Week 2016. Throughout the week we work with students on research communication, and Research as Art is a perfect illustration of the creative ways research can be conducted and disseminated.”

Heather Thompson, Director of Study Abroad at UT Austin, added:

“The International Office at the University of Texas at Austin is pleased to help bring the Swansea University Research in Art exhibit to campus. UT is dedicated to collaborating with foreign partners in an effort to broaden opportunities for undergraduate and graduate research.

This type of exhibit brings the research to life in ways that we hope will resonate specifically with the UT undergraduate student population. This exhibit is just one example of our goal to deepen relationships with foreign partners to support the mission of the University.”

From Swansea University, Research as Art competition founder Dr Richard Johnston, Associate Professor in materials science, said:  

‘We are delighted to have this opportunity to bring Swansea research to UT.  It gives us the chance to share with a new audience the beauty and diversity of the research carried out here in Swansea University. It’s also an opportunity to strengthen our links with UT, as part of our Texas partnership.

Research as Art is an opportunity for researchers to reveal their personal story, their humanity, their inspiration, and emotion.  It can also be a way of presenting their research process, and what it means to be a researcher; fostering dialogue, and dissolving barriers between universities and the wider world.’

Watch:  the winners of Research as Art 2015 show and talk about their entries

 More information about Research as Art

 Find out more about Swansea's links with UT Austin and other Texas partner universities