three minute thesis thailand

• รายชื่อผู้ทรงคุณวุฒิภายนอก
• แบบฟอร์มหลักสูตร
• การรับสมัครเข้าศึกษา
• ระบบการรับสมัครเข้าศึกษา
• ประกาศรายชื่อผู้มีสิทธิ์รับการคัดเลือกเข้าศึกษาต่อระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา
• ประกาศรายชื่อผู้ผ่านการคัดเลือกเข้าศึกษาต่อระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา
• ระบบรายงานตัวนิสิตออนไลน์
• ข้อบังคับ/ระเบียบ/ประกาศ
• คู่มือนิสิตระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา
• แบบฟอร์มสำหรับนิสิต
• อบรม i-Thesis และจริยธรรมการวิจัย
• ประกาศรายชื่อผู้ผ่านการอบรม iThesis และจริยธรรมการวิจัย
• คู่มือการใช้งานระบบ i-Thesis
• Template i-Thesis
• การเพิ่มข้อมูลในระบบ i-Thesis
• Q&A ระบบ I-THESIS
• ปฏิทินการสอบวัดคุณสมบัติ
• การสอบประมวลความรู้ (COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION)
• การสอบวัดคุณสมบัติ (QUALIFYING EXAMINATION)
• การลงทะเบียนเรียนข้ามสถาบัน
• โครงการอบรมภาษาอังกฤษ ป.โท

3MT : Three Minutes Thesis

• ทุนภายในมหาวิทยาลัย
• ทุนภายนอกมหาวิทยาลัย
• การให้รางวัลดุษฎีนิพนธ์ วิทยานิพนธ์ และงานนิพนธ์
• การให้รางวัลหลักสูตรระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา
• ผู้บริหารบัณฑิตวิทยาลัย
• ปฏิทินการประชุม
• ระบบสารสนเทศ
• ติดต่อสอบถาม

บัณฑิตวิทยาลัย มหาวิทยาลัยบูรพา ได้รับลิขสิทธิ์การจัดการแข่งขันรายการ Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) โดย The University of Queensland ประเทศออสเตรเลีย เป็นผู้คิดค้นและพัฒนาการแข่งขันรายการ Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) มาตั้งแต่ปี พ.ศ. 2551 โดยมีจุดมุ่งหมายของการจัดการแข่งขัน คือการพัฒนาทักษะด้านวิชาการการนำเสนอ และการสื่อสารการวิจัย พัฒนาความสามารถของนิสิตระดับบัณฑิตศึกษาในการอธิบายงานวิจัยของตนอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ ในภาษาที่เหมาะสม โดยที่ผู้ฟังไม่ใช่ผู้เชี่ยวชาญ โดยนิสิตระดับบัณฑิตศึกษามีเวลา 3 นาทีในการกล่าวถึงงานวิจัยของตนเองให้น่าสนใจ เกี่ยวกับหัวข้อวิทยานิพนธ์หรือความสำคัญของวิทยานิพนธ์ โดยตั้งแต่การเปิดตัวครั้งแรกของบัณฑิตวิทยาลัย The University of Queensland นั้น รายการ Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) ได้จัดขึ้นในมหาวิทยาลัยมากกว่า 900 แห่ง ในมากกว่า 85 ประเทศทั่วโลก

3MT (Three Minute Thesis) คือ การแข่งขันการนำเสนอวิทยานิพนธ์โดยใช้เวลาเพียง 3 นาทีกับสไลด์แบบนิ่งๆ เพียง 1 หน้า ความท้าทายคือคุณต้องจัดเตรียมเนื้อหาที่สามารถเข้าใจได้ง่าย สั้น กระชับ และต้องไม่ทำให้เกิดคำถามในภายหลัง ซึ่ง 3MT จะช่วยให้ผู้เข้าร่วมได้พัฒนาฝีมือในการนำเสนอผลงาน บุคลิกภาพ และความกล้าแสดงออกในตัวเอง และยังช่วยให้สามารถวิเคราะห์เนื้อหาวิทยานิพนธ์ และย่อความให้สั้นตามเวลาที่กำหนดได้ด้วย

คุณสมบัติผู้เข้าร่วม นิสิตระดับบัณฑิตศึกษามหาวิทยาลัยบูรพา ระดับปริญญาโท และปริญญาเอก กำลังศึกษาอยู่จนถึงวันที่รับสมัคร โดยไม่จำกัดคณะและหัวข้อที่อยากจะเข้าร่วม

