Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) and Graduate Student Showcase
As part of the 2026 Graduate Student Appreciation Week at the University of Connecticut and in celebration of the Because of UConn campaign, The Graduate School invites you to apply for and participate in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) and Graduate Student Showcase. It is 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 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Konover Auditorium in The Dodd Center for Human Rights and is open to degree-seeking graduate students from all UConn campuses.
Application Deadline EXTENDED:
Monday, February 9, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET
Goal of the Event:
For eligible 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 |
| Monday, February 9, 2026 | Application deadline for graduate students |
| Friday, February 20, 2026 | Decisions made, graduate students notified |
| Friday, February 20, 2026 | Designing Engaging Presentations workshop (online) |
| Friday, February 27, 2026 | Creating Effective Presentations workshop (in-person) |
| March 2-13, 2026 | Preliminary round |
| Wednesday, April 8, 2026 | Final competition |
Eligibility Criteria:
- Category 1: All Master's degrees; 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)
Please note:
To compete, students must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program in the Spring of 2026.
To participate in Categories 2 or 3 above:
- The applicant must be a doctoral student enrolled in a program with a dissertation requirement.
- The applicant must be an active student when they apply and compete. Applicants who complete their degree during the prior semester cannot compete.
- The applicant must have documented successful completion of the General Examination by submitting the Report on the General Exam to the Office of the Registrar Degree Audit Team no later than April 8, 2026.
- The applicant must have documented successful completion and submission of the dissertation proposal by submitting the Dissertation Proposal Form to the Office of the Registrar Degree Audit Team no later than April 8, 2026.
- The Dissertation Proposal Form may be submitted to Degree Audit without approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB)/Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The milestone will be posted as "in progress" and will meet the eligibility requirements for this application. IRB/IACUC approval must be submitted to Degree Audit once received to ensure that the milestone is updated to "complete" on the student record.
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 and to the best of your ability, using language that a general audience can understand.
- If selected to participate in the preliminary round, you must 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 selected to participate in the final competition on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 8:00 AM - 1:00 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 your degree program and your 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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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 Celebrate You!
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Call for Nominations – Marth Mentorship Award
The AAUP UConn Chapter established the Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award to recognize the leadership and dedication of Edward Marth, former Executive Director of the AAUP UConn Chapter, to both encourage and reward outstanding mentoring of graduate students by UConn Graduate Faculty members. The $4000 award includes an invitation to speak at the Doctoral Commencement Ceremony on Monday, May 11th, 2026 at 6:00pm. Recipients of the award have had direct and significant impact and involvement with graduate students, outstanding commitment and effectiveness as a mentor of graduate students at UConn, and have demonstrated unusual effort to provide consistent mentoring of graduate students during the course of their careers. Recipients will be Graduate Faculty members who have extraordinary records of excellence and effectiveness in activities such as facilitating smooth transitions for both entering and exiting graduate students; showing sensitivity to students’ academic, personal, and professional goals and needs; being accessible to students; playing an active role in coaching graduate students through the graduate school experience and connecting them to appropriate intellectual and professional networks; and, guiding graduate students toward intellectual and professional independence.
Faculty at any University of Connecticut campus may be nominated for the Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award. To be eligible for the award nominees must: (a) be current members of the Graduate Faculty of the University of Connecticut, (b) have served as a member of the Graduate Faculty for at least 10 years, and (c) be current members of the AAUP UConn Chapter. Prior recipients of the award are not eligible.
Nominations should be submitted electronically by 17 November 2025 to Martha Marroni (martha.marroni@uconn.edu) with the subject line “Nomination for Marth Award.” Nominations should be submitted as a single PDF document and contain the following elements:
1. A nominating letter that is no longer than three typed pages. This may be from a director of graduate studies, Department Head, College/School Dean, administrator, or former graduate student.
2. A minimum of two (and a maximum of four) letters of support written by former and/or current graduate advisees.
3. No more than three letters from other UConn Graduate Faculty colleagues. If the Department Head is not a signatory on the nominating letter, then one of these letters should be from the current (or recent) Department Head.
