ENTER TO WIN:
The Massachusetts Paradox Storytelling Challenge
Apply to our Massachusetts-based storytelling competition where students can earn up to $5,000 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, Massachusetts medicine is in danger.
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 great, but where do I come in?
This isn’t just a science problem. It’s a storytelling problem. The Massachusetts Paradox Filmmaking 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 $5,000 (a $2,500 grant on selection + $2,500 on 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 Application: Everything You Need to Know
Eligibility Requirements:
Be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission
Be currently enrolled in or recently graduated (within 12 months) from a Boston-area college or university (or equivalent institution in Massachusetts)
Complete the Biotech Unveiled online course (6–8 hours) and read Rapport’s Resolving the Massachusetts Paradox before submitting
Submit all required materials by the posted deadline
Meet all four requirements? You’re eligible to apply—keep reading.
Submission Requirements:
Biotech Unveiled Certificate of Completion
(Upload your course completion certificate.)300–500 Word Concept Proposal
Describe your film or multimedia storytelling concept that reframes how society perceives biomedical innovation and patient access. For guidance on how the criteria will be reviewed, see below.Short Statement on Innovation & Affordability (150–250 words)
Reflect on what you learned from Biotech Unveiled and how your story will highlight both innovation and access as essential parts of the same system.Optional Portfolio Samples
Upload up to three examples of prior creative or storytelling work (film, design, writing, or multimedia). This submission is optional.
Have everything ready? Submit your full application here.
Have everything ready? Submit your full application HERE.
FAQs
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Top applicants will be selected based on:
Creativity and clarity of concept
Relevance to the theme of innovation and affordability
Demonstrated storytelling potential
Completion of all eligibility requirements
Decisions are final and will be communicated by email.
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The $5,000 award for selected proposals will be distributed as $2,500 at proposal selection, $2,500 at project completion. Final projects must be submitted within nine months of proposal selection to be awarded the second $2,500.
You may elect one of the following methods for receiving your award.
Option 1 – Direct Payment
If you elect to receive your prize as a direct payment, the award will be paid to you personally. Under IRS rules, this amount is considered taxable income. You will receive a Form 1099 for the value of the award, which should be reported on your income tax return.Option 2 – 529 College Savings Plan
If you elect to have your prize paid directly into a 529 college savings plan administered by a state governmental unit, the payment will be made directly to that plan for your benefit. If structured this way, and subject to applicable IRS requirements, the award will generally not be considered taxable income to you.Tax Disclaimer: We recommend that you consult with your personal tax advisor or professional to understand the tax implications of your prize selection and to ensure appropriate tax reporting.
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All decisions will be communicated by email within one month of proposal submission. All decisions are final.
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By submitting your proposal, you affirm that all materials are your original work. If selected, you will retain ownership of your project. However, by accepting the award, you grant No Patient Left Behind and its partners a non-exclusive license to showcase excerpts or stills for educational, promotional, or public awareness purposes, with appropriate credit.
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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