3 minute thesis psychology

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

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• Three Minute Thesis

Preparing your 3MT presentation

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• Eligibility, Rules and Judging Criteria
• Sussex 3MT 2023
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• Sussex 3MT 2018
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NOTE: Familiarise yourself with the 3MT rules and judging criteria  before starting your preparation. This guidance is taken from the University of Queensland's  official 3MT competitor resources .

Even the world’s best public speakers prepare before important presentations. To assist you with your preparations, please find a few suggestions below that will help you in writing your presentation, creating your slide and practising your verbal presentation.

Drafting your 3MT

Write for your audience The judges will look for evidence that you can explain your research to a non-specialist audience. You may like to:

• avoid jargon and academic language
• explain concepts and people important to your research - you may know all about Professor Smith’s theories but your audience may not
• highlight the outcomes of your research, and the desired outcome
• imagine that you are explaining your research to a close friend or fellow student from another field
• convey your excitement and enthusiasm for your subject

Tell a story

• You may like to present your 3MT as a narrative, with a beginning, middle and end.
• It’s not easy to condense your research into three minutes, so you may find it easier to break your presentation down into smaller sections.
• Try writing an opener to catch the attention of the audience, then highlight your different points, and finally have a summary to restate the importance of your work.

Have a clear outcome in mind

• Know what you want your audience to take away from your presentation.
• Try to leave the audience with an understanding of what you’re doing, why it is important, and what you hope to achieve.
• Proof your 3MT presentation by reading it aloud, firstly to yourself and then to an audience of friends and family.
• Ask for feedback.
• Ask your audience if your presentation clearly highlights what your research is  about and why it is important.

Creating your 3MT slide

Before you start work on your slide, you should take the following rules into account:

• one single static PowerPoint slide is permitted;
• no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description are permitted;
• your slide is to be presented from the beginning of your oration; and
• no additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.

Suggestions

You may like to consider some of the following suggestions:

• Less is more : text and complicated graphics can distract your audience – you don’t want them to read your slide instead of listening to your 3MT. 
• Personal touches : personal touches can allow your audience to understand the impact of your research.
• Creativity drives interest : do not rely on your slide to convey your message – it should simply complement your oration.
• Work your message : think about how your slide might be able to assist with the format and delivery of your presentation – is there a metaphor that helps explain your research?
• An engaging visual presentation can make or break any oration, so make sure your slide is  legible, clear and concise .

Practising your 3MT presentation

Practice, practice, practice Feeling nervous before you present is natural, and sometimes a little nervousness can even be beneficial to your overall speech. Nonetheless, it is important to practice so you can present with confidence and clarity. Practicing will also help you gauge the timing of your 3MT so that you keep within the time limit.

Vocal range

• Speak clearly and use variety in your voice (fast/slow, loud/soft).
• Do not rush - find your rhythm.
• Remember to pause at key points as it gives the audience time to think about what you are saying.

Body language

• Stand straight and confidently.
• Hold your head up and make eye contact.
• Never turn your back to the audience.
• Practise how you will use your hands and move around the stage. It is okay to move around energetically if that is your personality, however it is also appropriate for a 3MT presentation to be delivered from a single spot on stage.
• Do not make the common mistakes of rolling back and forth on your heels, pacing for no reason or playing with your hair as these habits are distracting for the audience.

Record yourself

• Record and listen to your presentation to hear where you pause, speak too quickly or get it just right.
• Then work on your weaknesses and exploit your strengths.

Look to the stars!

• Watch your role models such as academics, politicians and journalists, and break down their strengths and weaknesses.
• Analyse how they engage with their audience.
• Visit  the Queensland 3MT website , the Vitae 3MT webpages or search YouTube to view presentations from previous 3MT finalists.
• While there is no dress code, if you are unsure of how to dress you may like to dress for a job interview or an important meeting. It is important that you feel comfortable so you can focus on your presentation.
• If you are presenting on a stage that has a wooden floor, be aware of the noise your footwear might make.
• Do not wear a costume of any kind as this is against the rules (as is the use of props).

Further resources

There are many resources available online for further help. Useful ones might include:

Presenting your research effectively and with confidence - By previous 3MT finalists (Taylor & Francis resource)

How a competition changed my academic life - By Jamie Khoo, 2018 UK People's Choice winner

Is it worth doing the three minute thesis?  - By Mary Woessner, Victoria University

How to win the 3 minute thesis  - By Dr Inger Mewburn (aka @thesiswhisperer)

Making the most of your 3 minutes  - Simon Clews, University of Melbourne

Talk nerdy to me  - Melissa Marshall's TED talk

Vitae's 3MT webpages

These guidance pages are part of the University of Queensland's official 3MT competitor resources

E : [email protected]

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2024 UW Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

About | Theme | Eligibility Criteria | Prizes | Timeline | Proposal Submission Form | Proposal Guidelines & Selection Criteria | Preliminary Round | Past Winners | FAQs | Contact

UW 3MT® is a professional development competition that celebrates the exciting capstone and research experiences of master’s and doctoral students at the University of Washington from all three campuses. The competition supports graduate students’ capacity to effectively explain their research or capstone project in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a public audience. This event is a partnership between Graduate Student Affairs in The Graduate School and the UW Libraries Research Commons .

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition originally developed by the University of Queensland, Australia.

UW Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition Thursday, May 23, 2024 | 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Doors open at 2:30 p.m.) Auditorium, Alder Hall, UW Seattle campus Use entrance at 1310 NE 40th St., Seattle WA, 98105 ( Google map )

Want to see graduate students vie for cash prizes by presenting their exciting capstone or research projects in 3 minutes and using only 1 slide?! The theme this year is Impact. There will be an esteemed panel of judges who will select First Place and Runner up winners and the audience members get to vote for People’s Choice. This free event is open to the UW community.

A reception will follow the presentations and free light foods and refreshments will be available.

Graduate Student Presenters :

The Paperclip is Mightier than the Sword Sherry Gu, Master’s candidate in Applied Bioengineering College of Engineering & UW Medicine

Surgical Scene Understanding Towards Human-Centered Collaboration in Robotic Surgery Niveditha Kalavakonda, Ph.D. candidate in Electrical & Computer Engineering College of Engineering

Race in Clinical Risk Predictions Sara Khor, Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Health Outcomes, Policy and Economics School of Pharmacy

Empowering Parents: Making Mealtime Unstressful  Daisy Ma, Ph.D. candidate in School Psychology College of Education 

Does Paid Leave Help All Parents? Elizabeth Pelletier, Ph.D. candidate in Public Policy & Management Evans School of Public Policy & Governance

Detecting Illegal Trade Risk in U.S. Mahogany Imports Sarah Pollack, Master’s candidate in Quantitative Ecology & Resource Management College of the Environment

Music as Medicine: Exploring the Health Impacts of Music & Its Accessibility in Seattle Public Schools Nicole Stankovic, Master’s candidate in Health Systems & Population Health & Master’s candidate in Music School of Public Health & School of Music 

Healthy Amazonian Gardens: Growing Backyard Gardens in the Peruvian Amazon Fiona Sun, Master’s candidate in Human Centered Design & Engineering College of Engineering

AI in the Forest: Preventing Billions from Burning Sumedh Supe, Master’s candidate in Technology Innovation Global Innovation Exchange Program

From Arteries to Space Stations: How Architected Patterns Lead to Custom Adaptation Sawyer Thomas, Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering College of Engineering

Is the Best Explanation the True Explanation? Apara Venkat, Ph.D. candidate in Statistics College of Arts & Sciences 

Can We Win the War on Cancer Caused by Viruses? Joselyn Landazuri Vinueza, Ph.D. candidate in Microbiology School of Medicine

Go To Top ↑

The theme for this year’s competition is Impact. Impact can be defined as the positive outcome of a critical intervention, social policy, service provision model, legal framework, or technological innovation. How does your graduate research demonstrate impact for the public good? We’re excited to celebrate the influence our graduate students have on the world.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT, you must meet the following criteria:

• You are a University of Washington master’s or doctoral student from any UW campus.
• You have a draft of your final project (e.g. capstone, thesis, or dissertation), including findings and conclusions.
• Only one member of a capstone project team may submit a proposal. If the proposal is selected, the same student who submitted the proposal must be the presenter.
• Your degree will be granted during AY 2023-2024.

