2025 New Jersey Student Contests
Biomedical Research Saves Lives!
The New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research (NJABR) will be sponsoring an essay, poster, and digital media contest for all students in the state of New Jersey. Details about the different contests are below. Print a flyer to post in your classroom or share with friends!
General Eligibility: All K-12th grade students in New Jersey including (but not limited to): public and private schools, home and cyber schools, and youth organizations. The contests are FREE to enter and consist of CASH prizes and an awards dinner invitation.
Submission Deadline: 11:59pm on March 9, 2025
ESSAY CONTEST Details: The Essay Contest is divided into two separate contests- one for Middle School student (6th - 8th graders) AND one for High School students (9th - 12th graders).
Contest Themes:
Middle School (6th, 7th & 8th Grade) Essay Contest
Topic: "What is Biomedical Research?"
Think, Research, Write! Select a disease, treatment, cure, medical device, or advancement and explore how biomedical research, including the role of animal models, helped advance your chosen topic. How does this research improve the health of humans and animals? What methods are used in biomedical research? What are the current and future needs? Rubric posted below.
View the Complete Middle School Essay Contest Details
High School Essay Contest
Topic: "Biomedical Research and My Life"
Choose one past, current, or ongoing medical advancement that has impacted your life. The chosen topic may have impacted the life of the student, family members, friends, pets, etc. Research the history behind that advancement, including the role of animal research in that advancement. This will allow you to learn how medicines, medical devices, surgical procedures, etc are developed with the help of animal models and human clinical trials. Be sure to consider the wide range of topics available including human and veterinary treatments. Rubric posted below.
View the Complete High School Essay Contest Details
Submissions: Essays must be submitted via email to
POSTER CONTEST Details: The Poster Contest is open to all K-12th grade students.
Discover the connection between biomedical research and your life! The poster contest provides the opportunity for students to illustrate different aspects of biomedical research and science through art. The contest is free to enter and consists of cash prizes and an awards dinner invitation.
Contest Themes:
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- 3 R's: Replacement, Reduction, Refinement
- Advancements in Biotechnology
- Animal Research Saves Lives
- Careers in Biomedical Research
- Veterinary Advancements: Animal Research Helping Animals
A release form must be securely attached to the back of the poster.
Size: Minimum: 8 ½" x 11" & Maximum: 11" x 17"
Layout: Landscape Layout Only!
Submissions: Posters can be mailed to PSBR/NJABR. Submissions postmarked by 11:59pm on March 9, 2025 (but received after) will be eligible to win.
Mailing Address: PSBR/NJABR, Attn: NJ Poster Contest, PO Box 1163, Camp Hill, PA 17001-1163
Street Mailing Address (will be needed if mailing through UPS, FedEx or DHL): PSBR/NJABR, Attn: NJ Poster Contest, 1675 Camp Hill Byp #1163, Camp Hill, PA 17001
Digital posters and release forms can be emailed to
View/Print a PDF of ALL the poster contest details including release form
View/Print a PDF of the poster release form only
DIGITAL MEDIA CONTEST Details: The Digital Media contest is open to all 6th-12th grade students.
The purpose of this contest is to recognize students who digitally demonstrate a superior understanding of the connection between their life and biomedical research (including the need for animals in that research). The contest is free to enter and consists of cash prizes and an awards dinner invitation.
Media Theme: "Biomedical Research and My Life." Do you know someone who has benefited from vaccinations, pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, surgery, or transplants? How does animal research help advance medicine and science? How have these life-saving technologies been developed? How has biomedical research affected the health of your dog, cat, or other pet? You must demonstrate that you understand the topic and present it with originality and creativity, clearly presenting the benefits from biomedical research.
Media Components: All entries MUST be a digital media (video, animation) and MUST be submitted in one of the following formats: .MOV; .MP4; .WMV; or .AVI
1) Digital Media- Students may work together in groups of 2-5 people or submit entries as individuals. No more than 5 students per group. The length of the media content should not exceed 3 minutes (180 seconds), not including the 5 second title screen and the 5 second works cited screen (see below).
-All entries must begin with a 5-second full screen “title screen” that includes the following information:
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- Student First Name(s) and Last Initial(s)
- Grade(s)
- School Name
- School City, State, Zip
- Title of Media Piece
- Total running time- excluding title screen & works cited screen
-All information presented must be cited on a 5-second full screen at the end of the video, giving credit to the original source(s). This does not count toward the 3-minute limit. Plagiarism of any kind will result in disqualification.
-No professional assistance is allowed. Adults may assist with production, but are limited to verbal guidance only. Adults are allowed to be actors or videographers, but not content contributors.
2) Release Forms- All entries must include a "Permission/Release Form”
3) Actor Release Form- All entries must include an “Actor Release Form” for every human person who appears in the media submission.
Submissions: All media submissions must be emailed as an attachment or a link to download the video from an outside source, such as Dropbox. Please save your final document with your last name, underscore, first name. Ex: Doe_Jane.mov
Email to:
Note: Please submit all components in one email.
View the complete NJ Digital Media Contest Details
Individual Documents:
PARENT Permission/Release Form
Contest Judging Rubrics:
Middle School Essay Contest Judging Rubric
High School Essay Contest Judging Rubric
Digital Media Contest Judging Rubric
Winners: All contest winners will receive CASH prizes and an invitation to attend our Annual Awards Dinner in Hershey, PA on Friday, June 13, 2025. Winners will be notified on or after May 13, 2025
Topic Resources:
Middle School Resources- Click here to view 6th, 7th & 8th Grade essay resources
High School Resources- Click here to view High School essay resources
See the "Animal Research" tab for additional information.
See "Biomedical Research Information" under our "Useful Links" tab to see additional websites, videos, blogs, and PDFs with facts about biomedical research and animals.
Submission Deadline for ALL contests = 11:59pm on MARCH 9, 2025
Questions? Email
Click here for comprehensive official contest rules and information.
