3MT 2025 Competitors Photo
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition
Thursday, March 26th, 2026 at 4:30pm in A246 (Small Cafeteria)
Zoom: TBA
Background:
3MT® was initially developed by The University of Queensland in 2008 to promote effective communication of research. What started with only a few institutions has evolved into a huge success for Canadian institutions, having over 42 of Canada’s graduate schools participate.
The challenge is to present complex research material in an engaging, compelling way, using only one slide. The three minute thesis competition provides graduate students with an opportunity to refine skills that can be transferred after graduation to diverse career paths. Distilling research into a clear form, without over-simplifying or making it overly-complex, and highlighting the wider implications of this research are important skills to carry into post-graduate employment and public service.
Eligibility
Graduate students competing in the 3MT® must:
- Be current/active in a Nipissing University graduate program (not on a leave of absence),
- Be registered in a master's (thesis or MRP route) or PhD program at the time of the 3MT® competition,
- Base their presentation on research that is directly related to the graduate program thesis, MRP, or dissertation (course based master's students are ineligible)
- Be able to present in person, agree to be video recorded/photographed, and agree to allow those recordings and images to be made public,
- Inform their supervisors of their participation in the competition.
Graduate students who have defended their MRP/thesis/dissertation but have not yet graduated are also eligible to compete.
Prizes
Prizes for Nipissing's 2026 3MT® winners:
- First Place: $500
- Runner Up: $250
- People's Choice Award (voted by the audience): $250
Registration
Nipissing University graduate students who are interested in competing in the 2026 competition, must complete the registration form no later than February 13th, 2026.
Rules
- A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or “movement” of any kind), and the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration and remain in view for the duration of the oration.
- No additional electronic media (sound or video files) are permitted.
- No props (costumes, instruments, laboratory equipment...) are permitted.
- Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum, and competitors exceeding 3 minutes will be disqualified.
- Presentations are to be spoken in standard oratory prose. (i.e., no poems, raps, or songs, other than those that may be the target of research)
- Presentations must be made by memory; notes may not be used.
- Decisions of the judging panel are final.
Contact:
For more information, please contact the School of Graduate Studies at sgs@nipissingu.ca and consult our Information Guide.
2025 Prize Winners:
First Place: Cassidy Brooks
Master of Science in Kinesiology
More Than Sport - Youth: Supporting Youth Academy Athletes Through Sport Career Transitions
Runner Up: Kieran Martin
Master of Arts in History
Why Speak: An Analysis of SS-Unterscharführer Oskar Gröning's Account of Auschwitz
People's Choice: Jaden Gilbert
Master of Science in Kinesiology
Changing the Game: Exploring Gender and Violence in Youth Basketball