3 minute thesis competition 2020

• Opportunities

The Pipette Gazette

11 tips for the 3 minute thesis competition.

After coaching both the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and 3-minute post doc competitions at the University of Buffalo, here are my 10 tips for taking 1st   place in the competition:

Start with “Why,” end with “Why.”

As researchers interacting with our peers, we develop a methods-centric style of speaking. This style is based on the assumption that the person you are speaking with already understands the larger context of your research, an assumption which is often incorrect when speaking to a layperson. Instead, start by explaining the problems you are solving so the significance of your work can be clearly understood. Then, end your talk by reiterating this point and offer a “vision of the future” – a world which is different (presumably better) because of your work today.

Lose the details.

There is no such thing as a research subject that is too boring or obscure for 3MT. It’s the challenge of this competition that you must find what is interesting and exciting about your work and convey it succinctly. This information should be in your opening lines so you can hook the audience in. Many students will instinctively start by offering a detailed lecture on their research subject, citing case numbers and describing mechanisms – this is guaranteed to confuse the layperson who will be unable to put these facts and figures into their pre-existing understanding of the world. Start with broad, accessible ideas, work slowly towards the general details of your work, and then finish with more broad, accessible ideas. It should be apparent to the audience at every point what you are saying and why it makes sense. This will make the listener feel all the smarter for having understood you and, consequently, they will be excited for your research.

Tell a story.

You are the storyteller. You need to enthrall your audience so they can understand your research and its significance. Use drama to your advantage. Establish the scene and present the struggle which your research hopes to understand or resolve. A brilliant example of this comes from a student I coached for the 2018 3MT finals at UB, Camila Consiglio, in her talk on sex difference in immune responses. She begins by explaining healthy immunity as a finely tuned “thermostat.” As she explains, “a healthy immune system is strong enough to fight infections and prevent the development of cancer but not so strong that it can attack the body.” She then points out an unexpected finding: “Men are thought to be the stronger sex… but, when it comes to immune responses, men have weaker immune responses and develop more cancer and more infections than women… And women have too strong of an immune response and they develop autoimmunity.” These contrasting ideas of strength vs weakness in immunity between men and women creates a dramatic tension: “why does immunity differ between the sexes?” She then excitedly resolves the tension, saying that “the hand which controls the thermostat is sex hormones .” However, this leads to a new mystery: “which sex hormones? And how do they influence immunity?” The cycle of posing and answering questions through research keeps the listener interested and engaged throughout the remainder of the talk. In my experience, most science-based 3MT talks can implement a similar pattern to enthrall the listener with their research.

The PowerPoint slide is a trap. Do not fall for it.

The PowerPoint slide has long been the downfall of 3MT competitors because it plays upon the most basic instinct of the researcher: the desire to convey complex technical information in PowerPoint form. You must resist this urge. Watch the international 3MT competition – notice that the finalists have little or no information on their slides. That is because they know that, in 3MT, the speaker is the ultimate source of information. When a slide is overloaded with information (especially any significant amount of text), it is a distraction from the speaker. A typical slide on a winning presentation uses the slide to set a mood or tone or to convey a main talking point from which the speech draws upon. An example of this can be found in the slide used by another student I coached, Naila Sahar, in her talk on the contradictions between depiction and reality for Muslim women. Her PowerPoint shows 6 prominent Muslim women who have been depicted as deranged or downtrodden by various media sources. She points out the stark contrast between these “false narratives” and the reality of their inner strength and great accomplishments. The noble and dignified images of these women highlight this point succinctly.

Use The Slide As A Prop.

Additionally, some speakers use their slide as a prop in their talk. My favorite example of this comes from another student I coached, Anne Marie, in her presentation for the 2018 3MT finals at UB. She uses the slide to present a complex and confusing work of modern art in order to generate dramatic tension and mild discomfort for the listener. But, as she talks, the audience actively gains great appreciation for the art and comes to understand its value.

Take the listener on a journey.

Good 3MT talks are interesting. Great 3MT talks are a revelation. The former conveys ideas to the listener. The latter transforms the listener’s world view.  I again return to Anne Marie’s 3MT talk . She challenges the listener’s preconceived notions about modern art, teaches them to understand and appreciate it like she does, and, by the end, the listener has embodied a new outlook on art which will serve them for the rest of their lives. Another superb example comes from another student I coached, Philip Odonkor, with his 1 st place 3MT talk on his research in electrical sensors. His provocative title, “Is your house smarter than a mud hut?,”  encapsulates his challenge to the listener: to recognize that, despite our immense technological advances, our homes are typically as “dumb” as a mud hut. He paints a vision of the future for his audience in which they see themselves living a life of pampered luxury in their smart home. By the end of his talk, the listener believes deeply in the future Phil’s research will create.

Breathe and speak slowly.

Every time you practice your speech, take a few seconds to breathe deeply before you begin. In the competition, the clock does not start until you begin speaking – so you have time to catch your breath and center yourself. If you practice breathing every time, you will remember to do it when you are in the real competition. Also speak slowly – about 50%-65% of your typical speaking speed. In the competition, you will speed up naturally because of anxiety. If you have practiced talking slowly, then you will not speed up too much when under pressure. Additionally, you may forget a line or stumble during the competition. If you have given yourself plenty of breathing room, you can take a moment to re-center without any fear of going overtime.

