Team funding applications require a different approach to narrative CVs. Rather than showcasing individual excellence, you need to demonstrate collective strength and complementary expertise. The main challenge is that you’re doing this within the same word limits as an individual CV 😲

This post covers what changes (and what stays the same) when writing team narrative CVs, and provides a practical process for developing them collaboratively.

What do team and individual narrative CVs have in common?

  • The four R4RI modules - your team still needs to address all four areas of contribution.
  • The OCAR structure remains effective - it works at the same three nested levels (Team Statement, module narratives, individual examples).
  • Word limits - funders don’t give you extra words for having more people (typically still a total of 1,500-2,000 words).
  • Need for specifics - you still need concrete examples with numbers, outcomes, and impact.

What’s different about team narrative CVs?

  • The focus shifts from individual to collective. It’s not about showing that everyone is excellent; it’s showing how this specific team offers the right combination of expertise to deliver the proposed project.
  • You need to demonstrate complementarity. Why does this specific combination of people create something greater than individuals working separately?
  • A Team Statement replaces the Personal Statement. This opening needs to convey collective identity.

Above all, you’re answering the question: “Why is this the right team for this project?”, not “Why are these good researchers?” Funders need to understand each team member’s specific contribution and expertise, and also get a sense that you can all work together successfully to deliver the project within the timeframe.

Individual Preparation

Before writing as a team, each member needs to prepare their materials independently:

  • Create a library of examples across all four modules (see What Should You Include in a Narrative CV)
  • Note which examples demonstrate your unique expertise or skills.
  • Identify contributions that show experience of successful collaboration.
  • Consider which examples best align with the specific funding call.

This individual preparation makes collaborative writing much easier. When you meet as a team, you’ll be choosing from a full range of possibilities, rather than frantically trying to remember what everyone has done.

Discussing as a Team

Step 1: Share and discuss

Meet and review everyone’s example libraries. Ideally, share those libraries in advance (for example, as a shared Google Doc). Make sure all information is in a format that everyone can access. The Delphi Method might be an effective approach.

You can use the following questions as the basis for your discussion:

  • What are the funder’s specific priorities for this call?
  • What collective strengths does our team have?
  • How do our skills and experiences complement each other?
  • What can we achieve as a team that individuals couldn’t accomplish alone?
  • What’s unique about this particular combination of expertise?

This discussion helps identify your team’s distinct offering.

Step 2: Select examples strategically

Choose examples that demonstrate collective strengths, not to achieve equal representation. You also need to avoid foregrounding senior researchers at the expense of ECRs.

Your selection principles could include:

  • Best fit, not fairness. Include the examples that best support your case, even if they’re unevenly distributed across team members.
  • Show complementarity. Identify examples where different members’ expertise combines effectively.
  • Avoid duplication. Don’t include the same conference, publication, or project from multiple people’s perspectives.
  • Demonstrate breadth. Ensure you’re covering all four modules adequately.
  • Emphasise collaboration. Where possible, include examples of team members working together (this proves you can actually collaborate, not just work in parallel).

You’re not trying to give everyone equal space. You’re trying to show funders why this team has the right capabilities for the project.

Step 3: Agree on the overarching narrative

As with individual CVs, your team needs a coherent story that spans all four modules.

You can develop this team narrative by discussing:

  • What shared values or approach unite this team?
  • What’s the thread connecting different members’ contributions?
  • How is the team’s expertise complementary?
  • What makes this team distinctive?

For example, the Climate Stories Collective team’s narrative centres on “bridging creative practice, environmental science, and community engagement to address climate justice.” Each member contributes different expertise toward this shared goal.

Step 4: Assign drafting responsibility

One person should draft the entire CV to ensure consistent voice and style. However:

  • Everyone must review and approve all content.
  • The drafter should circulate sections for feedback.
  • Set clear deadlines for review rounds.
  • Establish in advance how you’ll handle disagreements (voting? defer to PI? consensus?)

Having one drafter prevents the CV from reading like it was written by committee. You want it to sound like one coherent story.

Writing the Team Narrative

Team narrative CVs use the same OCAR structure at three levels, but adapted for collective storytelling.

👉 You can see a sample team narrative CV, including commentary on how it emerged from the OCAR structure.

Team Statement

Your Team Statement replaces the individual Personal Statement. It should:

  • Convey collective identity and shared commitment.
  • Hint at complementary expertise.
  • Touch on breadth of contributions across modules.

Here’s an example from the fictional Climate Stories Collective:

“Interdisciplinary research team combining creative practice, environmental science, and community engagement expertise to address climate justice through collaborative storytelling. We develop participatory arts projects that centre marginalised voices in climate discourse, create innovative methods for translating complex environmental data into accessible narratives, and build sustainable partnerships between researchers, artists, and frontline communities.”

This immediately tells funders: what expertise the team combines, what they do, and their distinctive approach.

Module-level narratives

Module-level narratives should show how team members’ contributions work together thematically.

Example opening from Module 1:

“Our team has collectively recognised that climate communication often fails because it relies on abstract data and technical language. We wanted to develop innovative methods that translate complex environmental information into emotionally resonant narratives while honouring community knowledge. We have pursued this through three complementary approaches: creating participatory performance methodologies, developing accessible data visualisation tools, and establishing frameworks for integrating community knowledge with scientific evidence.”

This shows collective challenge-identification and complementary approaches, setting up the individual examples that follow.

Individual examples with clear attribution

Each example should clearly indicate who did what. For example:

  • “Dr. Martinez developed ‘Climate Witness Theatre’…” (Dr. Martinez led this work)
  • “Dr. Chen and Dr. Okafor partnered to establish…” (joint leadership)
  • “Working with Dr. Martinez, I facilitated…” (collaborative effort with clear roles)

💡 Funders reading your team CV should be able to understand each member’s specific expertise and contribution.

The Challenges of Team Narrative CVs

Team narrative CVs take significantly longer than individual versions. You need to allow time for:

  • Coordinating schedules for meetings.
  • Gathering everyone’s examples.
  • Achieving consensus on what to include.
  • Multiple rounds of review and revision.
  • Managing different writing styles and perspectives.

Budget at least 3x the time you’d need for an individual CV! Start early.

This time is a good investment, though. The process forces team members to:

  • Clarify exactly what they’re contributing to the project.
  • Agree on shared priorities and approaches.
  • Practice collaborative decision-making.

These discussions prevent confusion later. When you’re up against a project deadline, you won’t be having lengthy debates about roles and responsibilities — you’ve already sorted that out during CV development.

If disagreements arise:

  • Return to the question: “What does the funder need to see?”
  • Remember: it’s about the project’s success, not individual egos.
  • Consider whether a disagreement signals deeper issues about roles or expectations that need addressing.

Next Steps

Team narrative CVs demand coordination, compromise, and clear communication. But the process of developing them strengthens your team and clarifies everyone’s contribution before the project even starts. It’s time well spent.