3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit a proposal to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.

At the 3MT Competition on May 23, a panel of external judges will select winners for First Place and a Runner Up. A People’s Choice winner will be voted on by the audience.

Proposal Guidelines for Online Preliminary Round

The proposal must address the following components:

Capstone or Research Project Summary

In 300 words or less, please describe your capstone or research project for a general reader (without a lot of discipline-specific jargon or technical language).

Your summary:

– Must be concise and coherent – Does not include a lot of disciplinary jargon – Is understandable to a general, public audience

Theme: Impact

Impact is the theme for this year’s UW Three Minute Thesis. Briefly (300 words) describe how your capstone or research project demonstrates impact.

Proposal Selection Criteria

Successful proposals for preliminary rounds are based on the following two components:

1. Capstone or Research Project Summary

– Is the capstone or research project summary concise and 300 words or less? – Does the summary include a lot of disciplinary jargon? – Is the summary understandable to a general, public audience?

2. Theme: Impact

Does the proposal include how the capstone or research project demonstrate impact in 300 words or less?

Submit Your Proposal

Access the proposal submission form. The deadline is April 23, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. (PDT).

Preliminary Round

If your proposal is selected, you will then have an opportunity to present your capstone or research project in a virtual preliminary round to be held in early May. Successful presenters will be selected to present at the in person 3MT Competition, scheduled for May 23.

Guidance on Preparing Your 3MT Presentation

Review the following tips and resources:

• Preparing for Your 3MT Presentation , University of Queensland
• Tips for Effective Design and Use of the 3MT Slide , Indiana University
• Time to Perfect Your Elevator Pitch , University of Pennsylvania
• How to Write a PhD Elevator Pitch , Academic Positions
• Communication: Two Minutes to Impress , Nature Jobs

Successful presenters will be selected to compete as finalists on competition day, based on the following guidelines:

3MT Competition Day

UW 3MT Competition May 23, 2024, 3:00–4:30 p.m. Seattle campus

In front of a general audience and an esteemed panel of judges, up to 15 graduate student presenters will each compete by doing three-minute presentations about their capstone or research projects.

Past Winners

• First Place – Mayuree Binjolkar , doctoral student in Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Runner Up – Ekta Samani , doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
• People’s Choice – Megan Maerz, doctoral student in Molecular Medicine & Mechanisms of Disease
• First Place – Enrique Saldarriaga , doctoral student in Health Economics and Outcomes Research
• Runner Up – Julia Dreifus , doctoral student in Microbiology
• People’s Choice – Douglas Wagoner, master’s student in Public Administration
• First Place – Beth Halsne , doctoral student in Rehabilitation Science & master’s student in Mechanical Engineering
• Runner Up – Jackie Otting , master’s student in Education (Learning Science & Human Development)
• People’s Choice – Arianne Caudal , doctoral student in Biochemistry
• Event canceled due to COVID-19
• First Place – Barbara Rodriguez Droguett , doctoral student in Built Environment
• Runner Up – Junyue Cao , doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
• People’s Choice – Junyue Cao , doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
• First Place – Amey Khanolka r, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
• Runner Up – Evan Schuster , master’s student in Mechanical Engineering
• People’s Choice – Amey Khanolkar , doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
• First Place – Molly Grear , doctoral student in Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Runner Up – Gabby Barsh , doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
• People’s Choice – Zheng Li , doctoral student in Bioengineering

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens on 3MT Competition Day?

UW 3MT Competition May 23, 2024, 3:00-4:30 p.m. (Doors open at 2:30 p.m.) Auditorium, Alder Hall, UW Seattle campus RSVP for this event.

In front of a general audience and a panel of judges, graduate student presenters will each compete by doing three-minute presentations about their capstone or research projects.

Presenters will be competing for First Place, Runner Up, and People’s Choice Awards.

Who is eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT?

To be eligible to submit a proposal, you must meet the following criteria:

3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit proposals to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.

What is allowed on my 3MT slide?

One single static PowerPoint slide is permitted.

In preparing the slide, remember that ‘less is more.’ It does not have to include text. Visual cues are very effective in assisting the presenter’s explanation of their research. (No slide transitions, video, or animations are permitted).

Can I use sound or video files?

No additional electronic media (e.g. sound, music, animation, and video files) is permitted during the competition.

Can I have props (a 3D printed model, a soccer ball, a microscope, etc.)?

No. Is there a dress code?

Business formal or casual is suggested. Costumes are not allowed. Can I win in more than one category during the competition?

Yes, it is possible to win a place (First or Runner Up) and also win the People’s Choice Award.

Who will be in the audience during the competition?

The audience is often a mix of graduate students, faculty, staff, and University leadership. There will also be supporters of graduate education in attendance, as well as presenters’ family and community members.

[email protected]

2024 UQ 3MT Competition

2024 celebrates the 17 th year of the Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) at The University of Queensland (UQ).

The format of the 2024 UQ 3MT Competition at all levels is to be a live in-person event and all competitors are required to be judged on a live in-person performance.

2024 UQ Key Dates

• NOW - Stay Connected - Like 3MT on  Facebook  and follow us on  Twitter
• NOW - UQ 3MT Competitor Registration Open
• Tuesday 14 May (10:30am)  - Presenting for the 3MT - [CDF - St Lucia Campus]
• Friday 31 May  - Date/time/school/institute/faculty 3MT due to [email protected] (Event Coordinator)
• Friday 31 May - UQ 3MT Competitor Registration Closes
• May - July - All School/Institute/Faculty 3MT Competitions conducted
• Friday 26 July - Faculty/combined Institute winners due to [email protected] (Event Coordinator)
• Wednesday 25 September -   Wildcard 3MT Competition (St Lucia Campus)
• Wednesday 2 October -   UQ 3MT Final (St Lucia Campus)
• Wednesday 30 October - Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT Final

School / Institute 3MT Competitions

To register as a competitor for the 2024 UQ 3MT Competition you will need to complete the Competitor Registration Form.

Your HLO/3MT Event Coordinator will contact you to confirm your participation and provide additional details about your schools 3MT competition. Please contact your School/Institute's HLO if you have any questions about participating in 3MT.

