The University of California announced on Apr. 9 that its annual Grad Slam competition will take place in Sacramento on Wednesday, April 22 at 10:30 a.m., featuring graduate students from each of UC’s campuses presenting their research in just three minutes.
The event aims to make complex academic research accessible to the public and help graduate students develop clear communication skills essential for future careers and funding opportunities. Organizers say the competition highlights research areas such as food safety automation, cancer treatment, and Valley Fever prevention.
Each of UC’s ten campuses will send one finalist who has spent months preparing to distill years of work into a concise presentation. The talks will be judged by leaders from academia, media, and industry, reflecting the diverse audiences researchers must engage with beyond university walls. In addition to $18,000 in total prize money and the “Slammy” trophy for first place, there is also an audience-voted People’s Choice award.
A keynote address by California Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón is scheduled for this year’s event. Limón is noted as the first mother and first Latina to hold her position and plans to speak about the importance of protecting federal research funding. Google Gemini is sponsoring this year’s competition.
According to organizers, around 28,000 Ph.D. students across UC contribute daily to innovation that impacts both California and the nation over time.
The event can be watched online at gradslam.universityofcalifornia.edu where viewers can also vote for their favorite talk.
