3-Minute Paper Competition

1. Participants must be currently registered in the 3rd or 4th year of a Trent undergraduate degree program. The competition is open to students from Peterborough and Durham; further, spaces are available for students from all of Trent's colleges (Champlain, Eaton, Gzowski, Otonabee, Traill). The 3MP committee works to ensure balanced representation between campuses, colleges, and programs of study.
2. Presentations must be based on original research that is directly related to the student’s undergraduate thesis, major research project, or major research paper. Research does not need to be complete for a student to participate, but research should be in progress during the respective academic year.
3. Participants may individually present research from a group project with the permission of all group members.
4. Presenters must agree to be photographed and video-taped and allow photos/videos to be shared publicly.
5. All participants must have approval from the faculty supervisor/course professor for which the research is assigned.

1. Presentations are limited to three minutes maximum. Any competitor that exceeds the time limit will be disqualified.
2. Presenters may use no more than three slides. Slides cannot include animations or transitions. No additional props or electronic media are permitted. All slides and presentation materials must be submitted according to deadlines set by the 3MP organizational committee.
3. Presenters may use notes or cue cards.
4. Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. No songs, poems).
5. Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
6. Presentations are to commence from the stage.
7. The decisions of the 3MP committee and the 3MP competition judges are final.

The judging panel for the 3MP competition will be comprised of members of the Trent community.

• Language & Communication
  • Vocabulary/Word Choice
  • Presentation Skills
• Knowledge & Understanding
  • Clear explanation of purpose, question, approach, findings (in progress)
  • Organized discussion
• Engagement:
  • Explain significance
  • Convey enthusiasm
• PowerPoint Slides
  • Overall visual appeal
  • Clarity and creativity

(Judging criteria adapted from 3MT®, University of Queensland)

The 2026 Prizes were: 

• Office of Research Overall Prize: $250
• Alumni Engagement and Services First Runner Up: $100
• Trent Teaching Commons Second Runner Up: $75
• President’s Office Audience Choice Prize: $150
• President's Office Best Visuals Prize: $150
• Journal of Undergraduate Studies at Trent (JUST) Social JUST-ice Prize: $100

Top prize winners also win publication of their script in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Undergraduate Studies at Trent.

• A clear, brief description of your project/paper: research question, methods and any preliminary findings/arguments
• Enthusiasm and engagement: Why do you want to participate in 3MP?
• 30–45 second video response to this question: Why is your research interesting to someone outside your field or discipline? 

• Speak with your faculty supervisor. The committee will confirm your supervisor’s support before participation.
• Include your supervisor’s contact information in the application.

Applications will be reviewed by the 3MP Committee. Up to 22 students, representing all campuses and colleges, will be invited to compete live at Nozhem Theatre, First Peoples’ House of Learning, on Wednesday, March 9, 2027, at 7 PM.

All decisions will be communicated by Friday, February 5^th, 2027. Selected participants will receive details about practice sessions and event logistics.

 

Diego Siblal (Durham-GTA, Psychology), Investigating Hearing Health in Young Adults: Linking Anxiety and Confidence with Audiological Measures 

• Overall Prize, sponsored by the Office of Research and Innovation
• Audience Choice Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Shannon Learoyd (Otonabee College, Biology), Just Keep Skimming: Pools as an Overlooked Cause of Mortality in Urban Wildlife

• First Runner Up Prize, sponsored by Alumni Engagement and Services
• Best Visuals Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Marie Kowdrysh (Durham-GTA, Psychology), Examining Mental Health and Perfectionism in Female Competitive Gymnasts: Are Gymnasts Already Vulnerable to Maltreatment?

• Second Runner Up Prize, sponsored by the Trent Teaching Commons

Anna Hykawy (Lady Eaton College, Sociology), Behind the Helping Hand: Addressing Barriers to Volunteerism in Peterborough

• Social JUST-ice Prize, sponsored by the Journal of Undergraduate Studies at Trent (JUST)

Elana Moeini-Azad (Gzowski College, Forensic Science), Shining a Light on Death Investigations: The Role of Reflectance Spectroscopy in Determining Time Since Death

• Overall Prize, sponsored by the Office of Research and Innovation
• Best Visuals Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President
• Audience Choice Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Will Riopelle (Gzowski College, Psychology), No Need for an Encore: Does Lifelong Musical Practice Make Listening Easier in Older Adults?