Don’t tell.

An interesting facet of human learning: we are generally much better at understanding and retaining visual information than information which we hear. If you want to win 3MT, the audience has to see your ideas, not just hear them. That is why the restriction to one slide is there – it forces you to make people see your ideas using only your words, your tone, and your body language. Once you have a final script for your talk, start styling it. Techniques you can easily employ involve pausing, speeding up/slowing down, and getting louder/quieter. These verbal cues add a layer of additional context that helps your audience understand the picture you are painting. Additionally, use your body language to indicate concepts. Your hands and the orientation of your face are the strongest cues. Phil’s 3MT talk is again a wonderful example of all these techniques executed masterfully. At one point, he says “make sense of the world around them, and the people living within ”. On the word “around” he gestures in a wide circle with his hands and then on the syllable “-in” he brings them back into his chest. While the audience is unlikely to consciously notice the motions, they are painting a deeply vivid picture all the same.  Again, notice the hands as he says “as you crawl out of bed , the light automatically adjusts to complement the natural light coming in ” – for each of the italicized words in that sentence, Phil essentially mimed out the concept using his hands and head orientation. See if you can find ways to similarly mime out aspects of your speech as well.

Practice. Win.

Some of you might be thinking you can speak extemporaneously and win 3MT. Think again. A great 3MT presentation combines three layers: (1) the words, (2) the way in which the words are spoken, and (3) the gestures and facial expressions used to help convey meaning. All three must be polished. The words and tone can both be polished by speaking them aloud, recording yourself, and playing it back so you can adjust. When you feel the urge to say “Um” or “Uh”, pause instead. The facial expressions and gestures can be practiced in the mirror or by video recording yourself. In my experience, before you can truly master the tone, timing, and gestures, the words must be committed to memory entirely. Then, once you have your final words, speaking style, and gestures, you can begin to practice over and over until you can consistently do your speech perfectly within the target time limit. 3MT winners often practice at least 50 times over the span of several days before the competition.

Stand on the shoulders of giants.

Watch previous year’s 3MT finals at Queensland University. Emulate aspects of these talks which you like within your own speech. TED talks are another great resource (though few are 3 minutes or less). Additionally, check out great books such as Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” and Chris Anderson’s “TED Talks: The Official Guide to Public Speaking”. I have personally read both books and found them to be immensely valuable resources for prepping for competitions like 3MT.

Remember that you have the opportunity in 3MT to tell your audience about your awesome, exciting research so they can get just as jazzed up about it as you are. Ultimately you are giving them a gift, one that will improve their lives and bring them the joy which comes with learning something new and understanding something complex. A strategy employed by many professional presenters before they begin to speak is to say to themselves “I love my audience, and they love me”. While perhaps a bit egotistical, such rituals are centering for 3MT presenters too because it helps them get into the right headspace: you are here to give the gift of knowledge and understanding, so your audience is going to enjoy hearing your talk and learning about your research.

While 3MT can feel daunting and scary, the simple act of participating and doing your best will make you a better scientist and communicator regardless of whether you win. Also, do not forget that there are many resources to get help if you want it. You can schedule an appointment to speak with me by emailing me at [email protected]  and there are many resources available online for learning the skills to win 3MT such as those provided by Queensland University .

Best of luck!

About The Author

Social Share

Filter by categories

• Alumni News
• Beyond The Bench
• Career Development
• Career Series
• Faculty Spotlight
• Final Words…
• Incoming Student Spotlight
• Meet The Researcher
• Opportunities & Upcoming Events
• Student News
• Words of Wisdom

Recent Posts

• Graduate Student Association Officers 2024-2025
• Announcement: Charlotte Anthony Will Be Leaving UT Health San Antonio
• Shawn Flynn Selected As The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Highlighted Trainee Author For March 2022
• Q & A with John Sanchez, UT Health Link PREP scholar
• Words of WISDOM by Empowered Women

Graduate Education

Office of graduate and postdoctoral education, three minute thesis competition.

2024 3MT Winners

Master's Winner - $1,000     Karina Bhattacharya     MID, Industrial Design     Co-Design with Neurodivergent Students and Recent Graduates to Reimagine Design Education

Winner - $2,000     Alexandra Patterson     Ph.D., Bioengineering     Next Generation At-Home Diagnostics Powered by CRISPR

2nd Place - $1,500     Kantwon Rogers     Ph.D., Computer Science     What Happens When a Robot Lies to You?

3rd Place - $1,000     Valeria Juarez     Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering     Spatially Patterned Immune Organoids for Vaccine Screening

People's Choice - $500     Kantwon Rogers     Ph.D., Computer Science     What Happens When a Robot Lies to You?

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition challenges students to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. 3MT cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills.

Currently enrolled master's and doctoral students who are actively engaged in original research are eligible to participate in the competition. Students must be available to participate in person for one of the preliminary rounds and for the final competition, if selected. 

Learn More About 3MT

Eligibility, rules, judging criteria and more.

Register for the 3MT competition.

See the 3MT competition timeline.

Past Winners

Access the list of past winners and their award-winning presentations.

View past judges for the 3MT competition.

Additional Resources

Award-winning presentations.

