The inaugural Woman Science Photographer of the Year will be announced at an awards ceremony hosted by the Royal Photographic Society in Bristol on 10 February. The winners will be presented by a panel of speakers, including renowned science photographers Kym Cox and Yasmin Crawford.

The RPS Women in Photography group introduced the competition to celebrate and support the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, as initiated by the UN General Assembly.

While some progress has been made to bridge the gender gap, women are still significantly under-represented at all levels of science and technology. They account for less than half of STEM graduates, are typically given smaller research grants, have shorter and less well-paid careers and are often passed over for promotion. The list goes on and also extends to the field of photography.

With this new annual competition the RPS aims to shine a light on women in both science and photography. An expert panel reviewed entries received from across the UK and beyond to make a selection for the two categories of over-18s and under-18s. Women and female identifying photographers of all ages and backgrounds were invited to capture the world around them.

With subjects ranging from medical research to marine biology and agriculture, explorations of global food chains or habitats of creepy crawlies, and techniques extending from nature-based cyanotypes to laboratory standard microscope photography, the submitted works illustrate the breadth of talent and skills evident at the intersection of art and science.

The digital exhibition of winning and shortlisted entries will be displayed at RPS House until 30 March.