While GCAC’s workshops are designed with graduate students in mind, all members of the University of Toronto community are welcome to attend as many workshops as they wish. We offer workshops in three formats: live online, in-person, and prerecorded (on-demand). Registration is required for all workshops. Live workshops are not recorded.
Please click the title of each workshop to reach the workshop description and registration link. Once you register, you will receive details on how to join each live or on-demand workshop you have chosen. If you are are not able to register online, please contact sgs.gcacreg@utoronto.ca to be registered manually.
GCAC’s weekly Listserv messages provide an easy way to keep track of what upcoming live workshops we are offering.
Live Workshops (Winter 2026)
Registration for all workshops is required. Please click the title of each workshop for a description and registration link.
Workshops are online unless otherwise stated, with in-person workshops taking place on the St. George Campus.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6531365
This in-person workshop will support participants who are in the process of designing an effective Three Minute Thesis presentation. By the end of this workshop, participants will review and implement strategies for both writing and presenting their 3MT. Participants will evaluate and discuss winning 3MT presentations, paying particular attention to slide design, oral presentation style, and the structure of the talk. Through workshop activities, participants will have the opportunity to receive feedback on components of their 3MT.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545237
Graduate students write many proposals − federal grant proposals, travel grant proposals, thesis proposals − and every proposal has a potentially significant impact on a student’s ability to carry out specific research. The introductory workshop in this series provides an overview of proposal writing designed to get students thinking about the demands of, and the predictable variations in, this important genre of writing. We will examine the similarities and differences between thesis and grant proposals, consider the main questions that most proposals must answer, and see examples of answers to those questions in successful proposals. We will also consider common pitfalls in proposal writing, and strategies for getting started on writing a proposal.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545293
Strong academic writing skills do not always translate into confidence when speaking in seminars, presentations, or casual academic conversations. In this workshop, you will practise shifting from written to spoken English, including how to adjust sentence length, tone, and vocabulary to suit live audiences.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6531361
This live online workshop will support participants who are in the process of designing an effective Three Minute Thesis presentation. By the end of this workshop, participants will review and implement strategies for both writing and presenting their 3MT. Participants will evaluate and discuss winning 3MT presentations, paying particular attention to slide design, oral presentation style, and the structure of the talk. Through workshop activities, participants will have the opportunity to receive feedback on components of their 3MT.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545238
Like research papers and theses, thesis and grant proposals require graduate students to situate their work within the context of other research in their field(s). A well constructed literature review will help you to clarify key points for your reader such as why your work needs to be done, how it is original, and why your proposed method is appropriate. In this workshop we will examine characteristics of both short and long literature reviews, common mistakes students make when reviewing research in their field, and strategies for increasing the effectiveness of literature reviews. The material covered will be relevant to the literature-review segments of proposals, research papers, and theses.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545296
Communicating complex research in clear and accessible language can be a challenge when writing for readers outside your field. You will learn strategies for simplifying technical content, adjusting formality, and maintaining accuracy while making your ideas easy to understand.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545310
Are you struggling with the challenges of graduate-level writing but not sure how to address them? Are you finding it difficult to implement the writing advice you’ve received? Are you feeling stuck at a particular stage of your writing practice? This workshop will offer an opportunity to calibrate your relationship with process-related, psychological aspects of academic writing in the unique context of graduate study. We will work through a reflective writing audit designed to help you recognize your areas of writing strength, identify areas of your writing that would benefit from further training, and take ownership of writing approaches that work for you.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545239
As use of Generative AI in academic writing becomes more widespread, it is clear that some students are able to use it to increase engagement with their own ideas while others’ use leaves them with a sense of “psychological dissociation from [their] written output.” (Kosmyna, 2025). In this workshop, we will consider a spectrum of student agency in the use of GenAI, with “puppets” at one end and “puppeteers” at the other. We will examine both the sorts of uses of chatbots that result in what’s being referred to as “cognitive debt” (quick task completion without the mental encoding that allows students to remember details later) and the sorts of uses that can help students use GenAI as a means of “distributed cognition” that can facilitate deeper thinking.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545267
This workshop will guide you through the process of writing effectively about your graduate-school plans for the Plan of Study section of an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) application. We’ll discuss strategies for conceptualizing, organizing, and drafting a strong Plan of Study, along with tips for making the most of a very short writing space. Students from any discipline who are planning to apply for a master’s or doctoral OGS are welcome.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545299
This workshop walks you through common errors that are easy to make while framing your research project, provides guidance on how to avoid them, and provides a process for clearly presenting the concepts and theories by which a research project becomes intelligible.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6523911
This workshop invites graduate students to approach slide-based talks, seminars and research presentations through a design lens. The workshop will focus on principles from graphic design, and we’ll explore how aspects such as typography, pacing, layout, colour theory, and visual metaphor can help communicate ideas with greater engagement and impact.