4. A 1–2 page statement from the nominee on his/her philosophy of working with and mentoring graduate students.
5. A list of supervised theses and dissertations.
6. The nominee’s CV
Awardees will be selected by a committee composed of graduate faculty (appointed by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School) and at least one graduate student (appointed by the Graduate Student Senate). The award is accompanied by a monetary prize and an invitation to speak at the doctoral Commencement ceremony.
The Graduate Student Symposium: Poster Competition
The Graduate Student Symposium
The University of Connecticut is home to more than 7,000 graduate students, who work and study on all seven UConn campuses, and belong to more than 100 different graduate degree programs. While each of these students exemplifies the critical role of graduate education in shaping the future of Connecticut, geographical distance and disciplinary boundaries hinder their joint pursuit of knowledge and innovation.
The inaugural Graduate Student Research Symposium seeks to remove barriers and promote a sense of connection and shared purpose across ALL graduate campuses. By uniting graduate students through research, impact, and community value, we aim to unlock the transformative power of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Overview: The Graduate Student Research Symposium welcomes UConn graduate students from any graduate degree program on any campus of the University of Connecticut to present their in-progress research and its impact.
The program will be organized as follows: First, graduate students from any UConn campuses, school or college complete a brief online application describing the topic and impact of their in-progress graduate research. Each applicant categorizes their work within one of six cross-cutting research areas or themes. Applications are due by Noon on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (extended from March 24).
Selected participants present research posters that summarize their in-progress scholarly research to a panel of judges at the Graduate Student Research Symposium. Research posters should be 24” wide and 36” high and graduate students will have about five minutes to present their research and answer follow-up questions.
A workshop aimed at preparing participants for the symposium will take place at 10am on Monday, April 7, 2025.
The Graduate Student Research Symposium will take place at 11AM on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
Finally, the Competition’s Overall Winner will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship to further their research, and the Competition’s Overall Runner-Up will be awarded $1,000. Additionally, the top presenter in each category will be awarded $1,000 and the runner-up in each category will be awarded $500.
Judging Rubric: Graduate student poster presentations will be evaluated according to the following elements:
- Relevance & Impact. Research is clearly defined and motivated by its specific relevance to a scholarly field of inquiry and by its current or potential positive impact(s) on the broader community.
- Visual Appeal & Design. Poster layout is organized and follows a logical sequence; fonts are legible; excellent use of images, graphics, and diagrams; and strong overall aesthetic appeal.
- Effective Communication & Presentation. Presenter is and effective and compelling in motivating their research; knowledgeable about their work and its impacts; and engaging and enthusiastic when interacting with their audience/judges.
Key Dates:
- Application Deadline: The deadline to apply for the Graduate Student Symposium is Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 12:00 pm (noon) EST (extended from 3/24!).
- Notice: Students will be notified if they have been selected to compete in the Graduate Student Symposium Poster Competition by Friday, March 28, 2025.
- Graduate Student Research Symposium Workshop: Applicants who have been selected are invited to take part in a preparation workshop on Monday, April 7, 2025, from 10am – 11:30am.
- Graduate Student Research Symposium: Selected participants will compete in the inaugural symposium event on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, from 11am – 2pm. The top awardees will receive cash prizes as described above.
2025 Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
We are pleased to announce that The Graduate School’s Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship will begin accepting applications on February 1, 2025!
The Graduate School is committed to helping graduate students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals during their time at the University of Connecticut. In support of this goal, The Graduate School invites applicants for the Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, which is intended to support the successful completion of the dissertation. Please review the eligibility criteria for this fellowship carefully before applying. This is a one-time $2,000 fellowship. If awarded, the funds will given during the summer term and paid through the Office of the Bursar. Please note that The Graduate School will validate each student’s status as of the Summer 2025 semester and are entitled to rescind the fellowship if a student has graduated or is no longer an active student.
Eligibility Criteria:
- The applicant must be a doctoral student in a program that requires a dissertation.
