Three Minute Thesis Competition hosted by ISPGR

What is the 3MT® Competition?

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland(UQ), Australia. Graduate students present their research and its wider impact in 3 minutes or less to a panel of judges. The challenge is to present complex research in an engaging, accessible, and compelling way, using only one static slide.  The first 3MT® competition was held at UQ in 2008 with 160 candidates competing.  3MT® has grown over the years, and is now held in over 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide.

The 3MT® competition will provide ISPGR trainees with an opportunity to refine skills that can be transferred after graduation to diverse career paths.  Distilling complex research into a clear form, without over-simplifying, and highlighting the wider implications of the research are important skills to carry into post-graduate employment and public service.

The competition allows graduate students to showcase their research to a wider multidisciplinary audience, within the ISPGR community and to the general public. The 3MT® is a unique opportunity to communicate the innovative and significant research undertaken by ISPGR trainees.

Who is eligible?

• Presenters must be ISPGR members and be registered in a master’s (Thesis or MRP) or PhD program at the time of the 3MT® competition, and could be at any stage of progress (i.e., proposal, data collected, etc.) on their research and analysis.
• PhD and master’s students who have defended, but have not yet convocated, are eligible to participate.

How to apply to the 3MT® Competition?

Eligible candidates are invited to apply by submitting an abstract for an individual oral or poster for the upcoming World Congress.

During submission, ensure the check box is selected for participating in the 3MT Competition.

Please note the following 3MT® rules

• 3MT® presentations must represent the primary research the student conducted in his/her graduate program.
• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description are allowed. The slide is to be displayed at the beginning of the presentation.
• 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 considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.
• The finals of the competition will occur either during a live virtual webinar presentation to the community during non-Congress years or in person at the World Congress during live congress years.