The School/Institute/Faculty heats for the UQ 3MT Competition are listed below:

Faculty / All Institute 3MT Finals

Uq 3mt wildcard competition - september.

The 2024 UQ 3MT Wildcard Competition  will be held on Wednesday 25 September and will bring together the People's Choice winners, representing each of UQ's 6 Faculties and Combined-Institute 3MT Final competitions. The winner of this event will advance to the UQ 3MT Final as the Wildcard entrant.

Wildcard 3MT Competition Date: Wednesday 25 September 2024 Competition:  1:45pm guest registration for a 2:00pm start, competition concludes at 3:00pm Location : Terrace Room, L6, Sir Llew Edwards Building (14) St Lucia, QLD 4072

UQ 3MT Final - October

The 2024 UQ 3MT Final  will be held on Wednesday 2 October and will bring together the 8 finalists, representing each of UQ's 6 Faculties, the winner of the Combined-Institute competition and a Wildcard entrant .

UQ 3MT Final Date: Wedneday 2 October Competition:  5:15pm arrival for a 5:30pm start Location:  GHD Auditorium, Advanced Engineering Building (49-200 ), St Lucia, QLD 4072

Competitor Registration and Process - UQ Competitors

To register as a competitor for the 2024 3MT Competition please complete the Competitor Registration Form. 

Your HLO/3MT Event Coordinator will contact you to confirm your participation and provide additional details about your schools 3MT competition.

Below outlines a step-by-step process for competitors and 3MT event coordinators for the School/Institute and Faculty Final levels of the UQ 3MT competition:

• To compete in the 2024 UQ 3MT Competition all HDR candidates will need to complete the Competitor Registration Form.
• HLO/3MT Event Coordinator to provide instructions to competitors regarding their competition heat.
• Competitors to prepare their 3MT presentations.
• Personal details;
• 3MT PowerPoint slide.
• School/Institute/Faculty to promote their 3MT competitions.
• School/Institute/Faculty HLO/3MT Event Coordinator to email event materials and 3MT PowerPoint slides to judging panel.
• Personal details; and

3MT Information Session for HDR Candidates

Please find below the recording and slides for the 3MT Information Session for HDR Candidates.

• 3MT Information Session for HDR Candidates 2024 - recording
• 3MT Information Session for HDR Candidates 2024 - slides

3MT Training and Development Sessions

Please find below the details to register for Presenting for the 3MT.

Presenting for the 3MT Date: Tuesday 14 May 2024 Time:  10:30am - 12:00pm Location:  50-N202 - Hawken Engineering Building, Learning Theatre, St Lucia Campus Registration

Communicating qualitative research Date:  Monday 20 May 2024 Time: 10:00am - 11:30am Location: Webinar Registration

Impactful Presentations: Delivering with Confidence Date: Monday 15 July Tims:  9:30am - 1:30pm Location: Herston Registration

Presenting your research Date: Friday 2 August 2024 Time: 10:00am - 11:30am Location: Webinar Registration Communicating quantitative research and visual information effectively Date:  Friday 6 September 2024 Time: 10:00am - 11:30am Location: Webinar Registration

Eligibility + Progression - UQ Competitors

Eligibility Active PhD 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, including the Asia-Pacific 3MT competition. Graduates are not eligible.

Please note: MPhil and pre-confirmation PhD candidates who are active in program are still eligible to participate in the UQ 3MT competition up to Faculty/Institute finals but cannot advance to the UQ 3MT Final.  The format of the 2024 UQ 3MT Competition at all levels is to be a live in-person event and all competitors are required to be judged on a live in-person performance.

Progression

In order to take part in the 2024 UQ 3MT Competition each participating school, institute and faculty will hold its own live in-person 3MT competition to select a winner. 

The winner of each heat or final is expected to represent their school/faculty/university at the next stage of the competition. If the winner is unable to attend the final, the runner-up will proceed to the next round of the competition in their place. The format of the 2023 UQ 3MT Competition at all levels is to be a live in-person event and all competitors are required to be judged on a live in-person performance.

Preparation + Rules - UQ Competitors

Even the world’s best public speakers prepare before important presentations. To assist you with your preparations, please review the  3MT Competitor Guide   to help you in writing your presentation, creating your slide and  practising your presentation. Rules

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description are allowed. 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 either movement or speech.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

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.

• Presentation provided clear motivation, background and significance to the research question;
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research; and
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research.
• 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; and
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention.

Prizes are an important incentive for HDR candidates entering the competition. Prizes can vary at the discretion of your School or Faculty.

School/Institute Heats

• School/Institutes are welcome to provide prizes to participants

Faculty/Combined Institute Final

• Winner progresses to UQ Final
• People’s Choice progresses to Wildcard Competition

Wildcard Competition

• No prize is provided for this event
• Winner advances to UQ 3MT Final

UQ 3MT Final

• First Prize: $5000 research grant
• Runner-Up: $2000 research grant
• People’s Choice: $1000 research grant
• Winner represents UQ at  Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT Final
• Winner represents UQ at  Virtual U21 3MT Competition

Asia-Pacific 3MT Final

Past UQ Finalists

Past UQ 3MT finalists can be viewed here .

• Schools & departments

About 3 Minute Thesis

Information about the competition and details of who to contact.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.

About the competition

The 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition requires doctoral researchers to compete to deliver the best research presentation in just 3 minutes (and one slide). It is based on a concept developed by the University of Queensland which quickly spread across Australia and New Zealand, and has gone global.

The University of Edinburgh has run a 3MT competition every year since 2013.

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description are allowed. 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 either movement or speech.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Eligibility

Active PhD 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.

Judging Criteria

Comprehension and content

• Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed, while explaining terminology and avoiding jargon?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and outcomes?
• Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Was the thesis topic, research significance, results/impact and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation - or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?

Engagement and communication

• Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialise or generalise their research?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience's attention?
• Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range; maintain a steady pace, and have a confident stance?
• Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation - was it clear, legible, and concise?

More information about 3 Minute Thesis

Find detailed information about the 3 Minute Thesis Competition, including tips on how to prepare, in our new handbook for participants:

3 Minute Thesis participant handbook (PDF)

You may also find our web information helpful:

• How to enter and competition criteria  
• Frequently asked questions

College Prizes

At each College heat, three winners will be selected to go through to the University final; further prizes to be confirmed.

University Prizes

All those who take part at the University competition will have their presentations filmed and uploaded to the University YouTube channel. Our thanks go to the Principal for the generous donation of funds for this year’s prizes for the winners of the 3 Minute Thesis Finals. We are very grateful for this support, and are happy to announce this year’s prizes:

1st Prize : £1000

Runner up:  £400 

Peoples’ Choice Award : £400 

The winner of the University of Edinburgh competition is then entered into the UK Competition and the international Universitas 21 Competition.

Details of the final prizes are still to be confirmed by Universitas 21.

