Transforming science communication through storytelling

The EU-LIFE’s Science Communications Working Group (SC WG) initiative to train early-career researchers was featured in the article Transforming Science Communication Through Storytelling, published this week in the scientific journal FEBS Letters. The piece, authored by members of the SC WG, highlights the power of storytelling as a tool to enhance how researchers convey their work to broader audiences.

The Storytelling Workshop grew from the recognition that many researchers struggle to present their work in a way that resonates with the public. Initially piloted at Denmark’s Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), the workshop has since been expanded to multiple EU-LIFE member institutes across Europe and the Emerald Summer School, which is part of a PhD programme for medical doctors. Early-career researchers participating in these workshops learn how to turn complex scientific data into engaging stories that captivate and inform.

By equipping researchers with essential storytelling skills, EU-LIFE is helping break down barriers between science and society, make research more accessible to the public, and create a more informed and engaged citizenry. This initiative follows up previous efforts to enhance science communication. In 2021, for example, EU-LIFE published an article in EMBO Reports titled Involving society in science: Reflections on meaningful and impactful stakeholder engagement in fundamental research, which discusses the benefits of collaboration between researchers and diverse groups such as policymakers, patients, and the public to enhance transparency, social acceptance, and impact of scientific discoveries.

The Transforming Science Communication Through Storytelling is available here.