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3min
3MT-WAGS

WAGS Ninth Annual Regional 3MT Competition

March 16-19, 2025
Location: Magnolia Hotel, Denver Colorado

WAGS will host its 9th-annual 3MT (research/scholarship presentation in 3 minutes) competition. 3MT presenters compete for cash prizes, bragging rights in the west, and an opportunity to participate in a national 3MT competition.

The deadline for nominations is March 10, 2025. Please nominate your 3MT competitor here.  Confirmation and information will be sent to the student and nominator.  Request for the slide and competitor details will be requested closer to the event.

Prizes

The finalists will be awarded cash prizes in the following amounts:

  • First Place: $500
  • Second Place: $350
  • Third Place: $250
  • Honorable Mention: $125

WAGS 3MT COMPETITION RULES & REGULATIONS

Eligibility

  • Only graduate students from institutions that are members of WAGS may register for this regional competition. To become a member, please visit http://www.uwlax.edu/conted/wags/membership/
  • Competitors must be enrolled in Masters or Doctoral programs and must have won their university’s most recent 3MT competition. If a school’s first place winner is not able to attend the WAGS 3MT competition in March 2025, the school may enter its second place winner or the next highest winner available.

Timing

  • Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum, and competitors exceeding 3 minutes will be disqualified. The timer will start as soon as the presenter starts speaking.

PowerPoint Slide

  • The competition slide will need to follow the 4:3 aspect ratio. Only one slide will be accepted. No animations or ‘movement’ of any kind are allowed.
  • It is strongly recommended to keep the slide simple! Do not use complex composites. Make the image as big as possible and only include necessary text.
  • Ideally, the only text is the title of the slide, but the image, not the title should dominate the slide.
  • If a label is necessary, use of a large font is recommended!
  • If photos, graphics, graphs, or illustrations included on the slide were not solely created by the presenter, a reference to the original source must be included at the bottom of the slide.
  • A pointer may not be used; clear and descriptive language should make the slide self-explanatory.
  • The focus is on the presenter’s speech, which should be informative and comprehensible to a lay audience – even without a slide.

JUDGING CRITERIA

3MT competitors will be judged in two different categories on scores from 1-5 (5=best)

Comprehension and Content

  1. Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance of the research question being addressed, while explaining terminology and avoiding jargon?
  2. Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and outcomes?
  3. Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
  4. Was the thesis topic, research significance, results/impact and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
  5. Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation – or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?

Engagement and Communication

  1. Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
  2. Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize the research?
  3. Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for the research?
  4. Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience’s attention?
  5. Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range, maintain a steady pace, and have a confident stance?
  6. Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation – was the image clear, properly sized and concise?

The scoring and decision of the adjudicating panel are final and not debatable.

For any questions, please email Jerry McMurtry (mcmurtry@uidaho.edu) or Brittany Dodson (bdodson@uidaho.edu) referencing  WAGS 3MT in the subject line.

Congratulations to our 2024 winners!

  • First Place: Ann Johnson: Portland State
  • Second Place: Kendra Isable: University of Nevada-Reno
  • Third Place: Jessica Duke: University of Northern Colorado
  • Honorable Mention: Temitayo Ikuerowo: University of North Dakota