Feedback from previous winners

Read our guest blog posts from Owen Gwydion James 2018 winner of the UK competition,  Chen Zhao, 2015 Competition Winner, Emma Hodcroft, 2014 Competition Winner, and Mara Götz, 2013 ‘People’s Choice’ Winner on their experience of the competition:

Read Owen Gwydion James's guest blog post

Read Emma Hodcroft's guest blog post

Read Mara Götz's blog post on participating in 3MT

Read Chen Zhao's blog post

Contact information

Please contact Louise if you have any questions:

Louise McKay

Events Operations and Doctoral Programme Manager

Contact details

• Work: 0131 651 7189
• Email: [email protected]

This article was published on 2024-02-26

Home > GRADUATESCHOOL > THREEMINUTETHESIS

Three Minute Thesis

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is a research communication competition that challenges master's and Ph.D. students to describe their research topic and its significance in just 3 minutes to a general audience. Students are allowed to use one static slide, and no additional transitions, animation, video, or props. Presentations are all spoken word, and exclude songs and theatrical performances.

This collection of streaming videos shows the finalists of each year's 3MT competition at Illinois State University.

Agriculture - Student Presentations Agriculture - Student Presentations

Extent and Determinants of Financial Inclusion among Agricultural Producers in Ghana , Fatima Mohammed Agriculture 2019

Elected Officials Views of Agricultural Education in Illinois , Perry Harlow Agriculture 2018

Biological Sciences - Student Presentations Biological Sciences - Student Presentations

When Resistance is Futile: Exploring Terminal Investment in Crickets , Kristin Duffield Biological Sciences 2018

Chemistry - Student Presentations Chemistry - Student Presentations

Alkyne Combustion: Experimental and Computational Studies of HCO Formation , Matt Drummer Chemistry 2017

Communication - Student Presentations Communication - Student Presentations

"Exist Loudly:" Pulse, Spoken Word Poetry, and Mediated Storytelling , Hannah G. Trew Communication 2019

Attributions of Camera Mistakes in Live Sports Broadcasts , Ben Lynn Communication 2018

English - Student Presentations English - Student Presentations

When Inexpressible Becomes Expressible: The Graphic Memoirs of Trauma , Nina Hanee Jang English 2019

When is a children’s/young adult novel feminist enough? , Tharini Viswanath English 2018

Body Composition: Reading, Writing, and Resisting Weight Loss Autobiography as Biopolitical Pedagogy , Katie Browne English 2017

Family and Consumer Sciences - Student Presentations Family and Consumer Sciences - Student Presentations

The Effects of Highlighting Healthy Options on Consumer Food Choices in a Foodbank Setting , Katie Grabow Family and Consumer Sciences 2018

Scheduling Recess: Perceptions of School Professionals , Reilly McKinnis Family and Consumer Sciences 2018

History - Student Presentations History - Student Presentations

"Fortune Will Favour the Brave": Irish Women Come to America 1845 - 1870 , Erin Barr History 2017

Kinesiology and Recreation - Student Presentations Kinesiology and Recreation - Student Presentations

What's Up With That Suction Cup? , Stephanie Stephens Kinesiology and Recreation 2019

Leveraging Virtual Reality for Vestibular Testing , Chase Holford Kinesiology and Recreation 2019

Cupping Goes GOLD , Maddie Biehl Kinesiology and Recreation 2017

Swimmers, Posture, and Shoulder Pain , Gretchen Paulson Kinesiology and Recreation 2017

Nursing - Student Presentations Nursing - Student Presentations

Comparing the effectiveness of complementary interventions on Persistent Pain and Comfort in Elder Residents , Michele Shropshire Nursing 2017

Psychology - Student Presentations Psychology - Student Presentations

Child Sexual Abuse and Borderline Personality: Father Attachment Matters as a Protective Factor , Annie Moten Psychology 2019

Examining Attitude Differences about Romantic and Sexual Intimacy , Alyssa Clark Psychology 2019

Implicit Sexism Predicts Intellectual Devaluation of Men with Feminist Partners , Erika Rosenberger Psychology 2018

Examining Different Reasons Why People Accept or Reject Scientific Claims , Emillio Lobato Psychology 2017

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Using County-Level Data to Illuminate the Economic and Working Conditions of Women in Agriculture , Raelynn Parmely Sociology and Anthropology 2019

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Measuring the Longitudinal Communication Growth of Learners Who are Deafblind , Kristi Probst Special Education 2017

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Improving Assessment to Improve Learning , Daniel Frederking Teaching and Learning 2018

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Through Christopher's Eyes: Building Empathy through Live Performance , Kristin L. Schoenback Theatre and Dance 2019

Creating Characters Through Costumes , Amanda Vander Byl Theatre and Dance 2018

Key Factors Contributing to the Downfall of the Equestrian Circus , Veronica Painter Theatre and Dance 2018

Without Blue: Maori Storytelling and Color , Ethan Hollinger Theatre and Dance 2017

Costume Design: Balancing History and Our Story , Anna Hill Theatre and Dance 2017

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The Three-Minute Thesis Competition is a research communication competition which challenges students to capture the essence of their theses and present a compelling explanation within three minutes, in a language that anyone can understand. All final year postgraduate students of the Department are eligible for the competition.

Three-Minute Thesis Competition 2024

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Watch the 3MT Videos

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition that challenges graduate students to present a compelling speech about their research and its significance to non-academic audiences in just three minutes or less. Browse the videos below to learn about the latest groundbreaking research being conducted by KU graduate students.

School of Music

JAMES ALEXANDER—DOCTORAL STUDENT IN MUSIC

Syncretism in vietnamese-american art music.

TIANNA GILLIAM—MASTER'S STUDENT IN MUSIC EDUCATION

Stand by me: configurations for healthy choral singing.

Susan Tilbury—Master's Student in Music Therapy

Groove is in the heart: why moving together, in time, makes us feel better, school of pharmacy.

PUNAM RAWAL—DOCTORAL STUDENT IN PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY

Policing the police to treat alzheimer's disease.

MARIA TICKERHOOF—Doctoral STUDENT IN PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY

He loves me, he loves me not: investigating the impact of stress on social bonding, college of liberal arts & sciences.

SANA AKHTER-DOCTORAL STUDENT IN COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY

Insights into spinal muscular atrophy cure using computational method.

Isaac Allred—Doctoral Student in Geology

Early pennsylvanian sediment routing from distinct fluvial systems within the appalachian foreland basin system to deep-sea fans.

RACHEL DOYLE–DOCTORAL STUDENT IN CLINICAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY

Which kids are at risk for suicide.

PIETRO DE MELLO–DOCTORAL STUDENT IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

What makes the world colorful linking genes to traits.

Elizabeth Grotemeyer—Doctoral Student in Chemistry

Understanding how nature uses oxygen.

Emma Hauser Doctoral Student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Roots: earth's underground economists.

Yuri Lee-Doctoral Student in Chemisty

Your reaction when you are in....

Snehal Mahadik—Doctoral Student in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Getting wired: making the final connections.

Michelle Proulx—Master's Student in Geology

Got bones radar imaging of buried prehistoric animal bones.

Julien Sperling—Doctoral Student in Communication Studies

Suma Suswaram—Doctoral Student in Speech and Language Pathology

Parents—our first teachers.

Wenli Yang—Doctoral Student in Geography

Geospatial data conflation: polygon matching and data merging, school of education.

Kelsey Fortin—Doctoral Student in Health, Sport Management, and Exercise Science

Hunger and health: understanding the acceptability and approach of a health coaching intervention in the food pantry.

Marta Carvajal Regidor—Doctoral Student in Curriculum and Instruction

Ways of talking about language and language use: a study in an intensive english program class.

