3 Minute Thesis is BACK! Save the date for the 3MT competition on April 16, 2026! Don't miss your chance to participate—the application is now open!
Application deadline: January 20, 2026.
3 Minute Thesis
The 3 Minute Thesis competition celebrates graduate student scholarship; cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills; and supports students’ capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a general audience.
Join us for the final 3MT competition on April 16, 2026 in the Hauck Auditorium of the Traitel Building from 4-6pm. The competition will be emceed by President Jon Levin and is open to the Stanford community. Reception and award ceremony to follow.
Why Compete?
- Connect with scholars across disciplines: the final competitors will be chosen from across the schools.
- Professional development: students will receive personalized support for communicating their scholarship.
- Show off your scholarship: in addition to exposure to an in-person audience, students will receive a professionally-cut video of their talk for personal use.
Who is Eligible?
- Current Stanford doctoral students who have successfully advanced to candidacy by the start of the fall quarter. Students can check My Academic Path (MAP) for candidacy qualification.
- Presentations must be based on original dissertation research, showcase new knowledge, and provide research results.
Prize Money
- Winner: $5,000
- 2nd place: $3,000
- 3rd place: $1,000
- People’s Choice: $500
(Winnings may be taxable)
Submission Process / Dates
- Informational workshop on October 21, register here.
- Meet the 2025 3MT Finalists on November 4, register here.
- Application opens on December 2.
- Informational workshop on December 2, register here.
- To enter the competition, graduate students must submit a three-minute (maximum) video file of their presentation. Please note: Submissions will not be judged on the video recording quality or editing capabilities.
- Video submissions are due January 20.
- 10 finalists will be selected by February 16.
- Technical rehearsal for all finalists on April 3, 2026 12-1pm at Hauck Auditorium.
- Finalists must be available to present in the final competition on April 16, 2026, from 4-6pm.
Questions?
For more information, contact us at 3minutethesis@stanford.edu.
Learn More
Watch this highlight video of Stanford's inaugural 3 Minute Thesis competition, which was held at Hauck Auditorium on Thursday, April 17, 2025.