Wondering what award-winning Georgia Tech 3MT presentations looks like? Check out the following videos:

• 2020 Second Place Winner, Muhammad Saad Zia, Mitigating Beam Alignment Errors in Millimeter-Wave Communications to Go Beyond 5G
• 2020 Third Place and People's Choice Winner, Megan McSweeney, AptaTrigger: A Novel Biosensor Platform for Point-of-Care Diagnostics
• 2019 Winner, Paola Zanella, Mitigation of Helicopter Accidents Related to Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness
• 2018 Winner, Nusaiba Baker, Oral Delivery of DNA-enzyme Nanoparticles Ameliorates Inflammation in a Murine Model of Ulcerative Colitis

Curious about what award-winning videos from other 3MT competitions include? Check out this link:

• Presentations from competitions around the world

Campus Partners

The Georgia Tech 3MT competition is coordinated by the Office of Graduate Education in partnership with the following campus partners:

• Center for Teaching and Learning
• Communication Center
• Language Institute
• Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education

For more information about the Georgia Tech 3MT competition:

• Contact: Casey Hendricks at [email protected]

Accessibility Information

Download Microsoft Products   >      Download Adobe Reader   >

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland. Ph.D. researchers have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance. The idea behind it is to increase researchers’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills, capacities needed to effectively explain a research topic in three minutes and in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience .

Since its first launch by The University of Queensland in 2008, 3MT® has been held in over  600 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide .

The 3MT® competition organised at the EUI is open to the Ph.D. researchers of all four EUI disciplines who have completed the 1 st year of their studies and who have a clear outline and plan for their research.

The 3MT® competition will not be organised until further notice

How does it work.

• Prepare a presentation of minimum 2 and maximum 3 minutes of your research topic. Only 1 static slide can be used to support the presentation.
• Send a sample video of you speaking for 3 minutes to [email protected] .
• The presentations are held live at the EUI.
• They will be evaluated by a  jury according to an established set of criteria   and also by the audience (“people’s prize”).
• The presentations will be filmed.
• Certificates and prizes will be awarded to the top three winners.
• The videos of the top three winners will be published on the EUI website and widely distributed through the institute’s social media channels.

Why participate?

• To develop your ability to explain your work effectively to a non-specialized audience, a core skill when working in both academic and non-academic environments.
• To help you identify your strengths and weaknesses when communicating a subject as complex as your research, in a clear and concise manner.
• The video of your presentation can be added to your online profile and shared with people interested in your work.
• Last but not least, you might win a prize!

  Watch a 3MT® presentation example

The European Commission supports the EUI through the European Union budget. This website reflects only the views of the author(s), the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Samantha O'Sullivan (Physics / African American Studies)

Gullah Physics: Challenging English Language Hegemony in Science

Second prize expand_more

Sahar Mariam Mohammadzadeh (Government)

The Impact of Twitter on the Supreme Court

Third prize expand_more

Stephanie Alderete (Psychology)

Preschoolers' Ability to Think about Alternative Possibilities

Finalists expand_more

Alex Grayson (Molecular & Cellular Biology)

Comparing Fox and Human Brain Connectivity Patterns

Javin Pombra (Computer Science)

Unraveling the Black Box: Explainability for Artificial Intelligence in the Twenty-First Century

Zelin Liu (Classics / History)

Using the Past to Define Group Identity

Jerrica Li (Comparative Literature)

Diaspora: A Genre for This New Planetary Reality

Jahnavi Rao (Government)

The Spillover Potential of a Nudge

Daiana Lilo (Government / Data Science)

A Great Personality: How Different Characteristics Can Predict Supreme Court Decisions

• Enroll & Pay
• 2022 3MT® In-Person Competition
• 2021 3MT® Virtual Competition
• 2020 3MT® Virtual Competition

2021 3MT® Competition Winners

1st Place Winner | Jacob R. Immel

Learn more about Jacob's research

2nd Place & People's Choice Award Winner | Ayotunde Paul Ikujuni

Learn more about Paul's research

3 Minute Thesis Competition

VPGE will host Stanford’s inaugural 3-minute thesis competition! The final round of the competition will be held on April 17, 2025.

3 Minute Thesis

Main navigation.

The 3 Minute Thesis competition celebrates graduate student scholarship, cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills and supports students’ capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a lay audience.

Join us for the final 3MT competition on Thursday, April 17, 2025 in the Hauck Auditorium at Traitel from 4-6pm. Reception and award ceremony to follow. 

Why Compete?

• Connect with scholars across disciplines: the final competitors will be chosen from across the schools.
• Professional development: students will receive personalized support for communicating their scholarship.
• Show off your scholarship: in addition to the in-person audience students will receive a professionally-cut video of their talk for personal use.

Who is Eligible?

