ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN:

MA Innovation Storytelling Challenge

Apply to our Massachusetts-based storytelling competition where students can earn up to $2,000 bringing real stories of medical innovation to life.

Because stories can save lives.

What exactly is the Massachusetts Paradox?

In Massachusetts, biomedical breakthroughs are born every day - lives are changed, cancers become treatable, devastating diagnoses become preventable, manageable, or curable. It happens because thousands of dedicated scientists, clinicians, engineers, entrepreneurs and pharma companies turn discovery into care. Massachusetts is the world’s densest life sciences hub home to more than 1,000 innovative companies and a community built to deliver cures.

Despite all of this, the future of innovation in Massachusetts is at risk.

At the same time that Massachusetts leads the world in biomedical innovation, public sentiment and policy debates often claim the biopharmaceutical ecosystem is profit-driven and disconnected from the patients we serve. That tension is at the heart of the Massachusetts Paradox: the state building the future of medicine doesn’t always support it - and that misunderstanding can slow drug development and cost lives.

Okay got it, but where do I come in?

This isn’t just a science problem. It’s a storytelling problem. The MA Innovation Storytelling Challenge invites students and emerging creators in film, design, communication, business, and digital media to tell true, human stories about how cures happen—and why they matter.

Stories that help people see biomedical innovation the way patients and innovators do: time gained, pain avoided, a parent or child coming home from the hospital, a future reopened. Stories that bridge head and heart, that capture the risk, the years of failure, the fragile pipeline of future cures—and the choices Massachusetts will make about whether that future stays here.

It’s Your Medium. Your Message. Your Moment.

What if your story could save lives?

Alright I’m listening, but what’s in it for me?

Selected proposals will receive up to $2,000 (a $1,000 grant on full proposal selection + $1,000 on project completion). You’ll join a cohort of creators with hands-on mentorship from leaders in biotech, medicine, and storytelling. Your finished work may be amplified statewide through partners and media, giving your project a real platform and real impact.

Bring your ambition. Take creative risks. Use new tools, including AI if you choose.

Why are we doing this? Because the best stories don’t just change minds they can save lives.

The Specifics: How to Enter

Eligibility Requirements

  1. Be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission

  2. Be currently enrolled or recently graduated (within 12 months) from a Massachusetts university

Meet both requirements? You’re eligible to apply. Submit the interest form by June 17, 2026. Once our team confirms your eligibility, we’ll follow up with proposal information.

Submit the interest form HERE.

FAQs

Additional questions? Please contact us at hello@nopatientleftbehind.org.

Brainstorm with our
Idea MA-chine

This chatbot is trained on the Massachusetts Paradox.

It acts as a brainstorming resource and is available for free.

Idea MA-chine Disclaimer

The Idea MA-chine chat is an alpha release experiment.

Please Note:

  • Educational Purposes Only: Conversations with the The Idea MA-chine are intended for educational purposes. Responses are generated by an AI language model and may contain errors or inaccuracies. Do not rely solely on these responses for critical decisions or actions. All responsibility for the use of this AI rests solely with the user.

  • Not for Professional Use: The Idea MA-chine should not be used for investment, insurance, political, medical, legal, or any other professional purposes.

  • Data Review: Conversations are anonymous and may be reviewed to improve performance and guide future development.

Ongoing ‘Experiments’

Need some inspiration? Here are three current NPLB campaigns designed to shift the narrative.

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