• First Runner Up Prize, sponsored by Alumni Engagement and Services

Lucy van Haaften (Lady Eaton College, Conservation Biology), Blinded by the Flight: Investigating Fluorescence in Flying Squirrels

• Second Runner Up Prize, sponsored by the Trent Teaching Commons

Ashley Smith (Lady Eaton College, English and History), Adam and Eve, or Adaline and Eve? Queering Women in Renaissance Literature

• Social JUST-ice Prize, sponsored by the Journal of Undergraduate Studies at Trent (JUST)

Read more about the 2024 3-Minute Paper Competition

Samantha Caudle (Gzowski College; Biology), Extending Life in the Common Water Flea

• Overall Prize, sponsored by the Office of Research and Innovation

Haley Grieve (Gzowski College; Conservation Biology), The Secret Night-life of Salamanders: The Factors Impacting Nocturnal Salamander Foraging Patterns

• First Runner Up Prize, sponsored by Alumni Engagement and Services
• Best Visuals Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Anissah Rajpatee (Gzowski College; Indigenous Studies & Teacher Education), Land Based Learning: Reimagining Environmental Education

• Second Runner Up Prize, sponsored by the Centre for Teaching and Learning 

John Smith (Durham-GTA; Child and Youth Studies & Psychology),  Dungeons, Dragons, & Neurodiversity: Fighting Demons for Friendship 

• Audience Choice Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President
• Social JUST-ice Prize, sponsored by Journal of Undergraduate Studies at Trent (JUST)

Diya Shah (Otonabee College), To be or not to be - CRHR2 in Stress response

• Overall Prize, sponsored by the Office of Research and Innovation
• Audience Choice Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Lindsay Young (Champlain College), The deep end of the dating pool: Transgender exclusion in dating/sexual activity

• First Runner Up Prize, sponsored by Alumni Engagement and Services
• Best Visuals Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Abbey Politeski (Lady Eaton College), Cardiac cachexia: Do females do it better?

• Second Runner Up Prize, sponsored by the Centre for Teaching and Learning

Mehmood Kohistani (Durham-GTA), Refugee Youth Participation: Paving the Path to an Equitable Education 

• Social JUST-ice Prize, sponsored by the Journal of Undergraduate Studies at Trent (JUST)

Read more about the 2023 3-Minute Paper Competition

Trent News Story, 2022: Astounding Research, Innovation and Passion Take the Screen 

Kieran Freitag (Champlain College, Biomedical Science), The curious case of the missing TATA boxes in this waterborne parasite

• Overall Prize, sponsored by the Office of Research and Innovation

Mckenna Lowrie (Otonabee College, Biology – Psychology), A Memory Trace in Two Systems: The HPC and Memory

• First Runner Up Prize, sponsored by Alumni Engagement and Services
• Audience Choice Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Suruthe Janakan (Otonabee College, Chemistry), Animal Neurotransmitters in Plants?

• Second Runner Up Prize, sponsored by the Centre for Teaching and Learning

Erin Giroux (Gzowki College, Forensic Science), The Key to Unlocking Solutions to SARS-CoV-

• Best Visuals Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Ayan Niazi, Lady Eaton College: Proteins Behaving Badly! (Biology)

• Overall Prize, sponsored by the Office of Research and Innovation
• Best Visuals Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Nicole Leach (Gzowski College, Chemistry), Why Is Choosing A Sunscreen Still an Enigma? A Chemical Approach To Effective Decision Making 

• First Runner Up Prize, sponsored by Alumni Engagement and Services

Linda El-Ayday (Lady Eaton College, Psychology) Working out a Solution: Exercise Therapy for Anxiety in Parkinson’s Disorder 

• Second Runner Up Prize, sponsored by the Centre for Teaching and Learning

Arlene Ononiwu (Lady Eaton College, Biology) Building Technologies for Disease Detection 

• Audience Choice Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President

Sam Blondeau (Durham-GTA/Traill, Child & Youth Studies/Sociology), "Squeegee Kids are Not Broken Windows!"

• Overall Prize, sponsored by the Office of Research and Innovation

Katherine Nocera (Durham-GTA, Psychology), We're All in This Together: The Influence of Family-Based Treatment on Adolescent Substance Use

• First Runner Up Prize, sponsored by Alumni Engagement and Services

Alissa Sallans (Gzowski College, International Development Studies), Can "Poverty Alleviation" Sustain Poverty?

• Second Runner Up Prize, sponsored by the Centre for Teaching and Learning

Danielle Harper (Traill College, Biology), Spice Up Your Life: Blood Vessel Formation and Cellular Stress

• Audience Choice Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President
• Best Visuals Prize, sponsored by the Office of the President