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THREE MINUTE THESIS AWARDS PROGRAM, 2025-2026

View Three Minute Thesis Awards Details

Originally developed by the University of Queensland, the Three Minute Thesis is an awards competition that enhances skills of communication and presentation. Presenting an oral communication of master's or doctoral research in three minutes or less to a non-specialist audience can be challenging to students and professionals alike, but is an important skill to develop for conferences and the job market.

Learn how to effectively summarize your research and make a perfect pitch that is designed for all audiences. Students have just three minutes and the aid of one Powerpoint slide to communicate their research effectively to an intelligent, but non-specialist audience. 

The 3MT competition is now accepting applications until Monday, February 2 at 12pm with presentations delivered and judged at the competition.. 

Students will present during one of two preliminary rounds on Wednesday, February 18 or Thursday, February 19 from 11am-1pm.

Top students from each preliminary round will advance to present at the 3MT Finals on Thursday, February 26 from 11:30am-1pm

Monetary prizes will be awarded, $500 (first place) and $250 (runner-up). The first place winner will represent ³ÉÈËBÕ¾ in at the  in March in Kansas City.

Learn more about ³ÉÈËBÕ¾'s competition by viewing the document on how to participate and judging criteria, as well as reviewing the 3MT webpage.

Two informational sessions will be coming up for those interested in participating with one being offered in person and one offered virtually.

3MT Informational Session (In Person)
Monday, January 26 at 1-2pm
104 Parker Hannifin Hall

3MT Informational Session (Virtual)
Thursday, January 29 at 11:30am-12:30pm

³ÉÈËBÕ¾ 3MT Builds Skills! A priceless reward of the 3MT competition is that, in addition to the awards competition, participants will have training and development opportunities to maximize skills in building, improving, practicing, and presenting your pitch, all while gaining valuable feedback from experts and peers. 

Students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds participate in the 3MT and are encouraged to present. You can find successful 3MT presentations from across the globe at the . 

FALL AWARDS PROGRAM

Graduate Student 2025-2026 Fall Awards Program

Graduate Student Awards and Nomination Guidelines for 2025-2026

During Fall Semester, the College of Graduate Studies invites eligible graduate students to participate in the 2025-2026 Graduate Student Awards Program (Fall Semester) and the 3MT Competition (Spring Semester).  The awards programs recognize graduate student achievement across multiple categories with monetary awards ranging from $250 to $500.  Award categories include:  Creative Scholarship, Research, Teaching, Engagement and Social Advocacy. 

Participant Eligibility
Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better 
Current ³ÉÈËBÕ¾ graduate students or no more than one year post-graduation
Request a nomination from a member of ³ÉÈËBÕ¾ Graduate Faculty
Participants must follow all Awards Guidelines linked above

NOTE:  All nomination materials should be submitted . You will need to log in with your ³ÉÈËBÕ¾ credentials. Please make sure you have read and followed the guidelines prior to submitting. Make sure to complete the fillable nomination cover page as part of the nomination process.

Nominations are due by 12 p.m. (noon) on Friday, January 16, 2026.

MONTE AND USHA AHUJA MENTORSHIP AWARDS​​​​

Monte and Usha Ahuja International Student Faculty Mentorship Award
If a faculty member has provided you or other international students with outstanding help, guidance, mentorship, and support throughout the year(s), tell them how grateful you are by nominating them for the Ahuja International Student Faculty Mentorship Award. In addition, we specifically encourage ³ÉÈËBÕ¾ faculty and staff, committees, and departments to nominate faculty who have made an outstanding contribution to an international student(s), committees, activities, or the university as a whole.

Download Faculty Mentorship Award Guidelines

Monte and Usha Ahuja International Student Achievement Award
The Monte and Usha Ahuja International Student Achievement Award was created to acknowledge the outstanding achievement and leadership of international students enrolled at ³ÉÈËBÕ¾. This Award honors Monte and Usha Ahuja, who enable international students to study at ³ÉÈËBÕ¾ through the Ahuja Endowed Scholarship Fund and were international students on their academic journeys. The award will be given each year to a graduate student who has demonstrated excellence in academic achievement and shown a commitment to campus and/or community engagement in fostering the international learning experience. The Award is a recognition of the outstanding contributions of international students to the ³ÉÈËBÕ¾ community.

Download Student Achievement Award Guidelines

Submit Nominations at 

Nomination for both awards are due by 12 p.m. (noon) on Friday, January 16, 2026.