About | Theme | Eligibility Criteria | Prizes | Timeline | Proposal Submission Form |
Proposal Guidelines & Selection Criteria | Preliminary Round | Past Winners | FAQs | Contact
About
UW 3MT® is a professional development competition that celebrates the exciting capstone and research experiences of master’s and doctoral students at the University of Washington from all three campuses. The competition supports graduate students’ capacity to effectively explain their research or capstone project in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a public audience. This event is a partnership between The Graduate School’s office of Graduate Student Affairs and the UW Libraries Research Commons.
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition originally developed by the University of Queensland, Australia.
Call for proposals are now open for the online preliminary round:
Access the proposal form. Due March 20, 2026 by 11:59 (PDT).
Sign-up to attend an online information session:
Important Dates:
- Proposals due: March 20, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. (PDT)
- Virtual preliminary round: April 22, 2026, 1 – 3:30 p.m. (PDT)
- Successful presenters from the online preliminary round will present at the in-person competition: May 21, 2026, 4 – 6 pm, UW Seattle campus
Please note: 3MT is not a drop-in event for presenters. Graduate students who successfully compete during the online preliminary round will move forward and present during the competition on May 21.
Past 3MT competitions: 2022
Send questions to uw3mt@uw.edu.
Theme
The theme for this year’s competition is Impact. Impact can be defined as the positive outcome of a critical intervention, social policy, service provision model, legal framework, or technological innovation. How does your graduate research demonstrate impact for the public good? We’re excited to celebrate the influence our graduate students have on the world.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT, you must meet the following criteria:
- Your master’s or doctoral degree must be granted from any University of Washington campus during AY 2025-2026 (Autumn 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026, Summer 2026).
- You at least have a draft of your final project (e.g. capstone, thesis, or dissertation), including findings and conclusions.
- Only one member of a capstone project team may submit a proposal. If the proposal is selected, the same student who submitted the proposal must be the presenter at the online preliminary round. The same applies to the in-person competition.
3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit a proposal to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.
Prizes
Prizes for the May 21 event are sponsored by The Graduate School:
- First Place: $1,000
- Runner Up: $500
- People’s Choice: $500
Timeline
| Competition Process | Date, Time & Location |
|---|---|
| Online information sessions | March 2, 2026, 5 – 6 p.m. (PST) / Sign up March 16, 2026, 5 – 6 p.m. (PDT) / Sign up |
| Proposals are due for the online preliminary round | March 20, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. (PDT) |
| Virtual preliminary round: Successful presenters will be selected as finalists for competition day. |
April 22, 2026, 1 – 3:30 p.m. (PDT) Please note that we are unable to schedule additional preliminary round times due to staff capacity. |
| In-person competition | May 21, 2026 4 – 6 p.m. (Doors open at 3:30 p.m.) UW Seattle campus |
Proposal Guidelines for the Online Preliminary Round
The proposal must address the following components:
Capstone or Research Project Summary
In no more than 200 words, please describe your capstone or research project for a general reader (without including a lot of academic or technical jargon).
Theme: Impact
Impact is the theme for this year’s UW Three Minute Thesis. In no more than 300 words, describe how your capstone or research project demonstrates impact (without using a lot of academic or technical jargon).
Proposal Selection Criteria
Successful proposals for preliminary rounds are based on the following two components:
1. Capstone or Research Project Summary
– Is the capstone or research project summary concise and coherent?
– Does the summary include a lot of academic or technical jargon?
– Is the summary understandable to a general, public audience?
2. Theme: Impact
– Is the impact section concise and coherent?
– Is there a lot of academic or technical jargon?
– Does this section highlight specific ways that the capstone or research project demonstrates the theme of impact?
Submit Your Proposal
Access the proposal form. Due March 20, 2026 by 11:59 p.m. (PDT)
Virtual Preliminary Round
If your proposal is selected, you will have an opportunity to present your capstone or research project in an online preliminary round on April 22, 2026, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (PDT). Successful presenters will be selected to present at the in-person competition, scheduled for May 21, 2026, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., Seattle campus.
Guidance on Preparing Your 3MT Presentation
Review the following tips and resources:
Practicing your presentation several times will help you look confident and sound prepared. Practice in front of friends, family, and colleagues to get feedback. Your presentation needs to be understandable to a broad, general audience, without the use of a lot of academic or technical jargon.
- Preparing for Your 3MT Presentation, University of Queensland
- Tips for Effective Design and Use of the 3MT Slide, Indiana University
- Time to Perfect Your Elevator Pitch, University of Pennsylvania
- How to Write a PhD Elevator Pitch, Academic Positions
- Communication: Two Minutes to Impress, Nature Jobs
Successful presenters from the online preliminary round will be selected to compete as finalists on competition day, based on the following guidelines:
| Comprehension | The presenter expressed a deep understanding of the topic. |
| Content | The presentation sufficiently described the project topic, significance, and background – as well as key findings, implications, or recommendations. |
| Clarity | The presenter rarely used academic or technical jargon. If terminology was used, they were clearly defined for the general audience. |
| Oral communication | The presenter had an engaging oratory presence. |
| Visual communication | The presentation slide was clear, legible and concise. One single static PowerPoint slide is allowed. No slide transitions or animations are allowed. No props or additional media (e.g. sound, music, animation, and video files). |
| Theme | The presentation clearly and sufficiently described how the project demonstrates the theme of Impact. |
3MT Competition Day
UW 3MT Competition (In-person)
Thursday, May 21, 2026, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Doors open at 3:30 p.m.)