• Current Stanford graduate students who have successfully advanced to candidacy by Tuesday, December 17, the date of the first video submission deadline.
• Presentations must be based on original dissertation research, showcase new knowledge, and provide research results. 
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (no poems, raps, or songs).
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through speech.
• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement’) and is to be presented from the beginning of the oration.
• No additional electronic media (e.g., sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Prize Money

• Winner: $5,000
• 2nd place: $3,000
• 3rd place: $1,000
• People’s Choice: $500

Submission Process / Dates 

• Application opens on Sunday, December 15 . 
• To enter the competition, graduate students must submit a three-minute (maximum) video file of their presentation. You may use a single static slide or some kind of poster in the background to illustrate your talk, but you must be visible and speaking to the camera during the whole presentation. Please note: Submissions will not be judged on the video recording quality or editing capabilities. 
• Video submissions are due Sunday, January 19 . 
• 10 finalists will be selected by Monday, February 17 .
• Finalists must be available to present in the final competition on April 17, 2025 , from 4-6pm.
• Watch Stanford's own Tharika Liyanage , 2021 Asia-Pacific 3MT Finalist
• Watch 3MT presentations from around the world

For more information, contact us at [email protected] .

Florida State University

FSU | The Graduate School

Main navigation Pulldown

The graduate school, three minute thesis (3mt™).

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland, Australia. The exercise develops academic, presentation, and research communication skills and supports the development of students' capacities to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience.

Doctoral students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their dissertation topic and its significance. 3MT™ encourages students to consolidate their ideas and crystalize their research discoveries.

Congratulate the 2023 3MT Winners!

1st Place:  Hyosoon Yim

Sport Management Promoting Sport Participation among Older Adults: Application of the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

2nd Place:  Tania Sultana

Biomedical Sciences ZIKV NS3 Drives Assembly of a Viroplasm-Like Structure (VLS)

3rd Place:  Meng Tian

Communication The Stereotypes of Female eSports Players

People's Choice:  John Akintola

Chemistry and Biochemistry Functional Polyelectrolyte Complexes

2023 3MT Competition Finalists!

Sima Sabbagh

Neuroscience Unmasking the Architects of the Brain: Marvelous FMRP

Art Education Art May Facilitate Community Building to Alleviate Chinese International Students' Alienation

Andre Juliao

Condensed Matter Experimental Physics Nb3Sn for Axion Detection

Hemant Goswami

Molecular Biophysics Development of an Ultrasensitive and Rapid Virus Detection Method Based on CRISPR-Cas Enzyme

Toshiaki Kanai

Physics  Quantum Computer on Solid Neon 

Qiushan Liu

Developmental Psychology Investigating Strategy Flexibility in Algebra

Click here to read the FSU News Article

Click here to see the 2023 3MT Competition Gallery

Your graduate research. 3 minutes. 1 slide.

Why Participate?

Skills development for research candidates Participating in 3MT develops academic, presentation and research communication skills, while developing research candidates’ ability to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Building external relations for the university 3MT winners go on to represent FSU at regional and national competitions which provides an excellent networking and professional development opportunity. 

Are you eligible?

Currently enrolled doctoral students at Florida State University are eligible to participate in the 3MT™. 3MT® presentations must represent the primary research the student has conducted in their graduate program.

Master's students are not eligible.

What are the prizes?

• 1st Place -  $1,000
• 2nd Place -  $750
• 3rd Place -  $500
• People's Choice (selected by the audience): $250

What are the judging criteria?

At every level of the competition each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience.

Comprehension and content

• Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research

Engagement and communication

• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention

What are the rules?

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description), and the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration and remain in view for the duration of the oration.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum, and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• The decision of the judging panel is final.

Helpful Resources

• Click here to view the Three Minute Thesis Virtual Competition Handbook.

3MT Recording/Editing Links

• OpenShot Editing Video
• Kapwing Website
• 3MT Workshop Recording of Kapwing Editor: this video is a demonstration of the software
• Kapwing Tutorial
• FSU Canvas Support Center Tutorial : Best Practices for Student Video Production (iMovie and Movie Maker)
• Vimeo Website

Past 3MT™ Competitions

Fall 2023 3MT™

Doctoral student in Sport Management, Hyosoon Yim took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000. Read more .

Fall 2022 3MT™

Doctoral student in Science Education, Dionne Wilson took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000. Read more .

Fall 2021 3MT™

Doctoral student in Art Education, Chris Omni took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000.  Read more.

Fall 2020 3MT™

Mark Duslak (Educational Leadership & Policy Studies) and Matthew Martenson (Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences) finished first this year. Read more.

Fall 2019 3MT™

Judges selected Alyssa Henderson (Physics)and Sara Jones (Biomedical Sciences) as this year’s first-place winners. Read more.

Fall 2018 3MT™

Doctoral student in biological science, Eve Humphrey took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000. Read more.

Fall 2017 3MT™

For the first time, a student from the College of Education, Shannon Gooden (Teacher Education), won the $1,000 prize. Read more.

Fall 2016 3MT™

Madhuparna Roy (Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering)won first place in this year's competition. Read more.

Fall 2015 3MT™

Aniket Ingrole (Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering) won first place in the 3MT™ competition. Read more.

Fall 2014 3MT™

Kimberly Smith (Neuroscience) won first place in this year's 3MT™ competition. Read more.

View the past 3MT competition galleries

Cookie Acknowledgement

This website uses cookies to collect information to improve your browsing experience. Please review our Privacy Statement for more information.

Auburn University Homepage

• Administration
• Toggle Search
• Find People

Events Calendar

• Auburn University Events Calendar
• Past Events

2020 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020 at 8am-4pm

• Share 2020 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition on Facebook
• Share 2020 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition on Twitter
• Share 2020 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition on LinkedIn

About this Event

255 Heisman Drive Auburn, Alabama 36849

The 3MT is an academic competition that challenges graduate students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. 3MT celebrates the discoveries made by research students and encourages you to communicate the importance of your research to the broader community.