ผลงานวิจัยที่เข้าร่วมการแข่งขัน Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) ต้องเป็นผลงานวิจัยทั้งเรื่อง หรือส่วนหนึ่งของดุษฎีนิพนธ์ หรือวิทยานิพนธ์ หรืองานนิพนธ์ของนิสิตระดับบัณฑิตศึกษา มหาวิทยาลัยบูรพา โดยนิสิตได้รับการแต่งตั้งอาจารย์ที่ปรึกษาแล้ว และหัวข้อดุษฎีนิพนธ์ หรือวิทยานิพนธ์ หรืองานนิพนธ์ และงานต้องได้รับความเห็นชอบจากจากอาจารย์ที่ปรึกษา

หลักเกณฑ์ในการนำเสนอในการแข่งขัน Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) 1.   อนุญาตให้ใช้ภาพนิ่งเพียงภาพเดียวตั้งแต่เริ่มต้นจนจบการนำเสนอ (ไม่มีการเลื่อนตัวอักษร หรือเอนิเมชั่น) 2.   ไม่อนุญาตให้ใช้สื่ออิเล็กทรอนิกส์เพิ่มเติม เช่น ไฟล์เสียง หรือวีดีโอ ฯลฯ 3.   ไม่อนุญาตให้มีอุปกรณ์เพิ่มเติม เช่น เครื่องแต่งกาย เครื่องดนตรี หรืออุปกรณ์ห้องปฏิบัติการ ฯลฯ 4.   การนำเสนอจำกัดเวลาสูงสุด 3 นาที และหากผู้แข่งขันที่ใช้เวลาเกิน 3 นาทีจะถูกตัดสิทธิ์ 5.   การนำเสนอจะต้องเป็นคำพูดเท่านั้น (ไม่มีบทกวี หรือเพลง หรืออื่นๆ ฯลฯ) 6.   การนำเสนอจะต้องเริ่มบนเวทีโดยจะนับเวลาและได้รับการพิจารณาตั้งแต่เริ่มการนำเสนอผ่านการพูดหรือการเคลื่อนไหว 7.   การตัดสินของคณะกรรมการที่บัณฑิตวิทยาลัยแต่งตั้งถือเป็นที่สิ้นสุด

ภาษาที่ใช้ในการนำเสนอ 3MT ไทยและอังกฤษ

• ใบอนุญาตจากอาจารย์ที่ปรึกษา [WORD] [PDF]
• 3MT Template Download

 รายละเอียดเพิ่มเติม

1.ข้อมูลสำคัญในการเตรียมการนำเสนอ

https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/home

คู่มือการบันทึกวิดีโอ 3MT : https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/3mt-video-recording-competitor-guide

ตัวอย่างวิดีโอ : https://vimeo.com/showcase/9921918/video/763224944

2.กำหนดการและเงื่อนไขในวันอบรม

***ผู้ผ่านการคัดเลือกที่ได้รับการเข้าร่วมอบรม ต้อง เข้าร่วมในทุกกิจกรรม 100 % ถ้าไม่ครบ ถือว่าท่านสละสิทธิ์ในการเข้ารับการคัดเลือก 3MT ต่อไป

ผู้ที่เข้าสู่รอบ Semifinal จะต้องเข้าร่วม ในวันที่ 11 พค .2567 โดยมีกำหนดการดังต่อไปนี้

3.ติดตามข่าวสารได้ที่ Facebook : Graduate School Burapha University

4.รายชื่อคณะกรรมการตัดสิน คณะกรรมการตัดสิน

(1)  ดร.ณัฏฐนันธ์ เอื้อศิลป์ อาจารย์ประจำจากคณะดนตรีและการแสดง

(2) รองศาสตราจารย์ ดร.เพียงพักตร์ สุขรักษ์ อาจารย์ประจำจากคณะวิทยาศาสตร์

(3) คุณวาทินี ขานวงศ์  ผู้อำนวยการ (ฝ่ายการศึกษา) สถานเอกอัครราชทูตออสเตรเลีย

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Project Report: Thailand’s first Three Minutes Thesis (3MT) competition

Image: Candidates, judges and participants at the 3MT competition in Thailand | Natinee Kulpijit

On 12 December 2018 the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU) and the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) in Vietnam collaborated to host Thailand’s first Three Minutes Thesis (3MT) competition. The 3MT project is funded by Wellcome through a MORU Network Public Engagement Bursaries award.

A tradition that traces back ten years to the University of Queensland in Australia, the 3MT competition has now been adopted by more than 600 universities in 66 countries around the world, and is open to all active PhD students. The 3MT competition aims to cultivate students’ academic presentation and research communication skills, especially the crucial yet oft-overlooked ability to effectively explain academic research to a non-specialist audience in a short amount of time.

