AIChE’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition challenges graduate students to explain their research and its significance clearly, concisely, and compellingly to an audience beyond their field of specialization.
Now entering its fifth year, the competition returns to the 2026 AIChE Annual Meeting, taking place November 8–12 in Minneapolis, MN. Graduate students who are members of AIChE's Early Career Community and wish to compete must submit their entries by September 27.
This year, the live finals round will move to the exhibit hall, placing competitors and their research in front of more Annual Meeting attendees than ever before.
Build skills that extend beyond the competition
The 3MT Competition helps graduate students turn complex research into a clear, engaging presentation while gaining exposure to chemical engineers across academia and industry. Finalists can earn up to $400 through the Judges’ Choice awards, with an additional $100 awarded to the Competitors’ Choice winner.
Last year’s competition
At the 2025 AIChE Annual Meeting, the Judges’ Choice Award winners, from first to third place, were Shammah Lilonfe of the University of Notre Dame, Smita Shivraj Dasari of Texas A&M University, and John El Berch of the University of Pittsburgh. Hyuck Joo Choi of the Georgia Institute of Technology received the Competitors’ Choice Award.
Enter the 2026 competition
Graduate students interested in competing must submit their entries by September 27, 2026.
Visit www.aiche.org/3MT for eligibility requirements, competition rules, and submission instructions. Questions may be directed to ecc@aiche.org.
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.
