Congratulations to our 2025 finalists and winners!

WINNER! Faiyza Alam, Department of Medical Biophysics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine 
Madeleine Fyles, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts & Science 
Rachel Gibbs, Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine 
Ainsley Goldman, Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education 
Rida Hasan, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering 
Daniele Iannucci, Cinema Studies Institute, Faculty of Arts & Science 
Cheyenne Matinnia, Graduate Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy 
Dasha Sandra, Graduate Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough 
PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER! Tess Seip, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering 
THIRD PLACE! Melissa Suma, Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine 
SECOND PLACE! Emily Wood, Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Bowen Zhang, Department of Medical Biophysics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine 

What is the Three Minute Thesis?

Every year the School of Graduate Studies hosts the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®), an academic research communication exercise developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. The 3MT showcases graduate students from across the University of Toronto presenting their thesis work to a generalist audience in three minutes using one static PowerPoint slide. 

Participating in 3MT is an opportunity to improve your presentation skills, as well as to learn about the exciting scholarship that other U of T graduate researchers are working on. Figuring out how to explain your highly specialized research to non-experts is an important skill, which you will use as your research career progresses in graduate school as well as after you finish your degree. 

In addition to enhancing your research communication skills and showcasing your scholarship, there are prizes for 3MT participants selected as winners: $1250 for first place, $750 for second place, $500 for third place, and $200 for the people’s choice winner, paid into your student account. 

Interested in learning more? Watch a recording of our information session here. Our next information session will be in December.

2026 3MT program

Eligibility, rules and judging criteria

Eligibility

• Students must attend the workshop, “Preparing Your 3MT Presentation.” 
• Students must be registered in a graduate program with a thesis component at the time of the 3MT. 
• 3MT presentations must represent the primary research the student has conducted in their graduate program. 
• Presenters must present in person and agree to be video/audio recorded and photographed. They must also allow those recordings and photographs to be made public. 
• The winner of the University of Toronto 3MT must be available to attend the Ontario 3MT. If the winner is unavailable, the second place presenter will be invited to the Ontario 3MT.

Rules

• 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 decision of the adjudicating panel is final

Judging criteria

Comprehension and content: 

• Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question  
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results / findings of the research  
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes, and impact of the research 

Engagement and communication: 

• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience  
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation  
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention 

Questions? Contact us at cgpd@utoronto.ca.

Other 3MT activities

• Ontario 3MT
  The winner of the University of Toronto 3MT participates in the Ontario 3MT, hosted by a different Ontario university each year. 
• National 3MT Showcase  
  The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies hosts the top finalists from each of the regional 3MTs (Western, Ontario, Eastern) in a national 3MT.  
• Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) Competition  
  The winner of the University of Toronto 3MT enters the NAGS 3MT, which brings together the 3MT winners of universities across the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Quebec, and the American states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.
• Council of Graduate Studies Showcase  
  The Council of Graduate Studies hosts a North America-wide 3MT showcase with the winners from the southern, western, midwestern, and northeastern regions presenting their 3MT orations and participating in a roundtable discussion. The audience then chooses a People’s Choice winner. 

Additional resources

• GCAC Oral Presentation Skills Courses 

​​​​