The goal of this workshop is to foster a visual sensibility and design literacy that meaningfully supports students’ research voice and disciplinary framework.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545241
This workshop has two parts. We’ll start by talking about Aristotle’s topics of invention (explicit critical thinking strategies that help in making diagramming more effective) and then connect those to a sequence of three diagramming techniques to use when clarifying your thinking. These techniques are designed to help you gain greater conceptual clarity as you decide what to include and exclude in your documents, and the various options for structuring your arguments.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545268
In this workshop we will consider strategies for note-taking during lectures and in response to written texts, the varying benefits of different formats for note taking (by hand, in Word, and/or in a citation management software), and strategies for using spreadsheets to compare what you read in a range of articles. We will explore ways in which a citation management package like Zotero or Mendeley can be used to take, store, organize and manage notes and related materials for a variety of academic tasks. Using electronic tools can both solve and create problems, as can other formats of note taking. In the workshop we will encourage you to reflect on which of your current note-taking habits are serving you well and what new strategies might help you at your current stage of study.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545301
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545312
As a graduate student, you may find yourself tasked with making progress on more than one substantial writing project at a time. Without careful management, the demands of multiple writing timelines can become overwhelming, leading to a state that that Joli Jensen calls “multiple-project paralysis.” This workshop will help you to tame that sense of overwhelm by sharing strategies for distributing your work across multiple writing projects in a sustainable way. Workshop topics will include how to decide what project to work on when, how to manage your writing time and energy, and how you might even use multiple writing projects to your benefit.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545255
Where do you find little-known (and low-competition) scholarships? How do you approach companies to fund your research? This workshop will focus on alternative funding sources for graduate students.
Topics will include: traditional funding categories (federal, provincial, and internal), how to choose which scholarships to apply for (e.g., stacking, quotas, estimating expected value), common pitfalls (e.g., internal/external deadlines, departmental nomination, where not to look for scholarships), and overcoming common excuses (low GPA, no publications, not enough time). Attendees will also receive a guide which outlines the steps involved in finding, applying for, and receiving alternative sources of funding.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545279
In this workshop we will consider a range of competencies needed to use Generative AI intentionally, such as understanding U of T’s GenAI guidelines, considering the sorts of writing/reading tasks GenAI does well and badly (and why), being aware of GenAI’s environmental impacts, comparing chatbots, etc.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545302
This workshop, aimed at doctoral candidates facing a defense within the next year, will guide students through the process of preparing for your dissertation defense. We will cover disciplinary differences in the defense, questions to ask your supervisor and department administrators, the defense presentation, and preparing for the question period.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545313
Early opportunities for graduate students to present their research come in the form of poster presentations at conferences, research days or other academic events. Presenting a poster can allow you to gain feedback on your research and initiate networking opportunities. In this workshop, we will discuss strategies for enhancing your ability to design a well-organized, informative and attractive poster. We will also consider common approaches to engage visitors and connect with individuals with shared interests.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545283
This workshop explores how graduate students can thoughtfully engage with platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn to build professional communities and understand differences in communicating to both broad public audiences and targeted academic groups. Together, we’ll consider the opportunities and pitfalls of creating content, managing “influencer creep,” and balancing social media presence with long-term scholarly goals.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6543084
Writing concisely makes your ideas shine. But revising for brevity requires a sound knowledge of which elements weigh down writing and how to address them. This workshop introduces students to this fundamental knowledge: we will explore how to identify “collapsible” elements in your scholarly writing (e.g., wordy expressions) and how to tackle these elements in ways that strengthen concision without sacrificing content. We will primarily explore these foci by working with samples of scholarly writing, but you are welcome to bring your own piece of academic writing to work with.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545314
Cross-disciplinary research often has the potential to strengthen the validity of findings and increase their value and relevance. In this workshop, we will explore strategies for finding compatible potential collaborators and consider methods for persuading a fellow researcher that a partnership may be mutually beneficial. Additionally, we will discuss the components of an agenda for your first meeting with this peer.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545260
Note-taking is a critical yet under-discussed aspect of qualitative research. Well-written and properly organized notes can help a researcher remember minor details within their research, help train their attention to important themes and questions during the research process, and make the subsequent process of writing one’s dissertation smoother.