Event Details

Target Audience

See Who Is Interested

0 people are interested in this event

Your browser does not support iframes.

User Activity

No recent activity

Our websites may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, you agree to this collection. For more information, please see our University Websites Privacy Notice .

The Graduate School

3mt three minute thesis competition, what is the 3mt® three minute thesis.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) celebrates the exciting research conducted by Doctoral students around the world. Developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), the competition cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. Presenting in a 3MT® competition increases your capacity to effectively explain your research in  three minutes , in a language appropriate to an intelligent non-specialist audience.

2022 competition

For 2022, UConn’s 3MT competition has two main components:

• Doctoral students should submit a draft video of their presentation by July 31 for consideration to be selected as a finalist.
• Finalists will be selected and invited to present their presentation live on Monday, August 22 12:00-1:30 (EST) where a panel of judges will decide on who will advance to the national and international 3MT competitions.

UConn’s 2022 Competition Checklist for Presenters

To keep up with the latest information and to register for the 2022 competition, complete this form .

Learn More About the Competition

Watch our fifteen-minute virtual info-session , recorded on Thursday, June 2, to learn more about:

•   Why to take part in UConn’s competition
•   What makes a good 3MT presentation
•   How to create and submit your draft submission video in Flipgrid

Prepare for the Competition

Attend a virtual workshop:

“How to Shape Your Research for a 3MT Presentation” View the webinar here In this 30-minute virtual webinar, we discussed:

• How to create a narrative story from your research
• Ways to show the impact of your research to a general academic audience

“Preparing for the Best Three Minute Presentation of Your Life”

View the webinar here

Learn how to transform your research into a succinct and compelling presentation. The workshop, led by Dr. Rory McGloin, will focus on using narrative story techniques to help organize and highlight the most engaging elements of your research designed to help prepare you to present your 3MT presentation on.

Record and Submit Your Presentation

Submissions have been received. Thank you to all who have participated this year.

Attend a 3MT Prep Session (For Finalists)

The Graduate School will be hosting one-on-one appointments for Finalists to do a test run of their presentations.

Monday, August 8  through Wednesday, August 17 Virtual

UConn’s 3MT Finals

Whether or not you are a finalist, come and join us to hear a wonderful variety of 3MT presentations and to see who UConn will be advancing to the NAGS North-American 3MT competition and U21 World-wide 3MT competition.

Monday, August 22nd Time: 12:00-1:30 Virtual

See our 2021 winners:

Shipra malik (advanced to u21 competition), tommy lee (advanced to nags competition), corrin laposki, contact information.

860-486-3617

[email protected]

The Whetten Graduate Center, Second Floor University of Connecticut 438 Whitney Road Extension, Unit-1152 Storrs, CT 06269-1152

8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday

UConn Today

• From Gun Violence Prevention to Biomedical Engineering, Three Inventors Share Their Stories
• Three Strategies to Help College Students Pick the Right Major the First Time Around and Avoid Some Big Hassles
• Failures of the Reconstruction: The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic
• Patient Pain Free and Swinging a Golf Club After Cervical Disc Replacements
• Brazilian Man Suffering Rare Neurological Disorder Finds Hope and Home in Connecticut

Upcoming Defenses

• Aug 20 Doctoral Dissertation Oral Defense of Farzaneh Rastegari 2:00 PM
• Aug 20 Doctoral Dissertation Oral Defense of Zhiqiao Zeng 3:00 PM
• Aug 21 Doctoral Dissertation Oral Defense of Melissa Stalega 1:00 PM
• Aug 23 Doctoral Dissertation Oral Defense of Venkatraman Nagarajan 9:00 AM

View all Upcoming Defenses

• Organizing Committee
• Join ICIP Mailing List
• Call for Papers
• Call for Special Sessions
• Call for Tutorials
• Call for Challenge Sessions
• Paper Submission
• No Show Policy
• Important Dates
• Preparing and Uploading Your Video Presentation
• Information & Signup
• Registration
• Program at a Glance
• Technical Program
• List of Accepted Papers
• Plenary Speakers
• Special Sessions
• Women in Signal Processing
• Author Ethics Workshop
• TAB CoS Webinar
• Video and Image Processing Cup
• 5-Minute Video Clip Contest
• 3-Minute Thesis Competition
• Young Professionals in Signal Processing
• Industry Workshops
• Student Job Fair

3 Minute Thesis Competition

Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 5-6 PM

  About 3MT®

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®)  is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ) which challenges research higher degree students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just three minutes in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

The virtual competition rules are available at https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/virtual-competition-rules .

• Muzammil Behzad , University of Oulu, with a thesis named “Reading Beyond Faces”

Judging Criteria

See  threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/resources/judging-criteria .

Judging Panel

Organizers 

Jorge Dias (KU) , Gozde Akar (METU).

• Find Workshops
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• Travel Award
• Individual Development Plans
• Competitions Overview

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®)

• Past Winners
• Competitions
• Three Minute Thesis®

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland. The competition develops academic, presentation, and research communication skills and supports the development of students' capacities to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience.