At the 3MT competition in Thailand, 9 doctoral candidates from MORU and OUCRU competed against the clock to present their thesis. The first place prize went to Kartika Saraswati from MORU/OUCRU, and the runner-up was Marieke Bierhoff from MORU’s Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU). Two People's Choice awards went to Tom Hughes from MORU and Marieke Bierhoff from MORU’s Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU).

In the audience were secondary school students from Mahidol Wittayanasorn, who were invited to witness the excitement and challenges of scientific research. With the rare opportunity to speak with and ask questions of real scientific researchers, the hope was that younger students could perhaps be inspired to follow in pursuit of scientific careers in the future.

The 3MT competition was part of the 2nd MORU-OUCRU Student Conference.

Image: 3MT Winners: Kartika Saraswati from MORU/OUCRU, Marieke Bierhoff from MORU’s Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU) and Tom Hughes from MORU received a research and travel grant from David Burton, Chief Operating Officer, MORU |  Natinee Kulpijit

• Project Report: The Tak Province Border Community Ethics Advisory Board (T-CAB)
• Project Report: “Nothing about us without us”: How families affected by Zika are claiming back control
• Engagement with Human Infection Studies: Panel Discussion

Asia (Mesh)    Asia (Mesh-Project)    Schools (Mesh)    Wellcome Trust (Mesh)    Vietnam (Mesh)    Southeast Asia (Mesh)    Thailand (Mesh)    Schools (Mesh-Project)    Schools - Approaches - Visits & Talks (Mesh)   

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• Nov 21, 2022

How to write a winning 3MT script

That’s how many words are in a typical PhD thesis. Years of gruelling research, sleepless nights, and history-making breakthroughs… culminated into one VERY thick book. To present something of this scale would take you approximately 9 hours. 🤯

But what do you do when you only have 3 minutes? ⏰

Well, that’s exactly what thousands of PhD students worldwide do each year in the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition. Not only do they explain their super complex research in the time it takes to make a coffee, but they do it in a way that can be understood by a non-specialist audience.

But we know what you’re thinking…

So, how do you even win a competition like that? Well first of all, you’re going to need a 3MT script. And we’re about to teach you how to write a WINNING one. 🏅

Not only that, but this blog post marks the beginning of a multi-part series that will cover all the important aspects of preparing a winning 3MT – from writing a captivating speech, to creating an effective slide, and of course, nailing your delivery.

What is the 3MT competition?

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition is an annual public speaking competition, where PhD candidates describe the impact and scope of their research in 3 minutes to a non-specialist audience. It was launched by the University of Queensland in 2008 and has since gained traction in over 85 countries around the world! 🌍

Put simply, it’s a fancy elevator pitch. Just imagine that it’s a really slow elevator.

Like any good competition, the 3MT has some rules. Here’s a run-down of some of the big ones:

Rules of the 3MT® competition:

You must use a single static PowerPoint slide with no transitions or animations.

You are limited to 3 minutes maximum. Competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.

Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs)… Sorry to all the aspiring rapper-researchers out there.

You can find a comprehensive list of the rules on the official UQ 3MT website.

Well, now that’s out of the way, let’s get into our tips on how to write a winning 3MT script! In this article, I’ll discuss some strategies that I used to craft my own winning 3MT script, but I’ve also watched lots of other award-winning 3MT presentations and identified some common features they share, so that you don’t have to. 😉

#1 : The hook 🪝

Every great 3MT presentation starts off with an attention-grabbing opener, otherwise known as ‘the hook.’ It’s a storytelling essential, and is undoubtedly one of the most important components of the 3MT script.

One clever way to hook the audience in a 3MT presentation is to start off by asking a question , which creates a sense of open dialogue with the listener. For instance, these 3MT finalists began their presentations by asking:

Full videos: Sarah Mokrzycki | Merryn Baker

You can see how the simple act of asking a question makes us reflect on our own personal views and encourages us to engage with the presentation. 💭 Another way to achieve a similar effect is to begin your talk by prompting the audience to act. An effective example of this is presented here:

Full video: Amanda Khamis

Prompting the listener to act is a powerful way to immerse the audience into a particular scenario by making use of their senses. It can be easily achieved by asking the audience to look around the room, visualise a scene using their imagination, or simply taking a deep breath. 😮‍💨

Finally, several fantastic 3MT presentations also begin with a hook that startles the reader by making an unusual, interesting, or thought-provoking statement. This can be done numerous ways, such as through the use of:

Oxymoron: A figure of speech that combines two contradicting words (i.e., ‘deafening silence’ and ‘old news’).

