Inspiring science through creativity: The EU-CONEXUS comic strip in science project

EU-CONEXUS invites researchers and PhD students from its partner universities to participate in the Comic Strip in Science Project, a unique initiative that combines science and art. This project provides an opportunity to collaborate with an illustrator and transform a research project into a comic strip.

The initiative encourages participants to convert scientific concepts into engaging comic strips, making complex ideas accessible and enjoyable for all audiences. It also aims to inform a non-expert audience about how EU-CONEXUS addresses coastal sustainability. Through this project, EU-CONEXUS seeks to promote nine research projects (one from each EU-CONEXUS partner country) that focus on the sustainability of coastal zones. Whether your research explores engineering sciences (e.g., mechanics, materials), the environment, biogeochemistry, ecology, or social and human sciences, we welcome you to apply for this exciting opportunity.

Each selected research project will be creatively reimagined into a three-page comic strip with a cover illustration. The final output will be a digital magazine featuring the nine comic strips, which will be freely available for download.

The call for expressions of interest is open to all EU-CONEXUS researchers and PhD students. The project’s objectives are:

To stimulate interest in coastal sustainability and showcase how this topic is addressed within the EU-CONEXUS Alliance through various scientific disciplines.
To promote EU-CONEXUS research projects to a wider, non-scientific audience.
To encourage the innovative communication of scientific knowledge.
To foster dialogue between scientists and artists.

Selection Criteria

Research projects will be selected based on the following criteria:

The applicant’s motivation for scientific communication and sharing knowledge with the general public.
The applicant’s interest in collaborating and engaging in dialogue with an artist.
The research project’s relevance to the topic of coastal sustainability.

Each EU-CONEXUS university will select projects locally, ensuring they meet the criteria above. At the EU-CONEXUS level, special attention will be paid to ensuring diversity across disciplines among the nine selected projects.

Applicant’s Commitment

The collaboration between the scientist and the artist will span approximately six months, involving three to four meetings. The submission deadline for the expressions of interest has been extended until Wednesay, 2 April.