The NMD4C Basic Science Trainee Committee (BSTC) Image Competition is an opportunity for trainees to showcase the beauty, complexity, and power of movement through research images in neuromuscular science. From striking microscopy to innovative visualizations of nerves, muscles, and their connections, this competition celebrates the science behind motion. Participants can share their work, gain visibility within the NMD4C community, and let their images tell the story of how signals become strength.
Value of the Image Competition?
Participants benefit from:
National visibility within the NMD4C community
An opportunity to communicate their research to broad audiences
Recognition for technical, artistic, and scientific excellence
Eligibility for cash prizes awarded to the top three submissions
Eligibility & Submission Requirements
The submitter should be:
Undergraduate, graduate student, and postdoctoral fellows researching neuromuscular disease at a Canadian institution.
Maximum one entry per category per person.
Hold the rights to this image in terms of intellectual property and/or have obtained all necessary permissions to do so.
Have obtained prior approval from their supervisor or laboratory head for image submission.
Give permission to the NMD4C BSTC Competition organizers to use your name and image in connection with the contest.
(Note: You are not giving up IP of this image to us or any other party. Files will be retained by the NMD4C BSTC Competition organizers).
The image should*:
Be neuromuscular-related (i.e. brain, spinal cord, muscle, neuromuscular junctions) research.
Be acquired at a Canadian institution.
Be accompanied by a 300-character lay summary.
Not contain embedded text (i.e. arrows, scale bars, annotations).
Not contain multiple panels.
Not have been post-processed unless limited and adequately justified and described.
Not have won any other image competition. Please only submit original images to the competition.
Must be submitted in .TIFF format and limited to 100 MB in size.
* Failure to comply with these rules will result in disqualification.
* Use of AI to edit or manipulate images will result in disqualification.
Selection Criteria
Technical excellence: focus, resolution, contrast, dynamic range, saturation (unless required to highlight dark features), depth-of-field, use of light
Artistic merit: design (balance, proportion, framing), use of colour/shape/space, uniqueness, impact on viewer
Scientific merit & communication: lay summary, explaining the nature and/or the significance of the image within a broad context
Prizes
The top THREE submissions will these receive prizes:
First Prize: $300
Second Prize: $200
Third Prize: $100
NB: Organizers reserve the right to modify the number of winners based on number of submissions and other factors.
How to Submit an Application
Submission Process
Complete the web-based submission form, including:
Name, email, institution, supervisor name, image title, and copyright ownership confirmation.
Uploaded image labelled ‘Initialsimagename.TIFF’.
A scientifically relevant caption for the image/illustration (limit 300 characters), including:
- What is depicted in the image/illustration.
- How the image/illustration is situated within the broader research field of neuromuscular disease research (limit 300 characters).
- What technology was used to capture the image/create the illustration?
Competition Timeline
Submission form is open from March 3 - May 5, 2026.
Contact
Any queries should be directed to our Network Manager, Erin Beattie.
Meet the Judges:
Dr. Rashmi Kothary
NMD4C Steering Committee Member &
Pillar 1: Pre-Clinical Science Lead.
Senior Scientist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHIR) &
Professor, University of Ottawa
Dr. Natasha Chang
NMD4C Steering Committee Member &
Pillar 1: Pre-Clinical Science Lead.
Associate Professor,
Department of Biochemistry, McGill University
Dr. Jean-Philippe Leduc-Gaudet
NMD4C BSTC Co-Chair.
Assistant Professor, Medical Biology Department at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)
Dr. Emma Sutton
NMD4C BSTC Co-Chair.
Postdoctoral Fellow,
The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI)