2026 OpenVT Application for Agent-Based Multicellular Model of the Year Competition

Multicellular simulations have become indispensable in understanding complex biological phenomena, from tissue development to disease progression. The diversity of simulation methods (including cellular Potts, cellular automata, lattice-free, stochastic particle and other methodologies) and the lack of standards for multicellular model-specification pose challenges to building reproducible, modular and reusable simulations. 

This competition is designed to promote and support the development of multicellular models which follow FAIR principles. Specifically, it recognizes recently published, scientifically significant, multicellular models which made an effort to ensure that the simulations are accessible, reproducible and reusable.

Up to three awards:  First Place $400, Second Place $200, Third Place $100.

The winners for this prize will be invited to be part of an OpenVT Minisymposium at the SMB 2026 Annual Meeting (Joint with ECMTB) in Graz, Austria (13-17 July 2026).  However, attending the meetings is not required to submit or to win.

Winners will be invited to present a virtual seminar in the Global Alliance for Immune Prediction and Intervention (GLIMPRINT) multiscale modeling virtual seminar series.

The extended deadline for submissions is Tuesday March 31, 2026.

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Competition Rules
Please check the OpenVT.org website Competition 2026 for the most up-to-date rules and information.

Models must be published in a refereed journal published on or after January 1, 2024 and publicly distributed, e.g. by prior submission to a public model repository such as BioModels or through a public GitHub site or similar resource (GitLab, SourceForge, BitBucket, etc).

Previously submitted models to the OpenVT Agent-Based Multicellular Model of the Year 2025 Competition are not eligible for resubmission.

The competition is primarily aimed at early career researchers, including but not limited to PhD students, postdocs, staff scientists, and research assistants. However, the competition is open to researchers from academia and industry at whatever career stage. Individuals and small groups who developed the model are both eligible to compete.

Individual: Applicant need not be the first author, but rather a modeller and co-author of the manuscript describing the model. 
Team: If multiple individuals were primary developers of the model, a small team can also apply. 

Your model code and associated scripts can be in any format (e.g. SBML, CellML, COPASI, CC3D, VCell, Antimony, Morpheus, PhysiCell, Chaste, Matlab, Python, C++, R, Julia scripts, etc). However, the model code should use community standards when available, make significant effort to follow FAIR principles and COMBINE standards (when possible), include detailed documentation of the model, its execution and any post processing undertaken to generate results and figures in the submitted paper.

Competition Timeline
December 31, 2025: Initial submission deadline
March 31, 2026: Extended submission deadline--competition closes for submissions
April 1st - April 15th: Initial evaluation of scientific merit by review committee and creation of a shortlist of finalists
April 15th: Notification of shortlist of finalists
April 15th - May1st: 1 hour zoom sessions between finalists and jury to establish model reproducibility
May 1st - 15th: Final ranking of competitors
May 15th: Notification and announcement of winners
July 13th - 17th: Talk by winners at the OpenVT Minisymposium at the 2026 ESMTB/SMB meeting

For questions about the competition contact: openvtprize@gmail.com

Is this an individual or team submission
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Email of submitter *
Full Name of submitter (last name, first name) *
Secondary Email Address of submitter (Optional)
Position of submitter (e.g. PhD Student, postdoc, etc) if post PhD include number of years Post PhD
 *
Affiliation of submitter with address *
Affiliation web page of submitter (i.e. link to submitters web page) *
If Team application please give a Short list of other team members (with names and email addresses). 
Please ONLY list individuals who had primary responsibility for model development and distribution
Please provide a resolvable DOI for the manuscript where the Model is published
(Example of a resolvable DOI link  e.g. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2202112111)
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Summary of your model. (Maximum 500 words)
This summary should help the jury decide why your model should be model of the year;  the jury may also read your manuscript if needed to get further insight.
Briefly describe :
1) Scientific topic
2) Key scientific outcomes
3) Novelty and impact
4) Scales (time, spatial, etc) covered in the model and the computational methodologies used at each scale
5) How a potential user can access your model and your reasons for your choice of distribution channel
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Describe briefly, your efforts to adhere to FAIR guidelines (Maximum 150 words)

Please be specific about model documentation both internal (e.g. tagging to standard ontologies such as Cell Ontology, Uberon multispecies anatomy ontology, ) and concerning the use of the model and replication of paper results, model-specification standards employed (when appropriate), and documentation of post processing scripts/tools

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Briefly describe your (or your team's) contribution to the design, construction and deployment of the model (Maximum 150 words):

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I hereby confirm that I/My team have developed/analyzed the model above and the model has been made publicly available (e.g. in a public repository like BioModels, GitHub,...)
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Required
URL of the model and supporting materials in a model repository or other public source. (e.g. https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biomodels/BIOMD0000001055 or https://github.com/)
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Name of a referee (e.g. a supervisor who is not a member of your competing team) who can confirm your contribution, with  affiliation and email address.  (e.g. Full Name Name, Institute, city, country, email-id) (Referee may be contacted in some cases) *
I agree to the terms and conditions of the organizers and I agree that the organizer's decisions are final.
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