During each competition, graduate students will have three minutes to present a compelling discussion on their research topic, including its significance and relevance, to the general public. 3MT® is not an exercise in trivializing or "dumbing down" research, instead, it forces competitors to consolidate their ideas and crystallize their research discoveries. This is a fast-paced competition where the top 10 finalists compete by summarizing their two to three-plus years of research in only three minutes with only one slide.  Cash awards are given to the winner, runner-up, and People's Choice Award winner.

3MT® at Purdue

Enrolled graduate students in all disciplines at Purdue University are eligible to participate in 3MT®. Research presented must have been conducted at Purdue University, not from a previous degree, and should be in the final stages so students have some sound conclusions and impacts to present. Purdue Alumni are not eligible to participate.

Purdue holds its annual 3MT® competition early each spring. It is a celebration of the discoveries made by graduate students and will allow the broader community to learn about ongoing research at Purdue. It is free and open to the public. Cash awards are given to the winner, runner-up, and People's Choice Award winner.

2024 Competition Timeline

• Friday, February 9, 11:59 PM -  Faculty Nominations Due
• Monday, March 3, 11:59 PM - Student Submissions Due
• Monday, April 14  - Rehearsal, Fowler Hall 5:00 p.m. EST - mandatory
• Tuesday, April 15 -  Competition, Fowler Hall, 7:00 p.m. EST

 Cash Awards

• 1st place $5,000 
• 2nd place $3,000 
• People's Choice $2,000 

A panel of judges will select the first and second-place winners, while the People's Choice Award will be selected by the audience.

2024 Winners

First place: kevin alessandro bautista, engineering.

Second Place: Thomas Clarke, Science

People’s Choice: Jeanine Arana, Agriculture

Graduate Student Submissions

The Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars welcomes submissions from all Purdue University disciplines. 

Please read the 3MT® competition rules in the drop-down button below.

Video Competitor Guide

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or "movement" of any description).
• No additional electronic media (e.g., sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments or laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to three minutes maximum, and competitors exceeding three minutes are disqualified.
• The decision of the judging panel is final, and People's Choice voting results will not be released.
• All presentations will be videotaped and will appear on the graduate school 3MT® website.
• Students who are over the cost of attendance allowance may not be eligible for prizes.

Each 3MT® presentation will be judged based on communication style, comprehension, and engagement. Please view our archive of video presentations made by past winners .

Please email the program administrators at  [email protected]  if you have any questions!

University of South Florida

Office of Graduate Studies

Main navigation, three minute thesis (3mt®) at usf.

The Office of Graduate Studies and the Graduate and Professional Student Council are proud to present USF's 3 Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®)!

The Three Minute Thesis, or 3MT®, is an annual competition held at over 200 universities world wide, open to graduate students who present their research in less than 3 minutes, with only one static slide.

Winning presentations are engaging stories that are understood by the broader audience, requiring little expertise in the research area. The competition cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. The idea is for students to orally present the significance of their dissertation or thesis using a single static slide in just three minutes.

WORKSHOP: Preparing a Winning 3MT® Presentation

Date: October 4, 2023 (Most recent)  Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Description

Presented by Ruth Bahr, PhD, Dean, Office of Graduate Studies and Tracy Costello, PhD, Director, Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

The Three Minute Thesis , or 3MT® , is an annual competition held at over 200 universities worldwide, open to graduate students who present their research in less than 3 minutes, with only one static slide.  Winning presentations are engaging stories that are understood by the broader audience, requiring little expertise in the research area. 

This lecture is designed to help you understand and develop your best 3MT® presentation so that you're prepared to enter the USF competition in October 2023.  We'll share tips for success including how to frame your research for any audience and considerations for your slide's design. 

The winner and runner-up of the USF competition receive travel awards and are additionally supported to travel and present in the Council of Graduate Schools 3MT® competitions at the 2024 Council of Florida Graduate Schools Conference and the 2024 Council of Southern Graduate Schools Conference, schedule and funding permitting.  

Pictured from left to right: Asim Waqas, Anna Gonzalez, Reham Abuemira (People's choice) , Indira Goldman, Darrail Abercrombie, Alex Seigel, William Cromwell (Runner-up) , Martha McAlister, Alexandra Zamitalo (First Place), Dean Ruth Bahr. 2023 3MT® Competition.

Pictured: 2023 Participants compete with 3MT® presentations during the USF Finals Heat held on the Tampa campus. 

Judges will rate the student's ability to effectively present their research to a multidisciplinary audience in accessible and engaging non-technical language. Developed by The University of Queensland in 2008, enthusiasm for the concept and its adoption in numerous universities has also led to the development of an international competition.

Now, 3MT® is held in over 900 universities across more than 80 countries worldwide.

Why Participate?

Skills Development

Participating in 3MT® develops academic, presentation and research communication skills, while developing research candidates’ ability to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Culture of Research

3MT® provides a valuable opportunity for researchers to come together (live or virtually), get to know one another and talk about their research. It also provides a supportive environment in which schools, institutes and universities can provide presentation skills training.

Networking Opportunities

3MT® winners may go on to represent their university at national and international 3MT® competitions which provides an excellent networking and professional development opportunity. Previous 3MT® finalists have benefited from invitations to a variety of other networking events following their participation in the competition.

A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description, the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration).

