The Graduate School will host its 11^th annual Graduate Research Symposium (GRS) from March 1-5, 2021. The event will take place virtually on Whova and will run each morning from 9 a.m. to noon.

In the past, GRS has been a single day event of poster and oral research presentations by Wayne State University students and postdoctoral scholars. The Graduate School will take advantage of the remote format to offer a wider slate of programming and extend invitation to neighboring institutions and sister universities across the globe for the first time, said Sokol Todi, associate dean of postdoctoral development at the Graduate School. “So that they can discover first-hand the extent and depth of exciting work happening right here, in the heart of Detroit.”

Monday morning, GRS kicks off with the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®)—an international research communication competition with thousands of participants every year. 20 finalists will present a compelling oration of their thesis and its significance in three minutes or less to a faculty panel of judges. The first-place winner will go on to compete at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools 3MT competition at the Virtual Annual Meeting taking place March 24-26, 2021.

Starting Tuesday, each day begins with special presentations that focus on women’s issues to align with Women’s History Month, LGBTQIA+ topics, diversity and inclusion, and health disparities, followed by poster presentations from WSU students and postdocs. These presentations will be judged by faculty on the basis of oral presentation, design, and how well the research is conveyed to an audience outside the discipline. 

“We’re really excited to showcase the hard work and creativity of our graduate students and postdocs to the campus community and beyond,” said Mary Wood, program director in the Graduate School.  “Although we have pivoted to a virtual format, the symposium still offers ample opportunities for students to interact with faculty and peers as they gain valuable conference and presentation skills.”

The event is an annual celebration of research at Wayne State University. The event is free to attend. Undergraduates and the public are invited.

The event concludes with an awards ceremony on Friday. Monetary awards will be granted to winners of the poster presentations and 3MT.

For an in-depth look at the event schedule, registration and more information, visit the Graduate School website.