- The applicant must be an active student when they apply and are awarded. Students who complete their degree during the prior semester cannot be awarded.
- The applicant must have documented successful completion of the General Examination by submitting the Report on the General Exam.pdf to the Office of the Registrar’s Degree Audit team no later than February 28, 2025.
- The applicant must have documented successful completion and submission of the dissertation proposal by submitting the Dissertation Proposal form.pdf to the Office of the Registrar’s Degree Audit team no later than February 28, 2025.
- The Dissertation Proposal form may be submitted to Degree Audit without IRB/IACUC approval. The milestone will be posted as “in progress” and that will satisfy eligibility for this application. IRB/IACUC approval must be submitted to Degree Audit when received so that the milestone may be updated to “complete” on the student record.
- Students in the following doctoral programs may submit their application without having the Dissertation Proposal milestone on their account:
- Business Administration
- Communication
- Clinical Psychology
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- EPSY – Research Methods, Measurement, and Evaluation
- EDLR – Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy
- The applicant is not eligible if they have previously received a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship.
- Students at UConn Health (with the exception of Public Health doctoral students) and UConn Law are not eligible to apply for this fellowship.
Please note, while we hope to provide funding to all eligible applicants, fellowships are not guaranteed, as funds are limited and pending budgetary approval.
The application period for this fellowship is February 1-February 28, 2025. Applications received outside of these dates will not be processed. You can access the application form and more information on this page.
If you have questions regarding your eligibility for this fellowship, please contact gradschool@uconn.edu before applying.
“Distinguished Graduate Fellows” and “Impact Scholars” Programs
Official guidance on The Graduate School’s new Distinguished Graduate Fellows and Impact Scholars fellowship programs for incoming students has been made available to the Executive Committee of The Graduate School, the Graduate Faculty Council, Department Heads, Directors of Graduate Studies, Graduate Student Administrators, Associate Deans for Graduate Education, and Academic Deans. Please reach out to those groups or jack.corcoran@uconn.edu from The Graduate School for access to this guidance.
Spring 2025 Conference Participation Award
We are pleased to announce that The Graduate School’s Conference Participation Award (formerly the Doctoral Student Travel Award) will be accepting applications from December 1, 2024, through January 15, 2025.
The Graduate School is committed to helping graduate students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals during their time at the University of Connecticut. In support of this goal, The Graduate School offers a Conference Participation Award to support students’ ability to present their research at national or international meetings and conferences, including both in-person and virtual events. This conference participation fellowship in the amount of $750 will be awarded for Spring 2025 and paid through the student’s fee bill. If awarded, students will be notified in mid-February. Please review the eligibility criteria for the fellowship carefully before applying.
Students are responsible for knowing any and all travel advisories, restrictions, and relevant University policies and should plan accordingly. Students should stay up to date with information shared by the U.S. Department of State and the University’s Travel Services office.
Eligibility Criteria:
- The applicant must be a doctoral or MFA student.
- The applicant must be enrolled in the semester for which the fellowship is awarded, e.g., spring semester for applications due by January 15.
- The applicant must have successfully completed at least 30 credits toward their degree program prior to applying for this fellowship unless their program requires less than 30 credits with a prior master’s degree.
- If a student has attained a master’s degree from another university and their program only requires 15 doctoral credits with a master’s degree, they qualify for eligibility upon completion of all 15 credits.
- The applicant is not eligible if they have previously received a Doctoral Student Travel Award or Conference Participation Award.
- The funds are intended to be used for participation in a conference at which the student is presenting their research.
- Students at UConn Health and UConn Law are not eligible for this award.
Please note, fellowships are not guaranteed, as funds are limited and pending budgetary approval. We hope to provide funding to all eligible applicants, but eligible students who are not awarded in this cycle will be encouraged to apply in the next cycle.
The deadline for application is January 15, 2025. Applications received following this date will not be considered. You can access the application form and more information here: Conference Participation Award | The Graduate School (uconn.edu).