No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.

No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.

Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.

Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs).

Presentations are to commence from the stage.

Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.

The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Comprehension & Content

Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question.

Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research.

Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes, and impact of the research.

Engagement & Communication

The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience.

The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation.

The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

An important aspect of the competition is the People’s Choice prize. Following all presentations, the audience is asked to vote on who they thought gave the most convincing 3MT® presentation (based on their understanding of the criteria outline above). A finalist can be the winner or runner-up and still receive the People’s Choice award.

ELIGIBILITY

Active Ph.D. and Professional Doctorate (Research) candidates who have successfully passed their confirmation milestone (including candidates whose thesis is under submission) by the date of their first presentation are eligible to participate in 3MT® competitions at all levels. Graduates are not eligible.

• 3MT® Competitor Guide
• FAQs for Competitors

USF holds a series of heats during the fall semester. Winners of the heats go on to compete in the USF 3MT® Finals, which typically take place in early November. 

• First Place: $300
• Runner-up (Second Place): $200
• People's Choice: $100

The First Place Winner moves forward to represent USF at the regional 3MT® competition the following spring.

VIEW: USF 3MT® Winners

First Place: Alexandra Zamitalo Title: Intraocular Marvels: Revolutionizing Techniques for Studying the Eye College: College of Engineering Program: Medical Engineering

Runner-up: William Cromwell Title: The ABOs of Cerebral Malaria College: College of Medicine Program: Medical Sciences

People's Choice: Reham Abuemira Title: Telecollaboration as an Approach to Facilitating Intercultural Communicative Competence and Exposure to Arabic Varieties in Arabic as Foreign Language Classrooms in the US: Exploring Teachers' Perspectives and Practices College: College of Education Program: Technology in Education and Second Language Acquisition

First Place: Kanchana Karunarathne Title: Coloring In Memory: Fluorescent Dyes as a Candidate for Oligomer Detection in Alzheimer’s Disease College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Physics

Runner-up: Efrain Gonzalez Title: Know the Unknown College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Mathematics and Statistics

People's Choice: Shelby Kell Title: One-size-fits-all: Pharmaceuticals For Human Health Care College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Chemistry

First Place: Aditya Chakraborty Title:  A Data-Driven Analytical Process to Monitor Pancreatic Cancer Survival Time College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Mathematics and Statistics

Runner-up: Jing Chen Title:  Membrane Proteins: Starting From a Binary Switch College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology

People's Choice: Minglu Sun Title:  The Effect of the Drug Abuse Prevention Programs on Domestic Violence College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Economics

First Place: Tiffany Miller Title:   Sniffing out COVID-19 with a Gas Sensor Array College: College of Engineering Program: Electrical Engineering

Runner-up: Celine Atkinson Title:  Climate Change, Gut Microbes, and You College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology

People's Choice: Poonan Lathiya Title:   Biotelemetry College: College of Engineering Program: Electrical Engineering

First Place: Aya Elmarsafawi Title:   Long Live Memory Cells College: Morsani College of Medicine Program: Molecular Medicine (Immunology)

Runner-up: Zeinab Motawe Title:   Having a Stroke? Take a Chill Pill! College: Morsani College of Medicine Program: Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology

People's Choice: Sandra Hornung Title:   Respiratory Syncytial Virus Accessorizes Human Proteins College: Morsani College of Medicine Program: Integrated Biomedical Sciences

First Place: Christian Brown Title:   Salamanders in the Sky and How They Try to Fly College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Integrative Biology

Runner-up: Abhijeet Iyer Title:   Air Pollution – Think Inside the Box College: College of Engineering Program: Chemical Engineering

People's Choice: Wainella Isaacs Title:   The Social and Technical Life of Drinking Water Tanks College: College of Engineering Program: Civil and Environmental Engineering

First Place: Karena Nguyen Title:   Parasites, People and the Changing Climate College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Integrative Biology

Second Place: Earnest Hansley Title:   Identification of Individuals from Ears College: College of Engineering Program: Computer Science and Engineering

People's Choice: Saurav Chakraborty Title:   El Niño Neutral Condition and its Influence on the Development of Hurricanes College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Geography

First Place: Kevin Orner Title:   Nutrient Removal and Energy Recovery from Digester Effluent College: College of Engineering Program: Environmental Engineering

Second Place: Karena Nguyen Title:   A Mechanistic Framework for Temperature-Dependent Disease Dynamics: A Novel Approach with Dynamic Energy Budget Theory College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: Integrative Biology

People's Choice: Dagmara Monfort Title:   Self-Assembling Nanoparticles for Treatment of Genetic Diseases College: College of Engineering Program: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering

First Place: Simon Bello Title:   Development of an Implantable Pressure Regulating Pump for Glaucoma Studies College: College of Engineering Program: Electrical Engineering

Second Place: Elan Pavlinich Title:   Counterfeit Feminism in Disney's Maleficent College: College of Arts and Sciences Program: English

People's Choice: Parveen Bazard Title:   Plasmonic Stimulation of Electrically Excitable Biological Cells College: College of Engineering Program: Chemical Engineering

Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools

• Log in/Register Register

https://www.vitae.ac.uk/events/three-minute-thesis-competition/three-minute-thesis-competition

This page has been reproduced from the Vitae website (www.vitae.ac.uk). Vitae is dedicated to realising the potential of researchers through transforming their professional and career development.