Melania Piedra-Barrera—Doctoral Student in Educational Leadership and Policy

Experiences of collaboration in online learning communities.

Sarah Tackett—Doctoral Student in Health, Sport Management, and Exercise Science

Exploring the influences of off-field violence and violent sport athletes, school of engineering.

Giordanno Castro Garcia—Master's student in Computer Science

Gotta catch 'em all: capturing information via nlp.

Megan Hamilton—Doctoral Student in Bioengineering

Hydrogel beads provide a new option for those suffering from knee pain.

Meet the judges

Three Minute Thesis

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by graduate students.  Developed by the University of Queensland and utilized at universities all over the world, 3MT cultivates students' academic, presentation, and research communication skills.  The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. 

Eligibility

Currently enrolled master's and doctoral students in all disciplines will be eligible to participate in 3MT.  Work must have been conducted at SMU.  

Note: Students who competed in previous SMU 3MT competitions are eligible to participate again if they did not win a prize.

Prizes 

First Place: $800

Second Place: $400

People's Choice: $400

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

Judging Criteria

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

• Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed, while explaining terminology and avoiding jargon?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and outcomes?
• Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Was the thesis topic, research significance, results/impact and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation - or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?

Engagement and Communication

• Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize their research?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience's attention?
• Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact, and vocal range; maintain a steady pace, and have a confident stance?
• Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation  - was it clear, legible, and concise? 

Previous Competitions

Fall 2023 competition.

First Place:  Murphy (Keller) Young, Education PhD: "Examining Teacher Candidates' Instructional Moves During a Simulated Writing Conference: A Case Study"

Runner Up:  Melissa Sitton, Psychology PhD: "Caregiver Emotional Support in Relation to Adolescent Functioning After Sexual Abuse: Findings with Enhanced Methods"

People's Choice:  Yaofang Hu, Statistical Science PhD: "Variational Bayesian Semi-supervised Keyword Extraction"

 2023 Finals Program  

Fall 2022 Competition

First Place:  Claire Trotter, Education (Applied Physiology) PhD: “Cardiovascular Control in Females with Multiple Sclerosis” ( video )

Second Place:  Mayson Trujillo, Psychology PhD: “Identifying Transient States That Influence Dependability: An Empirical Examination of Transient Measurement Error” ( video )

People's Choice:  Rajeev Vaisakh, Physics PhD: “Probing the Cosmic Expansion in Nearby and Distant Universe” ( video )

2022 Finals Program

Fall 2021 Competition

Congratulations to the winners of SMU's Fall 2021 Three Minute Thesis Competition:

First Place:  Megan Brown, Anthropology Ph.D. Program: “Reforestation, Resilience, and Health in Costa Rica”

Runner Up (Tie):  Jamie Nguyen, Psychology Ph.D. Program: “College Women’s Sexual Orientation, Sexual Victimization, and Endorsement of Hookup Culture”

Runner Up (Tie):  Sian Xiao, Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Ph.D. Program: “Prediction of Protein Allosteric Sites”

People's Choice:  Ishna Satyarth, Computer Science Ph.D. Program: “Application of Machine Learning in Reduced-Scaling Quantum Chemistry”

The Fall 2021 Three Minute Thesis Competition took place on Nov. 9 and 12.  View the program for the finals:

2021 Finals Program  

First Place:   Andres Roque, Clinical Psychology

Second Place:   Lacin Yapindi, Molecular and Cellular Biology

People's Choice (tie):   Dawn Crawford, Anthropology; Mayar Mohamed, Chemistry

The competition took place from  12-1pm  on  Thursday, Nov. 19  over Zoom. The program for the finals is available  here .  

 Fall 2019

Winner: Alison Krauss, Psychology ( video )

Runner Up (tie): Shuang Jiang, Statistical Science ( video ), and Elie Salameh, Mechanical Engineering ( video )

People's Choice: Faris Altamimi, Civil and Environmental Engineering ( video )

Spring 2019

Winner and People's Choice: Niraj Verma, Chemistry ( video )

Runner Up: Tetiana Hutchison, Biology ( video )

Second Runner Up: Francesco Trozzi, Chemistry ( video )

Spring 2018

Winner: Aditi Malu, Biology

Runner Up: Benjamin Williams, Statistical Science

People's Choice (tie): Yulan Bai, EMIS, and Aditi Malu, Biology

Photos from the 2018 3MT Competition

Three Minute Thesis

Three Minute Thesis® is an international research communication competition in which graduate students explain their research to a general audience. Students in research-based master’s and PhD programs from all disciplines are eligible to compete, and prizes will be awarded to the winners.

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Wu in Three-Minute Thesis

Congratulations to   Walter Wu  for winning the CLA three-minute thesis competition! Wu is a graduate student in the Cognitive and Brain Science (CAB) area advised by Dr. Gordon Legge in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota. The  three-minute thesis  is a research communication competition for graduate students that challenges students to communicate the significance of their work for a general audience. Wu also went on to the University-wide competition and won the People’s Choice ($150) award as well as second place overall ($250). Finalists may be invited to present to the University’s Board of Regents.

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Three Minute Thesis

UB's Eighth Annual Three Minute Thesis Competition took place on Friday, March 1, 2024.

Developed by the University of Queensland , the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by PhD students by cultivating students’ academic, presentation and research communication skills.

Participants are judged on the ability to effectively convey the essence and importance of their research in an engaging way to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes, with one PowerPoint slide.

The University at Buffalo 3MT Competition is co-hosted by the Graduate School and the Startup and Innovation Collaboratory (CoLab) powered by Blackstone LaunchPad .

The 3MT micro-credential  Communicating Research to Broad Audiences  is an optional resource intended to help graduate students interested in participating in the Three Minute Thesis competition.  Graduate students in all disciplines are eligible to participate. Visit the 3MT micro-credential page for more information .

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The clock is ticking – you’ve only got three minutes to tell an audience about your research. Are you up for the challenge? What if I told you there was $6,000 in prize money up for grabs? Throw your hat in the ring and sign up for UBCO’s seventh annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition!

What is 3MT?

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a global academic competition started by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia in 2008. Since then, the competition has spread throughout universities across the globe.

The competition showcases students’ innovative research while helping students develop effective presentation and communication skills. Research-based master’s and doctoral students are challenged to present their research in a mere 180 seconds using just one static slide.

The judges look for clear language, a well-structured presentation that engages the audience, and a slide that is designed to support the speaker’s points.

How do I participate?

All UBC Okanagan graduate students in a thesis-based program are eligible to compete in 3MT at UBC Okanagan.

Students compete against others from their Faculty in qualifying heats. The winners from each faculty then advance to the UBC Okanagan final event. Details about the Faculty heats can be found below.

The winner of the UBC Okanagan final qualifies to move on to the Western Regional competition.

The next competition will be held in 2025.

why participate?

Prepare your elevator pitch:  Whether it’s for a job interview, or explaining to your relatives at the dinner table, being able to concisely explain your research will help you throughout your studies and into your future career.

Develop important skills:  3MT provides you with the opportunity to develop effective presentation and communication skills.

Win prize money:  $6,000 dollars in prize money is up for grabs with first place taking home $3,000, $2,000 for the runner-up, and $1,000 for People’s Choice.