Paradox: A self-contradictory statement that may actually be true (i.e., ‘less is more’).

Irony: Use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning (i.e., telling a rude customer to ‘have a nice day’).

Here are some good 3MT examples where the presenter has opened with a startling hook:

Full videos: Sophie Jano | Kylie Sturgess

The success of this technique arises from its element of surprise, which keeps the listener intrigued and curious. Basically, the more shocking or unexpected the hook, the better. 😲

However, with all this being said, there’s certainly no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to begin your 3MT, and that’s the beauty of creativity. But in case you’re stuck for ideas, here are a few sentence starters to give you some inspiration for creating a compelling hook for your 3MT script:

Once you’ve got the crowd hooked, it’s a prime opportunity to reel them in for your story. 📖

#2 : Tell a story

If you watch all the award-winning 3MT presentations, you’ll notice that they have one thing in common: they all tell a story. And they do it well.

But how do we turn our own complex, and often niche, research into a compelling story? Well, thankfully, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We can stand on the shoulders of SciComm giants... 👣

No one is more of an expert at the ins and outs of storytelling than Dr Randy Olson ; scientist-turned-filmmaker, and co-author of the book Connection: Hollywood Storytelling meets Critical Thinking ( a.k.a. our SciComm holy bible). Many of the principles discussed in this section come straight from this remarkable work, which made it to our top 5 must-read science communication books . 📚

As we know from pretty much every Hollywood blockbuster, all good stories have a beginning, middle, and end. In Connection , Randy further develops this idea by outlining what he calls the ‘ABT Template’, which stands for ‘And, But, Therefore.’ These represent the three key components that make up every good story. We’ve talked about the ABT template before , and how it can be used to elevate your storytelling. But, in case you missed it, I’ll use my own research as an example as we work through this concept.

Typically, in the beginning of a story, there’s some exposition. These are facts that help set the scene and ensure that the speaker and audience are all on the same page (pun intended). 😉 These facts can be connected using the word AND. For example:

“Cancer is deadly and traditional chemotherapy is one treatment option.”

Any statements we connect with ‘and’ are typically things that everyone would agree with, so you can quality-check your ‘and’ section by making sure you agree with all the facts you are connecting.

Okay, so we’ve set the scene. But this isn’t really a story yet, is it? The actual story doesn’t begin until there’s a source of tension or conflict , and the simplest word to make this happen is the word BUT:

“Cancer is deadly and traditional chemotherapy is one treatment option, but it comes with a lot of side effects.”

You can see that the ‘but’ is what makes things interesting. It’s what keeps the audience wanting more and makes them ask “Well, what happens next?”

It doesn’t have to be the word ‘but’ either – there are a lot of words that essentially do the same thing, such as however, although, except , and unfortunately, to name a few… (The thesaurus could be your best friend here). What these words have in common is that they create this critical sense of tension.

Following this, is the outcome , which is where the THEREFORE comes in.

“Cancer is deadly and chemotherapy is one treatment option, but it comes with a lot of side effects. Therefore , in our research, we load these drugs into tiny carriers called nanoparticles, which can help to reduce their adverse effects.”

‘Therefore’ is the word that brings everything together. It marks the beginning of a journey of discovery, which eventually leads to the resolution.

You can see how, by simply including these three key words: and, but and therefore , we have generated the foundations of a good story. Your 3MT script will obviously need to be longer than two sentences, but the ABT template provides a useful scaffold that you can build from to ensure that your story is compelling. If you’re interested in reading more on the ABT template and how it can be utilised, make sure to give Connection a read. 📖

To help you shape your story using the ABT template, here are some questions you can aim to answer in the beginning, middle, and end of your 3MT script:

Hopefully this outline can help you create a captivating and persuasive story to communicate your research effectively. Because, in the wise words of Dr Randy Olson, “Tell a good story and the whole world will listen.”

So, we’ve got our story. But what other strategies can we use to make it a little more interesting? Let’s unpack our storytelling toolkit to see how we can spice things up. 🌶

#3 : Your storytelling toolkit: analogies, humour & creation of a character

In addition to using the ABT template to write a compelling narrative structure, there are also several other tools that you can use to connect with your audience and make your story as easy to understand as possible.

