2025-2026 Essay Rules, Instructions, and Resources

2025-2026 Rules, Instructions, and Resources

Rules: 

• This competition is only open to UCSD undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in good standing.

• All entrants should learn about ME/CFS and IACCs before starting work on the essay.  

• The competition will close at midnight PST on Wednesday 31 December 2025 and judging will be completed by the end of January 2025.

• The 1st prize winning entrant will be awarded a cash prize of $500.  Their essay will be published by the Bateman Horne Center, the Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association, MEAction, Open Medicine Foundation, and SolveME in their non-profit publications, subject to the editor’s approval.

• Multiple submissions per person are allowed, but only 1 prize per person will be awarded.

• If there are sufficient, acceptable entries, the three highest-scoring qualifying essays will be selected for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize respectively.

• Prize Winners will receive their prize once all necessary verifications and requirements outlined in the contest rules are fulfilled. 

• Any applicable taxes shall be the sole responsibility of the Official Prize Winners.

• ME/CFS San Diego may feature all or excerpts of submitted essays and applications on our website, social media platforms, publications, and advertisements to raise awareness and promote innovative ideas for enhancing the lives of ME/CFS patients.

• By submitting your essay, you are agreeing to abide by the contest's official rules and guidelines.

• No ME/CFS San Diego Board members or their families may enter this contest.

• Essays should be entirely your own original work, should not have been previously published and should not have AI generated content.  AI’s are allowed to research topics and correct spelling and grammar.

Submission Instructions: 

• Essay Specifics:

  • Please include a title on your essay.

  • Do NOT include your name (author’s name) in the essay itself.

  • Essays should be no longer than 500 words written in English. The word count does not include the Works Cited / References page.

  • Use a legible font like Times New Roman in 12-point size preferably double-space with margins of 1 inch on all sides.

  • References should be formatted using MLA format. There is no limit for the number of references used.

• Essays should contain ideas that are: 

  • Practical and able to be implemented.

  • Original and Creative.

  • Impactful in terms of public or subgroup awareness, tools, infrastructure or systemic supports, improvements to quality of life for caregivers and/or patients.

  • Knowledgeable about what ME/CFS is and how it impacts Patients.

• Essay Judging Criteria: 

  • Includes factual and scientific information about ME/CFS.

  • Demonstrates an understanding of ME/CFS, history, and current context.

  • Discusses one or more solutions for problems ME/CFS patients face.

  • Contains a standardized citations and bibliography section.

• Essay Submission:

  • Use the link https://forms.gle/9zmtriwVZopZRbUH9 to submit prior to the deadline and include the requested information:

    • Your Contact Information.

    • A photo headshot we can use if you win the contest.

    • A short Personal Biography written in third person which may be included with any published material used in promoting the contest, the winners, or with publication of the essay. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-bio/ has some advice.

    • Your essay uploaded in either PDF or DOC formats.

  • Within 3 days of submission, you should receive an acknowledgment email.  If you do not receive an email, please resubmit and also send an email to info@mecfssandiego.com.  

Resources and Educational Information:

(This is not meant to be a comprehensive list - please feel free to contact ME/CFS San Diego with questions)

• NIH Research Roadmap Webinars https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-YpIWLo0PmsFGTXd3momXdB2zPfpG34g

• NIH finalized report from Research Roadmap https://www.ninds.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2024-05/Report%20of%20the%20MECFS%20Research%20Roadmap%20Working%20Group%20of%20Council_05_29_2024_508C.pdf)  

• Project ECHO recordings https://batemanhornecenter.org/providers/long-covid/project-echo/ videos for participants to learn from.  

• CDC NCHS Data Brief #488 “Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Adults: United States, 2021–2022” https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db488.htm

• “Updated ME/CFS prevalence estimates reflecting post-COVID increases and associated economic costs and funding implications” Mirin et al. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21641846.2022.2062169

• BHC breaks down the diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and provides videos, handouts, and health management guidance. https://batemanhornecenter.org/education/me-cfs/

• CDC Living with ME/CFS https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/living-with/index.html

• MEAction Educational Accommodations for University Students https://www.meaction.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/University_Accommodations_103020.pdf

• Job Accommodation Network https://askjan.org/disabilities/Myalgic-Encephalomyelitis-Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome.cfm

• HHS Pediatric Educational Accommodations ME/CFS https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pediatric-education-wg-june-2018-cfsac-presentation-508.pdf

Movies:

• Unrest: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFyIIzrK4QsDLpmBmnVsA4A 

• What About Me?: https://www.amazon.com/What-About-Me-Susan-Douglas/dp/B07CJXC9ZT/ref=sr_1_2 

• I remember Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=401--WCB5dc 

• The Tangled Story of ME/CFS: https://www.dialogues-mecfs.co.uk/films/the-tangled-story-of-me-cfs/

• Voices from the Shadows: https://www.dialogues-mecfs.co.uk/voices-from-the-shadows/ 

• Left Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEQjjYVZzxk Full Documentary (Subtitled)

• ME/CFS Scandal Explainer (Brief UK History of ME/CFS) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiwX9Y0NbiQ 

• A list of ME/CFS documentaries: https://mecfssa.org.au/resources/list-of-documentaries-on-me-cfs  

• An article listing ME/CFS in different Media: https://www.meaction.net/2022/01/26/me-cfs-on-tv-part-1/ 

Books:

• Osler’s Web (https://www.oslersweb.com/ website for the books)

• Thirty Years of Disdain (https://www.dropbox.com/s/bycueauxmh49z4l/Thirty%20Years%20of%20Disdain%20-%20Background.pdf?dl=0 full  https://www.dropbox.com/s/fkyl3uyr9x6twyh/Thirty%20years%20of%20Disdain%20-%20Summary.pdf?dl=0 summary)

• M.E. and Me: A Doctor's Struggle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Dr. K. N. Hng - Dr. Robin Brown founded Doctors with ME

• The Puzzle Solver: A Scientist's Desperate Quest to Cure the Illness that Stole His Son is a book by Tracie White with scientist Ronald W. Davis