U of T’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is back! Every year, the 3MT showcases graduate students from across the University of Toronto presenting their thesis work to a generalist audience in three minutes using one static PowerPoint slide. The 2025 3MT will take place in person.
Who is it for? All graduate students registered in a doctoral or master’s program with a thesis component.
Why participate? Participating in 3MT is an opportunity to improve your research communication and presentation skills, as well as to learn about the exciting scholarship that other graduate researchers are working on. There are also prizes: $1250 for first place, $750 for second place, $500 for third place, and $200 for the people’s choice.
Key dates: Heats begin on February 6, and the final takes place on March 26.Please see thefull schedule with dates, times, and locations. Everyone is welcome to attend the final to cheer on friends and colleagues.
Sign me up! Please complete the registration form by January 30. We’ll contact you with details about your heat by January 31.
Questions about rules, eligibility, and judging criteria? All the details are on our website or you can email us at cgpd@utoronto.ca.
The MBPCDA is excited to host our Internship Panel! We invite graduate students to join us for an interactive discussion panel to explore internship opportunities during their graduate studies. The panel will be held on Thursday, January 23rd from 4:00-5:00PM over Zoom. We kindly ask those interested in attending to register here or by using the following link: https://forms.gle/DJu8vcU3Rfvn4Eww6 to receive the Zoom link.
On behalf of the Multicellular Engineered Living Systems (M-CELS) Symposium 2025 organizing committee, we are pleased to invite you to participate in the “M-CELS: Advances in Basic Research and Translational Opportunities” symposium, which will be held on March 26-28, 2025, at the OMNI Hilton Head Resort in South Carolina, USA.
Recent breakthroughs in stem cell biology, organ-on-chip assays, 3-D bioprinting, synthetic biology, and cell mechanobiology have revolutionized our ability to design and assemble multicellular living systems, from organoids to embryos. M-CELS symposium brings together key experts from a variety of domains, including developmental biology, organoids, microphysiological systems, synthetic biology, tissue engineering, biobots, and computational modeling, as well as bioethics, to share research, perspectives, and inspirations and allows great opportunities for interactions and collaborations.
We have an amazing lineup of speakers from academia, industry, and government organizations, including Alysson Muotri (UCSD), Kimberly Homan (Genentech), Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic (Columbia University), Jennifer Lewis (Harvard), Mark Skyler-Scott (Stanford), Thomas Hartung (Johns Hopkins), and Linda Griffith (MIT) – for a complete list, please see our website. This symposium will serve as an excellent opportunity to learn about new research, to share your most recent findings, and to develop and strengthen connections in the community.
We have openings for additional contributed talks and posters that will be selected from the submitted abstracts. The deadline for abstract submission is January 20th.
We plan to offer a limited number of M-CELS Fellows Awards that include conference fee waivers and/or travel support. Awards will only be available to those speaking or presenting a poster at the conference.
Registration is already open. We do expect a large turnout, so please register early to ensure you get a spot.
Title: “Designing nanomedicine for genetic and chronic diseases”
Speaker: Eun Ji Chung, PhD
Dr. Karl Jacob Jr and Karl Jacob III Early Career Chair
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Surgery, and Medicine
University of Southern California
Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Location: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, 610 University Ave, 6th floor, Bob Bell Auditorium
Host: Dr. Gang Zheng
Get back on track with the Centre for Learning Strategy Support. We offer three programs to help you get off to a good start in second semester:
Course Correction Workshops (January 10th and January 16th)
Attend an interactive workshop and get a fresh start after an academic setback, unexpected grade, or failed course. Open to all students, with a focus on undergraduate students.
Find out more and sign up for workshops at https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/program/course-correction/
Learning Well in Second Year(starts January 20th)
Join Learning Well in Second Year, a four-week, in-person learning program to help you get back on track in your second year.
This program will help you:
- Create space in your busy schedule to pause for reflection, growth, and support.
- Connect with other second-year students looking to build their academic resilience.
- Discover and practice sustainable strategies to learn well, do well, and be well.
Find out more and sign up for Learning Well in Second Year at https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/program/learning-well-in-second-year/
Learning Well in First Year (January 21st and February 4th)
Attend two interactive in-person workshops (dinner included) to develop effectively as a learner in your first year of study.
This program will help you:
- Reflect on your experience so far as a first-year student.
- Discover successful strategies to manage the new challenges of university learning.
- Connect with resources that can support your academic resilience.
Find out more and sign up for in-person workshops at https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/program/learning-well-in-first-year/
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) is pleased to announce its 2025 call for graduate fellowships, open to University of Toronto graduate students whose work explores the social impacts of new technologies.
We encourage applications from scholars investigating issues at the intersection of advanced technologies and society through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches, as well as those with an emerging interest in these areas. Graduate fellowships provide $7,500 in support over one year, with an opportunity to renew as an affiliate.
