2025 Cornell 3MT Competition Announced

Megan Sundstrom presenting

Meagan Sundstrom presents her winning Three Minute Thesis at the 2024 3MT. Photo: Simon Wheeler for Cornell University.

January 27, 2025

By Katya Hrichak

You’ve done your research. You’ve collected your data. You can talk about your findings in great detail with others in your field. But can you present it clearly to a general audience in just three minutes?

Cornell research degree students are invited to participate in Cornell’s 2025 Three Minute Thesis (3MT), a competition that challenges research master’s and doctoral students to present a compelling story on their dissertation or thesis and its significance in just three minutes.

“As researchers, we become very familiar with our area of interest. Being able to converse with other researchers is crucial, but the ability to communicate what we do to a larger audience is equally important,” said Kathryn J. Boor, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate education. “Good research communication skills are important to success in and beyond graduate school, and the 3MT is an excellent opportunity to practice these skills.”

Students interested in participating in this year’s 3MT are welcome to attend an optional information session on Jan. 29 to learn about the format of the competition, judging criteria, prizes, and steps to participate. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

To compete in the preliminary round, students will need to submit a recorded presentation of their talk by 12 p.m. on Feb. 21. All enrolled research graduate students with at least some results to share are eligible, including past competitors who did not place.

The final round will be held in person on March 19. Judges and audience members will select the first place, second place, and people’s choice award winners, and the first place winner will be eligible to represent Cornell in any additional Ivy League or northeast regional competitions held in 2025.

“Practice in speaking clearly and concisely about a research topic benefits graduate students in many future situations,” said Colleen McLinn, associate dean for professional development. “Why is your area of study important or interesting? These are questions you’ll be called on to answer repeatedly at conferences, in networking, or in job interviews.”

Learn more about the 3MT and register to participate. Email questions to grad3mt@cornell.edu.