As part of the 2026 Graduate Student Appreciation Week at the University of Connecticut, The Graduate School invites you to apply for and participate in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) and Graduate Student Showcase, an event that celebrates the impact, creativity, and purpose behind graduate students’ work through brief, engaging presentations for a general audience. The showcase will take place on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 8:30am to 12:30pm at Konover Auditorium in The Dodd Center for Human Rights and is open to degree-seeking graduate students from all UConn campuses.
Application Deadline:
Friday, February 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET
Goal of the Event:
For all degree-seeking graduate students at UConn to gain experience in communicating the significance of their work to a non-specialist audience in 3 minutes or less.
Timeline:
| Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | Application opens |
| Friday, February 6, 2026 | Application deadline for graduate students |
| Friday, February 20, 2026 | Decisions made, graduate students notified |
| Friday, February 27, 2026 | Creating Effective Presentations workshop |
| March 2-13, 2026 | Preliminary round |
| Wednesday, April 8, 2026 | Final competition |
Categories:
- Category 1: All Master’s degree-seeking students; Professional and clinical doctoral degrees
- Category 2: Arts, Humanities, and Social Science doctoral degrees (PhD candidates only)
- Category 3: STEM doctoral degrees (PhD candidates only)
Prizes:
Ten (10) finalists in each of the categories listed above will be selected to compete on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. These thirty (30) finalists will receive $100 each for competing.
At the event, the following prizes will be awarded within each category:
- First prize: $1,000
- Runner-up: $750
- People’s Choice: $500
At the end of the event, an overall winner will be selected from among the three categories and will receive an additional $5,000 for a total Grand Prize of $6,000.
Application Process:
- Submit your application for the event, ensuring that you answer all questions fully using language that a general audience can understand.
- If selected to participate in the preliminary round (number TBD), you will have the opportunity to present your 3-minute talk to a panel of judges between March 2-13. This presentation may be virtual or in-person.
- From those who participate in the preliminary round, 10 finalists from each category will be chosen to participate in the final competition on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
Judging Criteria:
To select applicants to advance on to the preliminary round in March, readers will use the following criteria:
- Clarity and accessibility of the description of your work
- Problem, question, or challenge addressed
- Connection between degree program and future goals
- Broader impact of your work
Rules for the 3-minute presentation:
- A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description, the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration).
- No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
- No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
- Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
- Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps, or songs).
- Presentations are to commence from the stage.
- Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.
- The competition is judged by a panel of professionals with wide ranging academic and non-academic expertise.
- The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.
TO APPLY: Visit this link.
Connect with The Graduate School on social media for updates and highlights from UConnGSAW26 on LinkedIn, Instagram, X (formally Twitter) and Facebook.
UConnGSAW26, We See You, We Appreciate You!
