Contact the NAU Office of Graduate and Professional Studies
Three Minute Research Presentation (3MRP)
The 3MRP competition will be next held in the Spring 2026 semester. Information, when available, will be posted here!
For more information please see the 3MRP information document. Please direct any questions to 3MRP@nau.edu. We look forward to seeing you then!
For Contestants
3MRP Deadlines & Timelines Accordion Closed
| Deadline Date | Description |
|---|---|
| By February 1st | View recording at link below. Details, rules, and evaluation about the event are covered in the recorded information session linked here. View the slides here |
| February 1st-15th | Prepare slide & video submission for the practice sessions Suggested preparation:
|
| By February 16th | (Optional) Submit practice session 3MRP slide and video submission to 3MRP@nau.edu |
| February 26th | Feedback (provided by UGC review committee) sent to presenters on practice session video submission |
| By March 5th | (Required) Submit Preliminary Heats slide to 3MRP@nau.edu and sign up for Preliminary Heat date/time (link will be provided via email upon submission) |
| March 25th and 26th | Preliminary heats (15-minute increments) via Zoom (link to be provided via email after submission) Suggested preparation:
|
| March 28th | Notification of finalists to students’ NAU email |
| By April 4th | Finalists - submit bio, headshot, and final 3MRP slide to 3MRP@nau.edu |
| March 29th-April 15th | Prepare for the finals - Suggested preparation for finalists:
|
| Thursday, April 17th 3:30- 5:00pm | Final 3MRP Presentations at NAU-Ashurst Auditorium (other students, finalists' guests, faculty members, administrators and community members are all invited to attend) |
Information Accordion Closed
We are looking for students who have made progress on their project, research, creative work, etc., and can prepare a presentation that addresses the scope, significance, and impact of their work. Presenting preliminary data, pilot study data and preliminary results is fine; results do not necessarily need to be conclusive.
Additionally, NAU’s Office of Graduate & Professional Studies offers robust training and formal practice sessions for Northern Arizona University graduate students participating in the event. We work with you through training sessions, practice sessions, librarian support, and library resources so that you will be fully prepared and polished before you participate in the event.
Training resources Accordion Closed
Criteria, and training presentation
- 3MRP Judges Evaluation Criteria
- Research Assistance from Research Librarians
- The Studios
- Reserve Equipment
Presentation examples
Helpful hints and tips
The 3-Minute Research Presentation (3MRP) Competition provides an opportunity for NAU graduate students to present their thesis, dissertation, capstone research, scholarship, and/or creative work to an intelligent, non-specialist audience in just three minutes. This professional development opportunity is designed to increase and improve graduate students’ communication skills, as well as their capacity to effectively present research, scholarship, or creative work.
Past Competitions
Please direct any questions to 3MRP@nau.edu!
Spring 2025 Finalists Accordion Closed
| Name | Topic | Slide (Click on image for recording) |
|---|---|---|
| Hayley Yaglom | Microbial Populations and Antimicrobial Resistant Patterns Amongst Zoo-Housed Animals and their Caretakers |  |
| Laura Nicholson | Fungal Fears for Food Forests |  |
| Megan Meyer | Non-Diet Approaches to Self-Care in the Perinatal Period |  |
| Kelly Kendro | What Does it Mean to be Bilingual? |  |
| Samuel Hopkins | Improving Mobility of Individuals with Cerebral Palsy with a Smart Ankle Brace |  |
| Courtney Finkbeiner | Trauma-Informed Care in Physical Therapy: Practical Applications in DPT Curricula |  |
| Phoenix Eskridge-Aldama | Power Over Power: How Arizona's Energy Grid is Titled Against Change |  |
| Tyler Centner | Blink and You’ll Miss it: How Eye Movements Reveal Brain Injuries |  |
| Ivory Bacy | Microbial Trophic Complexity in the Rhizosphere |  |
Spring 2023 Winners Accordion Closed
Congratulations to this spring’s 3MRP winners! All final presentations can be viewed on the Office of Graduate & Professional Studies’ YouTube channel. Additionally, The NAU Review has posted great coverage on this year’s 3MRP finals.