On Thursday, March 12, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Health Sciences will host a joint preliminary round of the 2026 Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) for medical and nursing/health sciences graduate students in Carpenter Auditorium in Larner’s Given Complex.
The fast-paced and fun 3MT—developed by the University of Queensland in 2008 and now held in more than 900 universities in 85 countries around the world—is an internationally recognized research communication competition in which Ph.D. students deliver a compelling presentation of their dissertation research and its significance in just three minutes (180 seconds!), using language appropriate for a non-specialist audience. 3MT is a valuable opportunity for competitors to refine their research communication skills and showcase their scholarship to the broader UVM community.
- All Ph.D. candidates who are in their dissertation phase are eligible to participate.
- Presentations will be evaluated on comprehension, content, engagement, and communication.
- Awards will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, as well as a People’s Choice award.
- Finalists from the preliminary round will advance to the university-wide competition, which will be held during UVM Research Week on April 15 at 4:00 p.m.
Registration by March 2
Larner College of Medicine and College of Nursing and Health Sciences Ph.D. students interested in participating in this preliminary round must register by March 2 at 5:00 p.m. Click here to register.
Training Opportunity on February 26
The Graduate College will offer online training sessions covering competition rules, judging criteria, and presentation preparation strategies. The next university-wide training session will be held online on February 26, 12:00–1:00 p.m. Click here to sign up.
Research like this has contributed to the University of Vermont’s designation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 institution, placing it in the top tier of research universities in the U.S.
