ZDMS SciArt Competition

 

Illustration & Short Film Challenge

Submission Deadline: August 1st, 2026

The Zebrafish Disease Models Society (ZDMS) invites artists, scientists, and trainees to participate in our inaugural SciArt Competition, celebrating the transformative impact of zebrafish research on human health.

Participants are asked to create an original illustration series or a short film (1–3 minutes) based on the guiding text provided by ZDMS. Submissions should communicate key advances in human health enabled by zebrafish models in an engaging and accessible way.

 

Prizes: 1st Prize $300 | 2nd Prize $150 | 3rd Prize $50

Selected entries will also receive Honorable Mentions in recognition of outstanding creativity and scientific communication.

 
 

The ZDMS Advocacy Committee has identified the following focus areas:

Heart regeneration | Bacterial infection | Cancer avatars | Rare disease avatars | Blood vessel and lymphatic transdifferentiation

Fluidity transitions during development | Neuroscience | Tumor microenvironment | Hematopoietic stem cells | Autism

Accessible background text for each focus area is provided below.

 

Submission Guidelines

  • Submissions must address at least three of the focus areas listed above.

  • Illustration entries should present a cohesive visual narrative (e.g., a series or sequence).

  • Film entries should be 1–3 minutes in length. and may follow the example guiding script provided below.

  • Content should be clear, engaging, and accessible to a broad, non-scientific audience.

  • All submissions must be original and scientifically accurate.

Illustration Guideline text
Short Film Script Guide
 

Judging: Entries will be evaluated by a ZDMS-appointed panel based on scientific accuracy, creativity, clarity of communication, artistic quality, and overall impact. The judges’ decision is final.

AI Policy: AI tools (including generative image, video, or text tools) may be used as assistive tools. Fully AI-generated submissions without meaningful human creative input are not permitted. All AI use must be disclosed at submission.

Rights: Creators retain authorship. By submitting, participants grant ZDMS a non-exclusive license to display and make use of the work for educational and outreach purposes, without major alterations.

Join us in communicating the power of zebrafish disease models to a broad public audience!

 
click here to submit your entry

Questions? Contact Rita Fior at rita.fior@research.fchampalimaud.org.