Abstract

Hollywood has historically been madly in love with having science as a major driver in their storytelling. This deep affection has, however, not been mutual. Conveying science through storytelling has been regarded as an obscure approach in a world where objectivity is at the very core of dissemination.
Times are changing. Used in a proper way, storytelling can be a mighty ally when communicating science. It can engage and inspire the reader in a way that a mere listing of facts and findings will never be able to.
By now, there are several books, courses, and websites dedicated to educating scientists on how to apply the same techniques that novelists and screenwriters use when they develop their stories. Although the number of story components in the guides varies, there are two recurrent ones: the main character and the key message. The main character or protagonist is the object of the scientific study. The key message is how the study has changed the main character. That is, how the study has increased our knowledge of the scientific topic. When applied properly, storytelling shows how a study develops science in an inspiring way.
Common to the guides is having the main character at the center of the story. For grant writing, we argue that another story element should be at the center of attention: the antagonist. Let the villain be in the spotlight. The villain or antagonist is the problem that the main character must solve. The thing that stands between the present and a better future. It might be the shortcomings of an existing method, a deteriorating natural habitat, an incurable disease, or drawbacks using existing medical treatments, A barrier that the proposed project sets out to overcome. The proposal should in an appealing narrative outline this antihero, what others have done to overcome it and failed, and finally how the suggested project will be the right approach to slay the villain.
Generating knowledge for the sake of knowledge is less likely to attract funding. By having a specific problem at the center of a grant proposal, the applicant will attract the attention of the reviewers. With this poster, we hope to give our two bits on how to change your approach to writing grant applications. Great stories have a strong and mighty hero. Great grant writing has a fierce villain - but also a villain that ultimately will disintegrate should the application be funded.