This workshop will address ways of structuring field notes while offering practical tips for note taking. We will discuss different note taking strategies, how to expand one’s attention to the details of research, how note writing itself can help develop research concerns, and some of the ethical considerations around writing field notes.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545291
As use of Generative AI in academic writing becomes more widespread, it is clear that some students are able to use it to increase engagement with their own ideas while others’ use leaves them with a sense of “psychological dissociation from [their] written output.” (Kosmyna, 2025). In this workshop, we will consider a spectrum of student agency in the use of GenAI, with “puppets” at one end and “puppeteers” at the other. We will examine both the sorts of uses of chatbots that result in what’s being referred to as “cognitive debt” (quick task completion without the mental encoding that allows students to remember details later) and the sorts of uses that can help students use GenAI as a means of “distributed cognition” that can facilitate deeper thinking.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545305
Graduate students write many proposals − federal grant proposals, travel grant proposals, thesis proposals − and every proposal has a potentially significant impact on a student’s ability to carry out specific research. The introductory workshop in this series provides an overview of proposal writing designed to get students thinking about the demands of, and the predictable variations in, this important genre of writing. We will examine the similarities and differences between thesis and grant proposals, consider the main questions that most proposals must answer, and see examples of answers to those questions in successful proposals. We will also consider common pitfalls in proposal writing, and strategies for getting started on writing a proposal.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545315
Archival visits can be rewarding part of field research, but advanced planning is crucial for making the most of a trip. This workshop introduces students to general principles that apply to archival research in different disciplines. The workshop will discuss corresponding with archive staff, determining rules and expectations in advance, finding materials in unusual databases, and best practices for photographing, scanning, and saving materials.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545265
Interviews are the foundation of a lot of qualitative research methodology. This workshop will discuss strategies on how to conduct interviews for one’s own research, consider when to use structured, semi-structured, and un-structured interviews, and reflect on ethical considerations that go beyond getting approval from the Research Ethics Board.
Specifically, we will be focusing on how to draft the actual questions a researcher asks a research participant. What kinds of interview questions prompt dialogue and reflection? How best to avoid questions that elicit one-word answers? This workshop will explore ways of writing interview questions which reflect one’s research questions – and that produce meaningful interviews for everyone involved.
Please note: This workshop is not about preparing students to give interviews as job applicants. It is a workshop about conducting interviews as the researcher (interviewer) and not about being interviewed.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6536209
Moving from academia into a professional role means rethinking how you present your skills and experience to potential employers. This workshop will uncover how communication styles shift between academic and non-academic worlds. We will then focus on interview communications, examine how the style in a non-academic interview differs from that of a job talk for an academic position, and develop strategies for non-academic interviews, including how to adapt your tone, structure your responses, and frame your academic background to resonate outside university settings.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545308
Like research papers and theses, thesis and grant proposals require graduate students to situate their work within the context of other research in their field(s). A well constructed literature review will help you to clarify key points for your reader such as why your work needs to be done, how it is original, and why your proposed method is appropriate. In this workshop we will examine characteristics of both short and long literature reviews, common mistakes students make when reviewing research in their field, and strategies for increasing the effectiveness of literature reviews. The material covered will be relevant to the literature-review segments of proposals, research papers, and theses.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6545317
How can you make sure the key points in your paper are reflected in your abstract? This workshop guides participants through principles for composing clear, concise abstracts for academic papers. We will discuss the function of an abstract, examine the structures and formats used in different disciplines, and consider how and when to write one effectively.
Click here to register: https://folio.utoronto.ca/students/events/detail/6536210
Presenting outside academia means more than just simplifying your slides. It requires rethinking how you connect with your audience. In this workshop, we’ll discuss how institutional frameworks influence communication norms, and how to adapt your presentation for industry, government, non-profits, and other professional audiences. We’ll discuss how communication strategies for non-academic audiences differ from those used in academic conference talks and classrooms, and how to engage listeners through tailored messaging, compelling visuals, and effective delivery techniques.
