Dora Strelkova took top honours in the 2025 University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®). (JOHN-PAUL BONADONNA/University of Windsor)
By Sara Elliott
After paring down their work into finely tuned three-minute pitches, master’s and doctoral students will compete at the 2026 University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition on Wednesday, April 1.
3MT® is an international competition developed at the University of Queensland; more than 900 universities participate worldwide, including more than 20 in Canada.
Contestants have one slide and three minutes to present their research and its wider impact to a non-specialist audience.
This year’s presentations promise to engage audience members with a wide range of research on pressing societal challenges, from cancer and mental health to artificial intelligence and environmental sustainability.
“3MT gives graduate students a chance to build their communication skills,” says Dr. Patti Weir, dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
“The competition also brings research to life for the audience.”
Judges are invited from campus and the broader community to select the top presenters based on a set of criteria including comprehension, communication, and engagement.
In addition to a $1000 cash prize, the UWindsor winner will advance to the provincial competition hosted by Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, on May 6, 2026.
The second-place winner will receive $500 and the third-place will be awarded $250.
Members of the public and the campus community are welcome to attend both rounds, being held in Alumni Auditorium, located on the second floor of the CAW Student Centre.
The preliminary round will run from 9:15 until 11:15 a.m. The top eight contestants move forward to the final round at 1:30 p.m.
For the list of contestants and more information on the event, visit the 2026 University of Windsor Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) website.