For more information and to apply, please visit SRI’s website.
Application deadline: February 9, 2025, 23:59 ET.
Please circulate this information with your colleagues by forwarding this email to your U of T department. We’d also appreciate it if you can reshare our announcements to spread the word on LinkedIn, Bluesky, or X.
About the Schwartz Reisman Institute
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) supports and integrates world-class research across sectors and disciplines to deepen our understanding of advanced technologies, law, institutions, regulatory structures, and social values. The integrative research we support rethinks technology’s role in society, the contemporary needs of human communities, and the systems that govern them. We are investigating how best to align technology with human values, and deploy it responsibly. In doing so we seek to support existing fields of inquiry as well as to identify and nurture new research agendas by introducing researchers to the concepts and framing used by different disciplines to analyze problems.
Questions?
Contact us directly at sri.research@utoronto.ca.
As a U of T student, you can chat as often as you like one-on-one with a Health & Wellness Peer Supporter, who are available every week throughout the academic year! These UofT students are equipped to:
· Provide immediate emotional support if you’re struggling with your mental health
· Guide you through difficult questions like “Am I in the right academic program?” or “How can I bring up this issue with my roommate?”
· Help you write a tough email
· Role-play potentially awkward conversations
· Chat about anything you feel like talking about
No appointment necessary! You can drop in at Robarts Library, Room 1152 (Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11 AM to 4 PM), at the Engineering and Computer Science Library, Room 2402C (only on Wednesdays from 11 AM to 4 PM), or at the Student Commons, Room 246 (only on Thursdays from 11 AM to 4 PM). Prefer online? Not a problem! Visit www.uoft.me/peer-support and click the link under “Virtual Peer Support” to connect via Zoom!
| We’re excited to announce that the Vector Scholarship in AI nomination period is now open! This $17,500 merit-based entrance scholarship could help fund your AI journey at Ontario’s leading master’s programs. If you’re pursuing a full-time AI-related master’s program for the 2025-2026 academic year, start preparing now. Connect with your program administrator early to learn about their internal deadlines, which come before Vector’s nomination deadline of March 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM ET. |
| Have Questions About the Scholarship? Join Our Virtual Webinar! Mark your calendar for Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET. In this one-hour virtual webinar, you’ll get a comprehensive overview of the Vector Scholarship in AI, including: ✅ Scholarship benefits ✅ Eligibility requirements ✅ How to build a strong nomination package ✅ Live Q&A session Plus, don’t miss our special fireside chat with past scholarship recipients who will share their AI journeys and experiences firsthand! > Register now |
What You Need to Know:The scholarship is available to students enrolled in Vector-recognized AI master’s programs or those pursuing a demonstrably AI-focused individualized study path. To be eligible for the Vector Scholarship in AI, you must meet these requirements:Be entering a full-time AI-related master’s program at an Ontario university for the 2025-2026 academic year (Spring 2025, Fall 2025, or Winter 2026 start dates)Be enrolled in a Vector-recognized program or pursuing an individualized study plan with a clear AI focusHave achieved first-class standing (minimum A- or equivalent) in your last two years of university studyNote: Candidates with a B+ average and relevant work experience may be considered with additional supporting documentation. |
| Understanding the Nomination Process As this is a nomination-based scholarship, you cannot apply directly to Vector – instead, your master’s program will need to nominate you. Your program will have its own internal deadlines for collecting and reviewing nomination materials ahead of Vector’s March deadline. We encourage you to connect with your program administrator early to understand their specific timeline and requirements. What to include in the package for your program:Academic Records • All up-to-date transcripts (undergraduate and graduate, if applicable) • Note: Official transcripts will be required if selectedReferences • Two completed Referee Forms (at least one academic) • References must be sent directly to your program officeYour Background • One to two-page CV • 250-word statement about your AI journey and career goals • Self-Identification FormAdditional Requirements (if applicable): • For non-Vector-recognized programs: Approved study plan with course list and project description • For GPAs below A-: Written rationale explaining circumstances |
Register Now!
Graduate Writing and Speaking Courses
Starting Jan 8, 2025
Dear Graduate Students,
Wishing you a Very Happy New Year!
The Graduate Centre for Academic Communication (GCAC) at the University of Toronto offers a number of resources — courses, workshops, writing centre, and boot camps — to help you receive support with planning, drafting, revising, and presenting your scientific research at an advanced academic level.
Among our free, non-credit course offerings, some starting this week, I’d like to alert you especially to the ones listed below, which you might find valuable. Registration is currently open for these courses, and students will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Graduate Writing Courses
Graduate Writing 1: Establishing Your Foundations is a five-week course that covers the transition to graduate writing by providing guidance on the disciplinary practices of synthesizing diverse research, integrating sources smoothly, developing an authorial presence through metadiscourse, building effective structure through paragraphing, writing with formality, and developing your identity as a research writer. The course also offers an opportunity to meet individually with the instructor for feedback on a sample of your writing.