Gain exposure in the community:  The 3MT Final is an opportunity for you to showcase your research to a broad public audience, gain exposure, and build connections with the community.

Participant testimonials

Portiaa McGonigal, Biology, 2020 Winner

In doing 3MT, I gained a better appreciation for how I should portray my project even to a group of experts in the same field. Competing against other students with vastly different projects than mine was intimidating at first, but going through with it and being successful allowed me to prove to myself that I am capable of doing difficult things, and it gave me much more confidence coming out of the competition than I had going in. I would highly recommend students to participate in the 3MT Competition to not only push your boundaries as a student researcher and communicator but to also challenge yourself and build up your confidence in your abilities.

Cassidy Wallis, Psychology, 2019 Winner

While conducting research we often find ourselves hidden away in our own little corner of the world. But what we are all doing is so important and it needs to be shared. The 3MT gave me a platform in which I could spread the important findings of my research to the community to which it referred. While most of us hope our research will have real applicable findings, there is often a disconnect between research and practice. The 3MT allowed me to bridge that gap and has since led to other opportunities to engage my community with my research. Further, while writing my 3MT it taught me how to find the right narrative that will capture an audience’s attention. This was a valuable skill that I have utilized since then in following speeches. I recommend that everyone take advantage of this amazing opportunity to engage their community and learn/improve valuable communication skills.

Sydney Morgan, Biology, 2018 Winner

I have found the 3MT to be an extremely rewarding experience. Making our research accessible to the public is an integral part of academia, but it so often gets overlooked. In the age of social media, combatting the “fake news” with real, exciting, and scientifically-backed facts is all-important. For me, the 3MT was an exercise in stepping outside the comfort of my own narrow research field and taking a hard look at it from an outsider’s perspective: how does my research fit into the big picture, and what makes it important? These are questions that graduate students and researchers should be asking themselves every day because it keeps our goals grounded but also gives our research purpose and direction. The 3MT competition was an excellent opportunity to highlight my research but was also an opportunity for me to practice my public speaking skills and receive valuable feedback from the coaches and judges. This was my first 3MT experience, and I look forward to competing again next year.

John Sasso, Interdisciplinary Studies, 2017 Winner

In academia, we often get lost in the details of our research design and methodologies; but the process of preparing for and refining my 3MT certainly helped me to gain perspective on my PhD project. In today’s fast-paced world, simplifying complexity is a powerful tool. In the words of Albert Einstein, “If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” Even at the start of my doctoral training, this exercise has been invaluable for me to learn how to better shape my message in teaching, in building collaborations, in applying for funding, and in recalibrating my study objectives. Furthermore, having had the chance to learn about the incredible research, across countless disciplines, from the other participants in the 3MT at UBCO (in a way that even I can understand!) has been so inspiring. I encourage all graduate students to commit to this process, and give the 3MT a try; in our careers, translating research into relevant and engaging communications will undoubtedly be an important skill that I am glad to have had the opportunity to develop.

UBC Okanagan 3MT Final 2024

April 9, 2024 l 5:00 pm l mary irwin theatre.

Thank you for coming out to support our graduate students. Come cheer on our UBCO winner Pawanjit Kaur Sandhu at the Western Regional 3MT Competition! Read more about this year’s competition

Western regional 3MT competition 2024

May 8, 2024 l 2:00 pm l university of british columbia okanagan.

UBC Okanagan is excited to host the Western Regional 3MT® Competition at on May 8, 2024. Our campus will welcome participants from across Western Canada who will share their research in three minutes using non-specialist language.

2024 Participant videos

Coming soon

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="3 minute thesis psychology"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Computer science and statistics ph.d. candidates win three minute thesis competition.

For the first time in Graduate School history, two doctoral candidates tied for first place in the eighth Cornell Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, held on March 30, on Zoom.

Yurong You, a doctoral candidate in computer science, and Kim Hochstedler, a doctoral candidate in statistics, wowed the judges and took home co-first place for their presentations, “Can Autonomous Vehicles Learn from Their Own Memories?” and “The Heart of Misdiagnosis,” respectively. Each were awarded the top prize of $1,500.

Alongside six other finalists, Hochstedler and You presented their dissertation research in just three minutes to a panel of judges and a virtual audience from across campus and around the world. Presentations were judged by how clearly and compellingly students summarized their research to a general audience, using only one static slide.

Second place and $1,000 was awarded to entomology doctoral candidate Lidia Komondy for her presentation, “Seeing is Believing, if You Know Where to Look,” and after nearly 100 audience members cast their ballots, votes were tallied and the People’s Choice Award and $250 were also presented to You.

This year’s judges included Eldora Ellison, Ph.D. ‘94, a member of Cornell’s Board of Trustees; Kim Wagner ‘85, a member of Cornell’s Board of Trustees; Bruno Shirley, an Asian literature, religion, and culture doctoral candidate and 2022 first place winner; and Matt Ranieri ‘06, M.S. ’09, Ph.D. ‘13, president of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Association.

“The presentations were fascinating and came from finalists with expertise in so many impressive and diverse research topics. It was amazing to see how impactful these research projects were to the world,” said Komondy. “This experience helped me realize how important scientific research is outside the lab and how important it is to keep the public updated on the implications of our research findings.”

Each of the winners agreed that participating in the 3MT was a great way to practice talking about their research in a way that engages and excites individuals outside of their fields and that the experience will influence the way they share their research going forward.

“The best way to explain things is to stand in the audience’s shoes and use simple words,” said You. “Participation in 3MT will undoubtedly shape my future presentations.”

Hochstedler said, “As I continue to communicate my research in future presentations and projects, I think these lessons of how to connect with an audience and explain my work succinctly will remain valuable. I now feel very prepared for the next family reunion when people ask me what I’m working on at Cornell!”

The 3MT competition was first held in 2008 at the University of Queensland and has since been adopted by over 900 universities in over 85 countries. 3MT challenges research degree students to present a compelling story on their dissertation or thesis and its significance in just three minutes, in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Cornell’s Graduate School first hosted a 3MT competition in 2015 and the event has grown steadily since that time.

“The 3MT is an excellent way for our doctoral students to practice communicating complex ideas to a broader audience, which is a skill beneficial not only for their time as students but for when they enter the professional world as well,” said Kathryn J. Boor, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate education. “We are so proud of each and every one of this year’s finalists.”

2023 3MT Finalists

Watch the 2023 three minute thesis competition finale..

Co-First Place and People’s Choice Award: Yurong You , computer science doctoral candidate

Watch Yurong You’s presentation .

Presentation Title: “Can Autonomous Vehicles Learn from Their Own Memories?”

Special Committee Chair: Killian Weinberger and Bharath Hariharan

Area of Research: Machine learning, computer vision

Biography: Yurong You is a Ph.D. candidate in computer science, advised by Prof. Kilian Q. Weinberger and Prof. Bharath Hariharan. Before he came to Cornell, he received his bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (ACM honors class). His Ph.D. research focuses on enhancing 3D perception for autonomous vehicles, particularly through innovative methods.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: Amazing people at Cornell!

Co-First Place: Kimberly Hochstedler, statistics doctoral candidate

Watch Kimberly Hochstedler’s presentation .

