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Calling all participating biomedical program trainees, staff and faculty!

The Biomedicine Symposium Planning Committee welcomes original artwork and scientific illustration submissions for the 2026 competition! 

The competition is open to trainees registered in a biomedical sciences graduate program, as well as biomedical faculty and staff; however, only trainee submissions (individual or team) will be eligible for cash prizes. The judging panel will award one prize in the artwork category and one prize in the illustration category, based on the quality of the submissions. Winning artwork or illustration submissions will be featured in the Biomedicine 2026 advertising materials.

FAQ for 2026:

What constitutes the “artwork” category?

The artwork category may constitute any visual medium in hand-drawn or digital format
– photography, painting, sketching, textile, mixed-media, sculpture – limited only by your imagination. Digital works must be original. Remember, your work will be translated into a 2-dimensional print medium for judging and digital media.

Is there a theme for the artwork category?

YES. The 2026 theme is “New Found Knowledge”. The artist is free to explore the concept as they wish, but we have learned from our judging panels that the artist’s description of their work, and how they see their work aligned with the theme, is very important to the judging process. All artists (or teams) will be required to provide a title, the medium used to create the work and a description of the work, in support of the thematic interpretation. If possible, refrain from signing your work or keep the signature discreet to help keep submissions anonymous for the judges.

What constitutes the “scientific illustration” category? 

A scientific illustration can be a hand-drawn or digital representation of your research area or field of expertise. This might be a microscope image, a model diagram, a gel snapshot, photographs, etc. If you need to get some ideas, check the covers of most scientific journals that “feature” images from the articles within. You will be required to provide a title and a brief description to the judges, in support of your reason for choosing this illustration and why you think it is an awesome representation of your model, your progress, or a new finding. Please indicate if you have used illustration software to prepare your illustration/pathway.

Important note: With consideration of intellectual property concerns related to novel research findings, we strongly recommend you speak with your supervisor(s) before submitting original research images/models for the illustration competition. You will need to confirm that permission has been granted before the illustration will be accepted for the competition.

Is there a theme for the scientific illustration category?

No. This category is wide open, in accordance with the area of research of the trainee or team.

Are team submissions allowed?

The answer is “yes” for both categories; however, trainees should be registered or admitted to a biomedical sciences graduate program, and faculty/staff members submitting to the competition should be registered for the Biomedicine 2025 symposium. Please list all team names at the time of submission. If a team submission wins the category, the team shares the glory.

Can I submit more than one entry per category?

No. One entry per category from any one applicant (or team), please.

Who are the judges? Are the works judged anonymously?

In the past, we have sought 2 or 3 volunteer faculty and staff members to judge, depending on the number of submissions. In 2026, judges may request access to the physical work in addition to the submitted image of the work. The judges are provided with the titles and descriptions to help them interpret your submission. We do our very best to avoid conflicts of interest.

What is the deadline?

June 1st is the submission deadline. Please let us know sooner if you intend to participate so we can follow up (biomedsymposium@mun.ca).

When will the winners be decided and announced?

The panel aims to make decisions by mid-late June and the winners will be contacted.

The awardees will also be announced at the symposium.

Is there anyone I can contact for more information? Who do I contact to enter the competition?

The BMS Administrative Program Assistant for graduate programs will help to organize submissions to the artwork/illustration competition (biomedsymposium@mun.ca). If you need more information about the competition guidelines, please contact biomedsymposium@mun.ca!