3 sections:
Mondays, Jan 13 – Feb 10, 2pm—4pm (online).
Thursdays, Jan 16 – Feb 13, 10am—12noon (online).
Fridays, Jan 17 — Feb 14, 1pm — 3pm (online).
Graduate Writing 2: Revising for Clarity helps you become a better editor of your own work through developing an informed process for revision. In this 5-week course, we cover improving coherence and achieving flow in your writing, learning the principles of clear and stylish sentences, revising for concision, and correcting common errors in grammar and punctuation. As part of this course, you will have an opportunity to meet and discuss your writing individually with the instructor.
Tuesdays, Jan 14 – Feb 11, 10am – 12noon (online)
Graduate Presentation and Academic Conversation Courses
Oral Presentation Skills. If you would like to learn how to develop and deliver polished, focussed presentations, this 6-week course is for you. We cover tailoring your message to your audience, structuring your presentation, creating strong visuals, managing the question period, embodying authority through body language and voice, and handling nerves. You will be given the opportunity to give a presentation and receive feedback to strengthen your presentation skills, and to develop the critical capacity to assess what makes for strong presentations across a variety of subjects and genres.
2 Sections:
Wednesdays, Jan 8 – Feb 12, 10am – 12noon (online)
Thursdays, Jan 9 — Feb 13, 5pm — 7pm (in person on the St. George campus)
Academic Conversation Skills (for non-native speakers of English) is designed to help students develop into stronger listeners and speakers in an academic environment. We help you gain the confidence to participate in academic discussions, both in person and online, by providing guidance on conversation skills that include how to ask and answer challenging questions, how to disagree respectfully, and how to manage academic interactions sensitively.
2 sections:
Tuesdays, Jan 7 – Feb 11, 3pm—5pm (in person on the St. George campus).
Thursdays, Jan 9 – Feb 13, 10am—12noon (online).
Specialty Courses in Science Writing
Thesis Writing in the Physical and Life Sciences (Units 3 and 4) will introduce you to disciplinary expectations around the thesis and guide you through the rhetorical and structural decisions you’ll make to effectively organize and communicate the contexts, justifications, and outcomes that comprise your research project. All graduate students who are currently writing their thesis in the physical and life sciences are welcome to register for this course.
Fridays, Jan 17 – Feb 14, 10am – 12 noon (online).
Communicating Science through the Media: Offered just once a year, this 3-week course taught by award-winning science journalist Ivan Semeniuk is designed for graduate students with an interest in communicating scientific research in the news media. The course will cover how science becomes news, where science journalists find their stories, how to conduct interviews and assemble information, and how to translate complex research into plain language for a mass audience across print, broadcast, and online media. NB: Due to the popularity of this course, registrants must fill out an emailed screening form to be considered for admittance to the class list. Students must also be able to attend all 3 weeks.
Saturdays, Jan 25 – Feb 8, 9am – 12 noon (online).
In addition, the GCAC offers online workshops through the semester on a range of graduate topics including Writing a Thesis or Grant Proposal (Jan 20), Writing a Literature Review (Jan 27), AI and the Modern Scholar (Feb 10), and Improving your Slide Design (Mar 12), among many others. For the full list of workshops offered in the Winter 2025 term along with registration links, please visit: Workshops – School of Graduate Studies (utoronto.ca).
If you would like to receive timely announcements of our forthcoming courses, workshops, registration dates, and other offerings, please join our listserv and follow us on Instagram (@gcacuoft).
Warm wishes for a successful 2025,
Jordana Lobo-Pires
Launch Your Career Plan for MASc, PhD and PDFs
Friday, January 10, 2025 I 10:00 – 3:30 PM I GB202 I This is a full-day commitment.
Catered lunch will be provided. Please register in advance.
Launch Your Career Plan is an initiative by the Office of Vice Dean, Graduate Studies, in collaboration with the Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice (ISTEP), to support research-based graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to launch their career planning early in their studies. This event will guide you to critically reflect on career opportunities, including further graduate studies, academia, and industry, and equip you with strategies and tools to explore your unique career aspirations. You will be able to leave this event with tailored resources to dive deeper into the specific career pathways that interest you.
At this event, you will:
- Learn about parallel planning for further graduate studies, academia, and industry careers
- Use labour market data and networking tools to discover diverse academic and industry opportunities
- Listen to a panel of alumni who have completed further graduate studies, are working in industry, or obtained a professorship
- Create a plan to explore your specific career aspirations
This event is open to all research-based and postdoctoral fellows. We welcome participants who have a clear idea of their career trajectory and those who are deciding between continuing in academia or finding an industry position. It is highly recommended that all research-based graduate students and postdoctoral fellows attend this event near the beginning of their studies.