Event starts promptly at 4 p.m.
UW Seattle campus
Registration is not yet open
Want to see University of Washington graduate students vie for cash prizes, by presenting their capstone or research projects in 3 minutes and using only 1 slide?! Join us for the 2026 UW Three Minute Thesis Competition! The theme this year is Impact.
An esteemed panel of judges will select First Place and Runner Up winners and the audience will vote for People’s Choice. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners!
Past Winners
2025
- First Place – Kevin Jiang, doctoral student in Bioengineering
- Runner Up & People’s Choice – Grace Umutesi, doctoral student in Global Health Metrics & Implementation Science
2024
- First Place – Sarah Pollack, master’s student in Quantitative Ecology & Resource Management
- Runner Up – Niveditha Kalavakonda, doctoral student in Electrical & Computer Engineering
- People’s Choice – Sherry Gu, master’s student in Applied Bioengineering
2023
- First Place – Mayuree Binjolkar, doctoral student in Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Runner Up – Ekta Samani, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
- People’s Choice – Megan Maerz, doctoral student in Molecular Medicine & Mechanisms of Disease
2022
- First Place – Enrique Saldarriaga, doctoral student in Health Economics and Outcomes Research
- Runner Up – Julia Dreifus, doctoral student in Microbiology
- People’s Choice – Douglas Wagoner, master’s student in Public Administration
2021
- First Place – Beth Halsne, doctoral student in Rehabilitation Science & master’s student in Mechanical Engineering
- Runner Up – Jackie Otting, master’s student in Education (Learning Science & Human Development)
- People’s Choice – Arianne Caudal, doctoral student in Biochemistry
2020
- Event canceled due to COVID-19
2019
- First Place – Barbara Rodriguez Droguett, doctoral student in Built Environment
- Runner Up – Junyue Cao, doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
- People’s Choice – Junyue Cao, doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
2018
- First Place – Amey Khanolkar, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
- Runner Up – Evan Schuster, master’s student in Mechanical Engineering
- People’s Choice – Amey Khanolkar, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
2017
- First Place – Molly Grear, doctoral student in Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Runner Up – Gabby Barsh, doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
- People’s Choice – Zheng Li, doctoral student in Bioengineering
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens on 3MT Competition Day?
UW Three Minute Thesis Competition (In-person)
Thursday, May 21, 2026, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Doors open at 3:30 p.m.)
Event starts promptly at 4 p.m.
UW Seattle campus
Registration is not yet open
In front of a general audience and a panel of esteemed judges, graduate student presenters will each compete by doing three-minute presentations about their capstone or research projects.
An esteemed panel of judges will select First Place and Runner Up winners and the in-person audience will vote for People’s Choice winner.
Prizes sponsored by The Graduate School:
- First Place: $1,000
- Runner Up: $500
- People’s Choice: $500
Following the presentations, there will be a reception with free light foods and refreshments.
Who is eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT?
To be eligible to submit a proposal, you must meet the following criteria:
- Your master’s or doctoral degree must be granted from any University of Washington campus during AY 2025-2026 (Autumn 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026, Summer 2026).
- You at least have a draft of your final project (e.g. capstone, thesis, or dissertation), including findings and conclusions.
- Only one member of a capstone project team may submit a proposal. If the proposal is selected, the same student who submitted the proposal must be the presenter for the online preliminary round. The same applies to the in-person competition.
3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit proposals to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.
Is 3MT a drop-in event for presenters?
No. Graduate students who successfully compete during the virtual preliminary round will move forward and present during the competition on May 21.
What is allowed on my 3MT slide?
One single static PowerPoint slide is permitted.
In preparing the slide, remember that ‘less is more.’ It does not have to include text. Visual cues are very effective in assisting the presenter’s explanation of their research. (No slide transitions, video, or animations are permitted).
Can I use sound or video files?
No additional media (e.g. sound, music, animation, and video files) is permitted during the competition.
Can I use notes during the final competition?
Using notes during your presentation is allowed. Be mindful to stay engaged with the audience and not appear as if you are constantly looking at your notes.
Practicing your presentation several times before the competition will help you look confident and sound prepared. Practice in front of friends, family, and colleagues to get feedback.
Can I have props (a 3D printed model, a soccer ball, a microscope, etc.)?
No.
Is there a dress code?
Business formal or casual is suggested. Costumes are not allowed.
Can I win in more than one category during the competition?
Yes, it is possible to win a place (First or Runner Up) and also win the People’s Choice Award.
Who will be in the audience during the competition?
The audience is often a mix of graduate students, faculty, staff, and University leadership. There will also be supporters of graduate education in attendance, as well as presenters’ family and community members.
Contact
uw3mt@uw.edu