Presentation Title: “The Heart of Misdiagnosis”

Special Committee Chair: Martin Wells

Area of Research: Correcting for misclassification/misdiagnosis in medical studies

Biography: Kim Hochstedler is a Ph.D. candidate in statistics. She received her M.S. in biostatistics from the University of Michigan in 2020 and graduated with her B.S. in statistics and psychology from Carnegie Mellon University in 2018. Her research involves developing statistical methods for misclassified outcome data in healthcare and criminal justice settings.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: The ice cream.

Second Place: Lidia Komondy, entomology doctoral candidate

Watch Lidia Komondy’s presentation .

Presentation Title: “Seeing is Believing, if You Know Where to Look”

Special Committee Chair: Brian Nault

Area of Research: Precision agriculture, insect vector ecology, integrated pest management

Biography: Lidia Komondy is a Ph.D. candidate in the field of entomology. Her research focuses on the vector ecology of insect-transmitted plant pathogens and the use of precision agricultural tools to solve modern problems in the ecological sciences. She hopes that her research will help alleviate the escalating challenges that growers are facing.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: The Big Red Barn!

Fangming Cui, psychology doctoral candidate

Watch Fangming Cui’s presentation .

Presentation Title: “An Upside to Disappointment in Close Relationships: Evidence for a Motivational, Relationship-Promoting Role”

Special Committee Chair: Vivian Zayas

Area of Research: Close relationships, emotion, motivation

Biography: Originally from China, Fangming is a Ph.D. candidate in psychology with an emphasis on social psychology. Her research mainly focuses on the downstream consequences of diverse emotional expressions in close relationships. She is fascinated with the idea of the “positivity of negativity,” wherein negative emotional expressions can, at times, exert positive relational outcomes.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: Taverna Banfi brunch and salads at the Terrace restaurant.

Sharada Gopal, biomedical and biological sciences doctoral student

Watch Sharada Gopal’s presentation .

Presentation Title: “Worming Our Way Through a Longer Life”

Special Committee Chair: Siu Sylvia Lee

Area of Research: Aging

Biography: Sharada Gopal am a third-year graduate student in Dr. Sylvia Lee’s lab, where she studies the molecular mechanisms that regulate aging. Originally from Bangalore, India, Gopal came to Cornell for her master’s degree before transitioning to the BBS program to pursue a Ph.D. Beyond her research, she enjoys swimming in Ithaca’s picturesque lakes, singing, and cooking.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: The BBS community.

Yuexing Hao, design and environmental analysis doctoral student

Watch Yuexing Hao’s presentation .

Presentation Title: “AI-Enhanced Patient-Centered Clinical Shared Decision-Making (SDM): A ‘Black Box’ Study with Older Adults”

Area of Research: Health intelligence, human-computer interaction

Biography: Yuexing Hao is a Ph.D. student in design and environmental analysis with a concentration in human centered design at Cornell University. She earned two computer science degrees from Rutgers University (B.A.) and Tufts University (M.S). Currently, her research focus is on health intelligence and human-computer interaction.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: P.E classes! I took ice hockey, squash, water skiing, and yoga, all of which were fantastic experiences.

Sangwoo Park, biophysics doctoral candidate

Watch Sangwoo Park’s presentation .

Presentation Title: “Sugar Barrier on the Cancer Cells”

Special Committee Chair: Matthew Paszek

Area of Research: Glycobiology, immunotherapy, biophysics

Biography: Sangwoo Park is from Changwon, South Korea. His current research focuses on developing new immunotherapies targeting the cancer cell glycocalyx. He has developed an optical microscopy method to understand the physical properties of glycocalyx. The ultimate goal of his research is to find treatment methods to eradicate cancers.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: Wineries and hiking.

Susannah Sharpless , English language and literature doctoral candidate

Watch Susannah Sharpless’s presentation .

Presentation Title: “How Did Maritime Trade Shape the Imaginations of American Women Writers?”

Special Committee Chair: Shirley Samuels

Area of Research: 19th-century American Literature

Biography: Susannah Sharpless is a Ph.D. candidate studying nineteenth-century literature. Her dissertation is titled, “‘Subtle Cargoes’: The Terraqueous Romantic in Nineteenth-Century Women’s Writing.”

2023 Final Round 3MT Competition

The live virtual Three Minute Thesis Competition Final Round took place at 3:00 pm ET on March 30, 2023. Eight finalists competed for first and second prize in the judging and People’s Choice Award winner. A post-event reception was held at the Big Red Barn starting at approximately 4:30 pm ET, and was open to the Cornell community and families and friends of the finalists and judges.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a competition to help doctoral students develop and showcase their research communication skills. Cornell’s 3MT challenges graduate students to present their dissertation as a compelling story in just three minutes, with one slide, in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Preliminary Round Events

• All competitors submitted a recorded presentation of their talk by noon ET on Monday, March 13, 2023 in order to compete in the Preliminary Rounds that selected finalists.
• We thank all of our wonderful preliminary round presenters for participation in the 2023 competition. Those who are still enrolled as doctoral students next year are welcome to enter the competition again.
• Thank you also to our preliminary round judges, including Evelyn Ambríz, Merry Buckley, Anitra Douglas-McCarthy, Christine Holmes, Janna Lamey, Nathan Lindberg, Heidi Marshall, and Christian Miller.
• Registration was opened from February – March 13, 2023, and an information was held on March 6. View the information session recording .
• Need assistance recording your video submission? Timeslots were available on Thursday, March 9 to record your preliminary round video in the Big Red Barn greenhouse with the help of a Barn staff member. Recording equipment was provided.

If you should have questions or concerns regarding the 3MT Competition, please email us at:  [email protected] . 

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Three Minute Thesis

An 80,000-word thesis would take 9 hours to present. but what if you had just three minutes.

A chance to think more deeply about how you articulate and explain your research, and to reach new audiences

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an international competition which challenges current PhD candidates to present a compelling presentation of their research and its significance in just three minutes.

This year, LSE will hold a university-wide virtual 3MT competition open to all current PhD students from any department. To enter, record your three-minute video and send it in along with a single PowerPoint slide by Friday 28 May . Entries will be showcased on the LSE 3MT website.

The winning entry and runners up will be screened at the 2021 Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference  on Thursday 17 June and will be shared with the LSE community across the School’s social media channels. The winner will receive a £300 prize , and their video will go forward to represent LSE in the national contest, culminating in a grand final to be held in September 2021. Runners up will receive £100 prizes. The national winner receives a £3,000 grant for public engagement with their research, with the people’s choice winner receiving a £1,000 grant.

3MT gives you a chance to think deeply about how you articulate and explain your research, reach new audiences with your work, and gain recognition and new opportunities both within and beyond LSE.

How to participate

Record your three-minute presentation of your thesis, making sure it is no longer than 3 minutes precisely from the moment you start talking. You may submit 1 static PowerPoint slide which will be displayed alongside your video. Submit your entry by Friday 28 May.

Judging criteria

Entries are judged by a panel of LSE academics, on the basis of content, comprehension, communication and engagement. The full judging criteria are available here: https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/resources/judging-criteria

Eligibility

Current PhD students enrolled at LSE are eligible to enter, as long as you have not completed your viva by 17 th June 2021.

Focus on communicating your topic, findings and impact clearly. Avoid jargon. Try to tell a story through your presentation. You can find detailed guidance on your presentation and accompanying slide here .

