Description

Many people try to meet society’s expectations of how they should look by using certain products or engaging in certain behaviors. But sometimes those practices can come with their own health risks.

To highlight young people’s experiences and ideas for how to reduce these risks, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Disease Prevention (ODP) is holding the Beauty + Health: Youth Graphic Medicine Challenge.

About the competition

ODP wants teens and young adults between the ages of 13 and 25 to create original comics about ways to overcome the pressures to meet societal beauty standards or the health risks of using certain beauty products or behaviors.

Prizes

Awards range from $500 to $3,500 each.

Up to five prizes will be awarded for the Teen category (13–17 years old).
Up to five prizes will be awarded for the Young Adult category (18–25 years old).
Help us spread the word

Forward this email to colleagues, networks, family members, community organizations, teachers, teens, and young adults.
Use the promotional messages for community organizations, teachers, teens, and young adults available on Challenge.gov: https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=beauty-health-youth-graphic-medicine-challenge&tab=resources 

Send questions to ODP-GraphMedChallenge@nih.gov. 

Submissions are due until 11:59 p.m. ET on April 2, 2026. 

Requirements

Eligibility Requirements (https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=beauty-health-youth-graphic-medicine-challenge&tab=rules)

To be eligible to win a prize under this Challenge, a Participant:

Shall have registered to participate in the Challenge under the rules promulgated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as published in this announcement;
Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;
Shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
Shall not be a federal employee acting within the scope of their employment;
Shall not be an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity.
Who is employed by a federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), should consult with an agency ethics official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this Challenge;
Shall not be a judge of the Challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the Challenge, or be the immediate family member of such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or step-child).
Shall be between the ages of 13 and 17 at the time of submission to enter the Teen category;
Shall be between the ages of 18 and 25 at the time of submission to enter the Young Adult category.