The University of California announced on Apr. 9 that it will hold its annual Grad Slam competition on Wednesday, April 22 at 10:30 a.m., where graduate students from each UC campus will present their research in three-minute talks. The event will be streamed online, and viewers can vote for their favorite presentation at gradslam.universityofcalifornia.edu.
The Grad Slam aims to help graduate students communicate complex scientific topics in clear and accessible ways. Organizers say the competition is not only about winning but also about preparing students to explain their work to broader audiences, secure funding, and find employment opportunities.
Each of the ten UC campuses selects one finalist who spends months preparing to condense years of research into a brief presentation. A panel of judges from academia, media, and industry evaluates the talks. In addition to competing for $18,000 in prize money and the “Slammy” trophy for first place, participants also have a chance to win a People’s Choice award based on audience votes.
According to organizers, approximately 28,000 Ph.D. students across the UC system contribute daily to research that impacts both California and the nation. Their work has led to new industries and improvements in quality of life over decades.
This year’s event features a keynote address by California Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón—who is noted as both the first mother and first Latina in her role—focusing on protecting federal research funding. Google Gemini is sponsoring this year’s competition.