You may wish to watch last year’s national winner , Lucy Thomas of the University of Birmingham, for inspiration.

Recording your video

Your video must be recorded in a single unbroken take, so should not contain any edits. Record in horizontal/landscape. 3MT entries are judged solely on their content and verbal communication. The quality of your video and audio are not taken into consideration, but try to ensure your audio is clear, minimise background noise and find a neutral backdrop against which to film. A phone video should be adequate quality. No props, costumes, music or other sound effects are allowed.

Tips for filming yourself on your phone

Find out more

A briefing session will be held via Zoom (details tbc) to explain the rules of the competition, provide advice on your entries, and answer any questions. 

Ask a question via our enquiry form

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.

Entry form Enter your Three Minute Thesis!

Got an idea to shape the post-Covid world? Enter it into LSE's Student Ideas Showcase!

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2024 Three Minute Thesis Competition

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Event Recap

The Graduate School and Marquette University held the 3MT® competition on February 23, 2024. The Three Minute Thesis is a global research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland in Australia. It is an academic competition for doctoral and master’s degree students that require each participant to explain his or her research effectively in three minutes, using one slide, with no animation.

Congratulations to this year's winner Armin Ebrahimian and runner-up and People's Choice Award winner Haozhi Huang !

Armin Ebrahimian earned first place with his talk, “Designing the Future: Aviation Class Electric Propulsion System,” communicating his research in power electronics for electric aircraft applications. Armin will move on to represent Marquette University at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools regional competition.

The Runner-Up as well as the People's Choice award was awarded to Haozhi Huang with his presentation, "Curcumin Modulates Neuroinflammation to Improve Breathing after Spinal Cord Injury.".

Congratulations and thank you to our winners and competitors from this year’s competition!  It was incredible to learn about the research from our graduate students. 

First Place: Armin Ebrahimian - Engineering

Thesis: designing the future: aviation class electric propulsion system., runner-up winner & peoples choice winner: haozhi huang - exercise science, thesis: curcumin modulates neuroinflammation to improve breathing after spinal cord injury., milan aryal - computer science, thesis: multi-resolution graph-based learning of whole slide images, nidhi nellore - computer science, thesis: decoding digital health: unraveling sentiments and topics in femtech app reviews in the post-dobbs era, kathryn barber - psychology, thesis: neurocognitive functioning in trichotillomania, allison scarbrough - biomedical engineering, thesis: embracing imperfection: making reliable clinical decisions with messy data, adebayo adeleye - chemistry, thesis: investigating natural gas hydrates: a game-changer in shaping the future of sustainable energy, saba heidari - computer science, thesis: adversarial attack on graph neural networks, jenny lamanna - educational policy and leadership, thesis: living with fire: exploring adaptive learning in the context of repeated crises , dibaloke chanda - computer science, thesis: explainability-based adversarial attack on graph neural network .

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3 Minute Thesis Competition

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Graduate and Postdoctoral Education

Search form, 12 grad students named as finalists for 2024 three minute thesis competition.

Mar 26, 2024

After six intense preliminary rounds, twelve exceptional scholars have emerged from a pool of 65 talented candidates, earning their place as finalists in Georgia Tech's highly anticipated annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. On Friday, April 5, 2024, these finalists will hit the stage, harnessing their research expertise, to deliver compelling presentations in a three-minute format.

Congratulations to the following twelve finalists:

Karina Bhattacharya MID Industrial Design 

Vinodhini Comandur, Ph.D. Aerospace Engineering 

Mo Jarin, Ph.D. Environmental Engineering 

Anamik Jhunjhunwala, Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering 

Valeria Juarez, Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering 

Alexandra Patterson, Ph.D. Bioengineering 

Jeffrey Pattison, Ph.D. Aerospace Engineering 

Kantwon Rogers, Ph.D. Computer Science 

Mallika Senthil, MS Biomedical Engineering 

Wenting Shi, Ph.D. Chemistry and Biochemistry 

Shreyas Srivathsan, Ph.D. Aerospace Engineering 

Raghav Tandon, Ph.D. Machine Learning 

This year’s 3MT competition takes place on Friday, April 5, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Atlantic Theater in the John Lewis Student Center. The entire Georgia Tech community is encouraged to attend the competition, which occurs as the finale of the 2024 Grad Student Appreciation Week. 3MT will also be streamed online and can be viewed at https://gatech.zoom.us/j/98696536715 .  Audience members and online viewers can vote for their favorite presenter to win the People’s Choice Award.  

Ph.D. winners can win up to $2,000 in research travel grants. The master's winner will receive a $1,000 research travel grant.   

Tech’s 3MT competition is coordinated by the Office of Graduate Education in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), The Naugle Communications Center, and the Language Institute.  

For more information, visit grad.gatech.edu/3mt . 

Brittani Hill | Marketing and Communications Manager 

Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education 

Related links

Alemseged Lab

Three minute thesis challenge.

May 21, 2024

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. It is a professional and highly engaging international program. In just three short minutes (180 seconds!) and with a single slide, the competitors are tasked with condensing their research into a simplified form that avoids specialized jargon so that a general audience will understand. The adjudicating panel then scores each speaker on a variety of items, from comprehension and content to engagement and communication.

This year, UChicagoGRAD held its 7th Annual 3MT challenge, where twelve PhD students – representing the humanities, social sciences, biological sciences, and physical sciences – competed for cash prizes. Each speaker had already been selected among a larger preliminary pool to become the finalists, so the friendly competition was both fun and fierce.

Laura gave a talk titled, “Pinkies Up! Human Evolution and the Big Impact of the Littlest Finger,” which tied in her work on carpal morphology, specifically the hamate. She highlighted how this bone plays a role in supporting the muscles devoted to the control of the pinkie, which are second in number only to the thumb. In fact, the pinkie plays an important role itself in much of what we do with our hands. She worked the audience with both research and wit, and won the judges overall, taking first place!

1st Place Laura (center) standing with the 2nd and 3rd place winners: Gabriel and Mia.

Congratulations, Laura! (And a shout out to all the competitors, each of whom really shined in their respective fields!)

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Zach Schiffman wins Colorado Three Minute Thesis competition

CU Boulder doctoral student takes first prize in state 3MT competition for presentation on the urea molecule

Zach Schiffman (right) accepting a certificate recognizing his accomplishment.

Zach Schiffman, a doctoral candidate in chemistry, beat out Colorado’s other universities to win the state Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition last month. He won with his presentation, “The Urea Molecule: From Fertilizer . . . to Climate Change?”

This is the second win for Schiffman, who took first prize in the Graduate School’s annual 3MT competition earlier this year. As part of his winnings, he was then invited to represent the university at both the regional (Western Region of Graduate Schools) and state (Colorado Council of Graduate Schools) competitions.

The 3MT event, which began at the University of Queensland in 2008, challenges graduate students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. To prepare, CU Boulder graduate students participate in a series of workshops focusing on storytelling, writing, presentation skills and improvisation comedy techniques. The Graduate School then holds a preliminary competition to whittle down the competition to ten finalists, who participate in the final competition at the beginning of February.

More information about the 3MT competition, including how to get involved in the 2024–25 school year, is available on the 3MT webpage .

• Spring 2024
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