Visualizations Wanted: Enter the Visualize This! Challenge

September 18, 2019

The Visualize This! Challenge is back! Now in its fourth year, this Canada-wide competition celebrates the innovative ways visualization can help researchers explore datasets and answer important scientific questions. Visualize This! is a way to challenge your creativity, experiment with new visualization tools, and contribute to the growth of data visualization in Canada!

Led by the Compute Canada Visualization Working Group, and coordinated this year by WestGrid, SciNet, SHARCNET, and Calcul Québec, the 2019 Visualize This! Challenge invites researchers from all disciplines to use their own datasets —  or our sample dataset — to build a unique and innovative visualization for our panel of judges to review. Prizes will be awarded to the best submissions.

This year’s Challenge is focusing on processing and visualizing large datasets with parallel rendering. Any dataset that is too large to be rendered on a standalone desktop/workstation would qualify for this competition. A classic example is a time-dependent simulation in which disk space required to store each timestep is comparable to or exceeds your workstation’s RAM.

The competition is open to anyone affiliated with a Canadian post-secondary institution (college or university) or research organization. This Challenge provides a valuable learning opportunity to enhance your visualization skills, no matter what your research area may be, so participants from all research fields are encouraged to enter. 

Want to join the Challenge?

  • Click here to register your interest.
    • Note: Participants can form teams and there is no limit to the number of people who can be part of your team. Note: A team will be considered as a single entrant and will be eligible to win only one prize.
  • Visit the Visualize This! website for complete competition details.
  • Help us spread the word (#vizthis2019) and invite anyone else you think might be up for the Challenge!
  • Submit your entry by November 30.


Submissions will be reviewed by members of the Compute Canada Visualization Team. To be eligible for a prize, you must be registered as a participant.

Why is visualization important?

Science is producing an unprecedented amount of data on everything from predicting weather and ocean changes to searching for distant galaxies. Visualization tools allow researchers to explore these large datasets interactively without being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of data. Ultimately, visualization enables researchers to answer the important scientific questions facing us today.

More information

The full contest rules and FAQs on the competition can be found on the Challenge website. If you would like more information or have any questions, please email viz-challenge@westgrid.ca