Opportunities for Students to Present Research

The 2026-2027 school year is here, and it’s time to start thinking about opportunities for students to present their research throughout the year.

The Idaho State University Graduate School’s 10th annual Three-Minute Thesis Competition will take place on Thursday, November 12, 2026. This event challenges graduate students of any discipline to present their research to a general audience in under three minutes for a chance to win up to $2,000 and represent ISU at the state-level 3MT Competition. Participating in 3MT helps graduate students develop vital research communication skills, foster a stronger research culture across campus, and build their professional and academic network.

“Participating in 3MT was a valuable opportunity to challenge myself to distill my research into a concise, clear, and engaging story,” Katelyn Cathcart, 2025 3MT second-place winner, said. “I also gained greater confidence in my ability to share my research outside of traditional academic settings. The competition strengthened my skills in clarity, storytelling, and public communication, while giving me a new appreciation for the importance of making research understandable and compelling to diverse audiences."

Submissions for the competition are open now and will close at the end of October. Four 3MT Insider Sessions will be held throughout this timeframe for students to learn more about the competition, best practices, and to ask questions. More information and past winners can be found at isu.edu/3minutethesis.

Students of all degree levels and colleges can also participate in the 2027 Research Symposium on Wednesday, March 17, 2027. This is a university-wide conference-style event with three different presentation categories: poster, oral, and creative works. Each category has a cash prize for both undergraduates and graduate students. Need ideas on what to present? Literature reviews, research projects, capstone projects, case studies, grant proposals, and more are all acceptable presentation topics. More information and past winners can be found at isu.edu/researchsymposium.