• Vitae members' area

Vitae Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition

Watched globally by an audience of thousands, the Vitae Three Minute Thesis® challenges doctoral candidates to present a compelling spoken presentation on their research topic and its significance in just three minutes.

The Vitae 3MT® 2024 competition sponsored by Universal Impact will be broadcast online on  Wednesday 2 October 2024 12:30-13:15 (GMT+1)

To re-live the excitement of the 3MT® 2023 competition final, you can watch the recording of the   live broadcast.

Congratulations to the Judge’s Choice Winner Sarah Warbis  (below image on the left) University of Bath and to  Ridzuan A-Rasid  (below image on the right) from Loughborough University for winning the People’s Choice Award.

Three Minute Thesis challenges doctoral candidates to present a compelling spoken presentation on their research topic and its significance in just three minutes.

®3MT is an academic competition developed by the University of Queensland, Australia. Its success has led to the establishment of local and national competitions in several countries.

Since 2014 Vitae have proudly hosted the UK ®3MT competition which is the culmination of finalists from Vitae member Higher Education Institutions throughout the UK.

Competition rules and branding requirements

Competition resources

Vitae 3MT FAQ's

Benefits of running a 3MT competition

Top tips for communicating research in this useful guide to presenting your research effectively and with confidence Taylor & Francis

Vitae 3MT® 2024

Get inspired from the Vitae 3MT broadcast of the 2023 final

If your institution is new to the Vitae 3MT competition, please ensure you also register with the University of Queensland

How to hold your competition virtually . Find out more here

Important dates for the competition:

• Deadline to send in your institutional winning video for the Vitae 3MT competition is Friday 28 June 2024
• The Vitae 3MT® 2024 competition will be broadcast online on Wednesday 2 October 2024

Vitae 3MT® competition archives

Vitae 3MT 2023

Vitae 3MT 2022

Vitae 3MT 2021

Vitae 3MT 2020

Vitae 3MT 2019

Vitae 3MT 2018

Vitae 3MT 2017

Vitae 3MT 2016

Vitae 3MT 2015

Vitae 3MT 2014

Thoughts from a past winner: How much impact can the competition have?

Inspirational tips and advice from previous finalists and as a researcher developer organising the competition

Bookmark & Share

• Student Services Online
• Class search
• Student email
• Change my password
• MyCDES+ (job board)
• Course outlines
• Learning essentials
• Libraries and Learning Services
• Forms, policies and guidelines
• Campus Card
• Enrol in courses
• Postgraduate students
• Summer school
• AskAuckland
• Student Hubs
• Student IT Hub
• Student Health and Counselling
• Harassment, bullying, sexual assault and other violence
• Complaints and incidents
• Career Development and Employability Services (CDES)
• Ratonga Hauātanga Tauira | Student Disability Services (SDS)
• Rainbow support
• Covid-19 information for our community
• Emergency information
• Report concerns, incidents and hazards
• Health and safety topics
• Staff email
• Staff intranet
• ResearchHub
• PeopleSoft HR
• Forms register
• Careers at the University
• Education Office
• Early childhood centres
• University Calendar
• Opportunities
• Update your details
• Make a donation
• Publications
• Photo galleries
• Video and audio
• Career services
• Virtual Book Club
• Library services
• Alumni benefits
• Office contact details
• Alumni and friends on social media
• No events scheduled for today You have no more events scheduled for today
• Next event:
• Show {0} earlier events Show {0} earlier event
• Event_Time Event_Name Event_Description
• My Library Account
• Change Password
• Edit Profile
• My GPA Grade Point Average About your GPA GPA not available Why can't I see my GPA?
• My Progress
• Points Required Completed points My Progress Progress not available All done!
• Student hubs
• Health and counselling
• All support
• Health, safety and well-being

Breadcrumbs List.

• News and opinion

Feather detective Inka wins Three Minute Thesis contest

15 August 2024

Faculty of Science , Environment , Sustainable impact

A snappy presentation on seabird biology won Inka Pleiss the University of Auckland's Three Minute Thesis competition.

“To a seabird physiologist, a feather represents a treasure trove of biological data,” says Inka Pleiss, a PhD student in the School of Biological Sciences.

“Hormones extracted from feathers tell us about the stress levels of a bird, stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen tell us where a bird was feeding and on what, and feather colour can even tell us about the availability of food.”

That was the start of her winning talk in the University’s Three Minute Thesis competition, which requires doctoral students to distil the essence of their research into a snappy presentation.

Pleiss hopes using feathers and blood samples to study the native sooty shearwater or tītī will help in gauging how the birds will adapt to climate change.

She will compete in the Asia-Pacific 3MT Virtual Competition (run by the University of Queensland) and the U21 3MT Virtual Competition.

The 2024 runner-up was Isurie Akarawita (Faculty of Engineering) for Smart Chewing Robots, and the People’s Choice Award went to Logan Ritchie (Auckland Bioengineering Institute) for Percolation and Stretchy Conductors – the Role of Structure.  Videos of all the finalists are here. 

Media contact

Paul Panckhurst | media adviser M: 022 032 8475 E: paul.panckhurst@auckland.ac.nz

Related links

• UoA Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition