Sounds of Research

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Sounds of Research

Sounds of Research is a research competition open to current graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at the University of Alberta. Researchers from all disciplines are challenged to capture the essence of their research through sound.

Finalists will be chosen by a multidisciplinary jury, with awards for first, second, third and honourable mention. Finalist entries will be featured in the Sound Studies Institute’s Sound Art Gallery and preserved in the University of Alberta Library’s Aviary repository as part of a permanent digital sound gallery collection.

The inaugural 2025 Sounds of Research Competition and Exhibition was a pilot initiative supported by a a Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) Innovation Grant. Participants will gain opportunities to communicate about their research in creative and non-traditional ways and develop valuable new skills.

Sounds of Research is produced by the University of Alberta Library (UAL), Sound Studies Institute and the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).

Congratulations to the 2025 Winners and Semifinalists

• Thunderstorms and Symphonies of the Brain, Mitch Prostebby – First place
• “You sound just like your dad”, Matthew Weigel – Second place
• Gannon Storm (Remix), Anna-Sofia Jylhae – Third place
• Sonifying Bats’ Response to Disturbance, Autumn Kirk – Honourable Mention
• Listen to Your Heart, Ishani DasGupta – Semifinalist
• An Audio Portrait of NEUROD1 Nuclear Acces, Theodore dos Santos – Semifinalist
• Out of Bounds, Andrea Guarino – Semifinalist
• Searching for Silence, Martin Hinojosa – Semifinalist
• La boîte à lunch, Naomi Kashibura – Semifinalist
• October 28th, Sydney Kennedy-Flynn – Semifinalist
• Bach Violin Sonata No.3 – Largo, Clare Pellerin – Semifinalist
• El Capitan, Quartet Yaqi Wang – Semifinalist

Listen now     View the exhibition booklet

Timeline

  • Submissions open Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 at 5 p.m. MT
  • Submissions close Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. MT
  • Judging takes place from Nov. 23, 2026 to Dec. 2, 2026
  • Semifinalists/winners will be notified by email, on or before Monday, Dec. 7, 2026
  • Exhibition opens Monday, Jan. 11, 2027 at the Sound Studies Institute Sound Art Gallery (Arts 3-47)
  • Exhibition closes Friday, Jan. 29, 2027

Competition Rules

Read the complete Competition Rules

Submission Requirements

Technical Requirements
  • Minimum duration 2 minutes
  • Maximum duration 5 minutes
  • Format: .wav, 44.1–48 kHz sampling rate / 16–24 bit depth
  • Up to 8 channels (a stereo version is required selected as a semi-finalist)
  • Any sound elements (music, speech, environment, etc.) are welcome
  • Submission must comply with the Framework for Responsible and Ethical Use of AI at the University of Alberta, including transparent disclosure and copyright responsibility
Written Requirements
  • Each submission must include a title and a short description (max. 1,200 characters) explaining how the entry relates to your research. Descriptions should be written in plain language and will be judged alongside the audio recording
  • For collaborative projects, all collaborators must be listed

Submission Form

 

Resources to Support Your Submission

  • Some examples of how you might communicate your research with sound:
    • Short Podcast/Research Story: SpokenWeb ShortCuts
    • Field Recording/Soundscape: Fountains of Data, Fontaine Saint-Jean-Baptiste
      • A submitted soundscape would be audio only, with no accompanying video
      • Recordings could also be edited/engineered to create something that expands the soundscape
    • Data Sonification: The Killer Data (Ghayem)
    • Any aural creative expressions: music, poetry or sound piece about your research
  • Finding equipment
  • Sound and Copyright
    If you choose to use pre-recorded/composed sound for your submission:
    • Try to find royalty-free or CC-licensed sound files. Examples:
      • Freesound
      • Pixabay
      • Zapsplat
      • BBC Sound Effects
      • There are lots of sites out there, search "free online sound files" If you would like to use something that is not royalty-free or CC-licensed, reach out to the creator to get permission to use it. Reach out if you have any copyright-related questions!

Audio Skills Workshops

Want to fine-tune your sound manipulation skills before entering Sounds of Research? Join us for hands-on workshops designed to help you create your submission:

All graduate students and postdocs are welcome — no prior audio experience required. Completion of these workshops can contribute to the GPS Professional Development Requirement.

Adjudication

Submissions will be evaluated based on:

  • Originality, creativity and aesthetic appeal (30%)
  • Relationship between sound and the student’s research/scholarly/creative work (30%)
  • Effective and appropriate use of the sonic medium (25%)
  • Effectiveness of artist’s statement (15%)

Judges

  • Elmer Ghostkeeper, Member of Advisory Council for Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization, University of Alberta
  • Patrick Nickleson, Director of Sound Studies Institute, Assistant Professor Department of Music
  • Rob McMahon, Associate Professor Department of Political Science
  • Tracy Raivio, Vic-Provost and Dean GPS Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, Professor Department of Biological Sciences
  • Yelena Gluzman, Assistant Professor Departments of Media & Technology Studies and Art & Design

Prizes

Judges will select awards for first, second, third and honourable mention.

There will be four (4) prizes consisting of:

  1. One (1) 1st place prize of $1,000 CAD; 
  2. one (1) 2nd place prize of $800 CAD; 
  3. one (1) 3rd place prize of $600 CAD; and
  4. one (1) Honourable Mention prize of $300 CAD.

Contact Us

Send questions about the Sounds of Research competition to:

Sean Luyk
Digital Curation Librarian  
Email: luyk@ualberta.ca

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