Call for Nominations – Marth Mentorship Award
The AAUP UConn Chapter established the Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award to recognize the leadership and dedication of Edward Marth, former Executive Director of the AAUP UConn Chapter, to both encourage and reward outstanding mentoring of graduate students by UConn Graduate Faculty members. The $4000 award includes an invitation to speak at the Doctoral Commencement Ceremony on Monday, May 12th, 2025 at 6:00pm. Recipients of the award have had direct and significant impact and involvement with graduate students, outstanding commitment and effectiveness as a mentor of graduate students at UConn, and have demonstrated unusual effort to provide consistent mentoring of graduate students during the course of their careers. Recipients will be Graduate Faculty members who have extraordinary records of excellence and effectiveness in activities such as facilitating smooth transitions for both entering and exiting graduate students; showing sensitivity to students’ academic, personal, and professional goals and needs; being accessible to students; playing an active role in coaching graduate students through the graduate school experience and connecting them to appropriate intellectual and professional networks; and, guiding graduate students toward intellectual and professional independence.
Faculty at any University of Connecticut campus may be nominated for the Edward C. Marth Mentorship Award. To be eligible for the award nominees must: (a) be current members of the Graduate Faculty of the University of Connecticut, (b) have served as a member of the Graduate Faculty for at least 10 years, and (c) be current members of the AAUP UConn Chapter. Prior recipients of the award are not eligible.
Nominations should be submitted electronically by 24 November 2024 to Martha Marroni (martha.marroni@uconn.edu) with the subject line “Nomination for Marth Award.” Nominations should be submitted as a single PDF document and contain the following elements:
- A nominating letter that is no longer than three typed pages. This may be from a director of graduate studies, Department Head, College/School Dean, administrator, or former graduate student.
- A minimum of two (and a maximum of four) letters of support written by former and/or current graduate advisees.
- No more than three letters from other UConn Graduate Faculty colleagues. If the Department Head is not a signatory on the nominating letter, then one of these letters should be from the current (or recent) Department Head.
- A 1–2 page statement from the nominee on his/her philosophy of working with and mentoring graduate students.
- A list of supervised theses and dissertations.
- The nominee’s CV.
Awardees will be selected by a committee composed of graduate faculty (appointed by the Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School) and at least one graduate student (appointed by the Graduate Student Senate). The award is accompanied by a monetary prize and an invitation to speak at the doctoral Commencement ceremony.
Recruiting Mentors and Mentees for the Network for Enriched Mentorship (NEM)
The proposed Network for Enriched Mentorship (NEM) is a UConn-wide interdisciplinary mentoring network for graduate students. Through NEM, graduate students can connect with mentors who support them beyond their coursework and dissertations. Our aim is that by connecting with mentors who have experience navigating obstacles (e.g., systemic bias, personal hardship) or who serve as effective and accountable allies, more students—including those from diverse backgrounds—will feel supported and empowered in their careers.
In the past academic year, we paired over 60 graduate students from various backgrounds and academic programs with NEM faculty and staff mentors. Many of these mentees were able to establish meaningful relationships and receive valuable support from their mentors.
How it Works – The Process
- Mentor declaring interest: Interested UConn faculty and staff (hereafter: “mentors”) submit their information to The Graduate School while indicating focus areas they are willing to discuss with a student.
- Mentee declaring interest: Interested graduate students (hereafter: “mentees”) submit their information to The Graduate School while indicating issues/topic areas they would like to seek support.
- Matching: The Grad School matches mentors and mentees based on the above information and communicate this back to newly matched mentors and mentees by an initial email, encouraging the mentor to reach out to the mentee. One mentor may be matched with more than one mentee.
- Meeting: The mentor and the mentee then would be committed to schedule meetings regularly, in-person or online (e.g., at least once per month).
- Length of commitment: The mentorship period should last for at least for one academic year.
Graduate Student Mentee Sign-up
If interested in participating, please sign up by October 18. Please reach out to gradschool@uconn.edu with any questions.
Fall 2024 Conference Participation Award
We are pleased to announce that The Graduate School’s Conference Participation Award (formerly the Doctoral Student Travel Award) will be accepting applications from June 1 through June 30, 2024.