On-Demand Workshops
Please click the title of workshop series, then click the title of each workshop for a description and registration link. Workshop runtime is listed after the presenter’s name.
- Identifying Verb Tenses by Dr. Adeiza Isiaka (12 min.)
- Choosing Verb Tenses by Dr. Adeiza Isiaka (17 min.)
- Using Reporting Verbs by Dr. Adeiza Isiaka (12 min.)
- Identifying & Combining Clauses and Sentences by Dr. Adeiza Isiaka (26 min.)
- Using Infinitives by Dr. Adeiza Isiaka (12 min.)
- Using Gerunds by Dr. Adeiza Isiaka (13 min.)
- Definite and Indefinite Articles – The Basic Rules by Dr. Katie Fry (13 min.)
- Using Articles with Generalizations by Dr. Katie Fry (9 min.)
- Using Articles with Countable and Uncountable Nouns by Dr. Katie Fry (9 min.)
- Using Quantifiers by Dr. Katie Fry (10 min.)
- Using a Corpus to Check Grammar by Dr. Katie Fry (10 min.)
- Using Commas Effectively by Dr. Jordana Lobo-Pires (13 min.)
- Using Colons and Semicolons Effectively by Dr. Jordana Lobo-Pires (12 min.)
- Using Brackets and Dashes by Dr. Jordana Lobo-Pires (8 min.)
- Part One: Introduction to Using Corpora to Improve Your Academic Writing by Dr. Katie Fry (11 min.)
- Part Two: Consulting the Contemporary Corpus American English (COCA) to Improve Your Academic Writing by Dr. Katie Fry (24 min.)
- Part Three: Building Your Own Corpus to Improve Your Academic Writing by Dr. Katie Fry (25 min.)
- Preparing to Write a Grant Proposal by Dr. Jane Freeman (57 min.)
- Writing Effective Literature Reviews by Dr. Jane Freeman (66 min.)
- Developing Effective Note-Taking Strategies by Dr. Jane Freeman and Jeff Newman (69 min.)
- Quoting and Paraphrasing: Working with Sources in the Social Sciences and Humanities by Dr. Peter Grav (36 min.)
- Designing Graphics for Publication by Dr. Vaughn Mangal (50 min.)
- Community Engagement: How to Effectively Communicate Research to the Public by Dr. Giulia Rossi (28 min.)
- Writing a Personal Statement for PhD Applications by Stephanie Redekop (34 min.)
- Giving Feedback on Student Writing (for TAs) by Stephanie Redekop (33 min.)
- Building Community in the Online Environment by Dr. Cristina D’Amico (26 min.)
- Preparing your Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Presentation by Dr. Cristina D’Amico (56 min.)
- Strategies for Organizing Your Oral Presentation by Dr. Cristina D’Amico (24 min.)
- Connecting with your Audience Online by Dr. Cristina D’Amico (40 min.)
- Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations by Dr. Cristina D’Amico (28 min.)
- Four PowerPoint Techniques for Academic Presentations by Dr. Matt Jones (42 min.)
- Focus and Listening in Online Meetings by Dr. Matt Jones (37 min.)
- Making Requests Appropriately by Clare Nippard (24 min.)
- Disagreeing Respectfully by Clare Nippard (17 min.)
- Writing Emails with Your Audience in Mind by Clare Nippard (42 min.)
- Building Your Academic Vocabulary by Lina Balsamo (27 min.)
- Improving Your Graduate-Level Reading Skills by Dr. Katie Fry (38 min.)
- Creating and Designing Poster Presentations for Scientific Conferences by Dr. Vaughn Mangal (42 min.)
- Creating Effective Figures by Dr. Peter Sabatini (56 min.)
- Writing CIHR Proposals by Dr. Peter Sabatini (60 min.)
- Citation and Working with Sources in the Physical and Life Sciences by Dr. Peter Grav (26 min.)
- Science Dissemination by Will Staples (70 min.)
For students in Divisions 2, 3, and 4
- Writing Titles and Abstracts by Dr. Peter Grav (40 min.)
- The “I” in IMRD: Writing Effective Research Article Introductions by Dr. Peter Grav (52 min.)
- The “M” in IMRD: Crafting Your Methods Section by Dr. Peter Grav (41 min.)
- The “RD” in IMRD: Strategies for Successful Results and Discussion Sections by Dr. Peter Grav (48 min.)