The Graduate School is committed to helping graduate students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals during their time at the University of Connecticut. In support of this goal, The Graduate School offers a Conference Participation Award to support students’ ability to present their research at national or international meetings and conferences, including both in-person and virtual events. This conference participation fellowship in the amount of $750 will be awarded for Fall 2024 and paid through the student’s fee bill. If awarded, students will be notified in late-July. Please review the eligibility criteria for the fellowship carefully before applying.
Students are responsible for knowing any and all travel advisories, restrictions, and relevant University policies and should plan accordingly. Students should stay up to date with information shared by the U.S. Department of State and the University’s Travel Services office.
Eligibility Criteria:
- The applicant must be a doctoral or MFA student.
- The applicant must be enrolled in the semester for which the fellowship is awarded, e.g., fall semester for applications due by June 30.
- The applicant must have successfully completed at least 30 credits toward their degree program prior to applying for this fellowship unless their program requires less than 30 credits with a prior master’s degree.
- If a student has attained a master’s degree from another university and their program only requires 15 doctoral credits with a master’s degree, they qualify for eligibility upon completion of all 15 credits. A list of those programs can be found here.
- The applicant is not eligible if they have previously received a Doctoral Student Travel Award or Conference Participation Award.
- The funds are intended to be used for participation in a conference at which the student is presenting their research.
- Students at UConn Health and UConn Law are not eligible for this award.
Please note, fellowships are not guaranteed, as funds are limited and pending budgetary approval. We hope to provide funding to all eligible applicants, but eligible students who are not awarded in this cycle will be encouraged to apply in the next cycle.
The deadline for application is June 30, 2024. Applications received following this date will not be considered. You can access the application form and more information here.
2024 Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
We are pleased to announce that The Graduate School’s Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship will begin accepting applications on February 1, 2024!
The Graduate School is committed to helping graduate students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals during their time at the University of Connecticut. In support of this goal, The Graduate School invites applicants for the Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, which is intended to support the successful completion of the dissertation. Please review the eligibility criteria for this fellowship carefully before applying. This is a one-time $2,000 fellowship. If awarded, the funds will given during the summer term and paid through the Office of the Bursar. Please note that The Graduate School will validate each student’s status as of the Summer 2024 semester and are entitled to rescind the fellowship if a student has graduated or is no longer an active student.
Eligibility Criteria:
- The applicant must be a doctoral student in a program that requires a dissertation.
- The applicant must be an active student when they apply and are awarded. Students who complete their degree during the prior semester cannot be awarded.
- The applicant must have documented successful completion of the General Examination by submitting the Report on the General Exam.pdf to the Office of the Registrar’s Degree Audit team no later than February 29, 2024.
- The applicant must have documented successful completion and submission of the dissertation proposal by submitting the Dissertation Proposal form.pdf to the Office of the Registrar’s Degree Audit team no later than February 29, 2024.
- The Dissertation Proposal form may be submitted to Degree Audit without IRB/IACUC approval. The milestone will be posted as “in progress” and that will satisfy eligibility for this application. IRB/IACUC approval must be submitted to Degree Audit when received so that the milestone may be updated to “complete” on the student record.
- Students in the following doctoral programs may submit their application without having the Dissertation Proposal milestone on their account:
- Business Administration
- Communication
- Clinical Psychology
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- EPSY – Research Methods, Measurement, and Evaluation
- The applicant is not eligible if they have previously received a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship.
- Students at UConn Health (with the exception of Public Health doctoral students) and UConn Law are not eligible to apply for this fellowship.
Please note, while we hope to provide funding to all eligible applicants, fellowships are not guaranteed, as funds are limited and pending budgetary approval.
The application period for this fellowship is February 1-February 29, 2024. Applications received outside of these dates will not be processed. You can access the application form and more information here: Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship | The Graduate School (uconn.edu).
If you have questions regarding your eligibility for this fellowship, please contact gradschool@uconn.edu before applying.