One powerful way to do this is to relate your research to a more common experience by using an analogy . Analogies allow us to compare similarities between two seemingly different things. For instance, when I did the 3MT, I used an analogy to compare nanoparticles – a topic that’s not very common – to cars, something that almost everyone is familiar with:

Full video: Cintya Dharmayanti

As you can see, this works because the analogy serves to provide a simpler, more easily understood explanation using concepts and examples from everyday life. 🚗

Besides analogies, another useful tool to create a captivating story is the use of humour . Because who doesn’t like a good laugh, right? 😂 Comedic relief can help you create a bond with the listener and provide some emotional reprieve for what may otherwise be a serious presentation.

Humour is used well in this winning 3MT presentation:

Full video: Trevyn Toone

In this example, humour helps to keep us engaged with the presentation and gives us a good impression of the presenter. However, some care does need to be taken with the use of humour, so as to not devalue the presentation. Don’t worry if you’re not a comedian though (or if your research topics are too grim to joke about), there are still other effective ways to make your story shine.

Some of the most immersive 3MTs are those that introduce a character , fictional or not, and follow that character’s story. This is a particularly useful tool if your research involves a topic that strikes a strong emotional response. The following example executed this well, where the speaker refers to a photo of an adorable young infant with a feeding tube:

This is so effective because it encourages us to empathise with the character and persuades us to see the importance of the presenter’s research. Whether it’s analogies, humour, or the creation of a character, there are lots of ways to make your story relatable and more easily understood.

Now that we’ve got some ideas from our storytelling toolkit, let’s move on! 🙌

#4 : Goodbye technical jargon 👋

Imagine being in a different country, where you don’t speak the native language. You’re chatting with a local, but they can’t speak your language very fluently. The conversation is interspersed with foreign words that you can’t quite understand, so the meaning of the exchange ultimately becomes lost.

That’s what it’s like trying to understand complex research when it’s filled with terminology and jargon only an expert in that field would know. 🤓

Remember that the 3MT is for a non-specialist audience, which is very different to a conference presentation that’s mostly filled with experts in the field. As scientists, it’s our job to make sure that we are speaking the same language as our audience, and for the 3MT, that means avoiding the use of language that’s too niche or technical. We can still explain complex concepts using language that’s easy to understand!

But how do you do that, when you’ve spent years in academia doing the opposite? 😅

The best way to avoid the overuse of jargon is to simply seek the help of a non-specialist. Ask someone that’s not in your field of research to listen to your presentation and provide feedback. Perhaps this is a friend, family, or fellow student from a completely different department. Does your story make sense to them? If not, it probably won’t make sense to many people in the 3MT audience.

I remember when I was preparing my 3MT script, I went through this exact process! Reading it aloud to my mum, sister, and pretty much anyone who would listen, to make sure each sentence was easy to follow and understand. It’s actually what helped me come up with the idea of the car- analogy in the first place! So, keep iterating and tweaking your presentation until it makes sense to the mailman, the bus driver, and the neighbour down the road.

Also, make sure to keep your story focused on the big picture, rather than getting bogged down in the details and data. Not only will this make your presentation hard to understand, but it’s also more likely to make it B.O.R.I.N.G. and lead to blank stares !

When you’ve ticked all these boxes – great! You’re ready to move on.

#5 : The finisher: Coming full circle

Good job! You’re almost done. Time to add the finishing touch. We can all agree that a strong finish makes for a more memorable presentation. One trend that’s very common amongst winning 3MT presentations is the way that they finish: by bringing their story full circle. As the name suggests, this essentially means that the presenter refers back to the beginning of the story, especially if a particular character, scenario, or analogy is used.

For instance, in this winning 3MT example, the presentation begins with:

Then, as the presentation comes to a close, the final segment ends by referring back to the opening sentence:

Full video: Matthew Shaw

By bringing the story full circle, the audience gains a sense of satisfaction and closure as the cycle returns to its beginnings and the status quo is restored.

Take-away messages

The thought of distilling years of research down to just 3 minutes can be daunting, especially when it’s a competition. 😰 However, if you:

Create an attention-grabbing hook

Tell a captivating story using the ABT template

Use tools such as analogies, humour, and characters

Get rid of technical jargon, and

Bring your story full circle

You’re well on your way to writing a fantastic 3MT script! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s tell your story. Time is ticking. 😉⏰

And remember – if you want to further master your storytelling and public speaking skills, we’d love to show you how in one of our online or in-person science communication workshops .

Feel free to contact us to find out more!

Cintya Dharmayanti

Dr Juan Miguel Balbin

Dr Tullio Rossi

Illustration

Alvin Yanga

Related Posts

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Three Minute Thesis Competition: Start

• 3MT Details
• Past 3MT Competitions

2024 3MT Competition

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an internationally recognized competition that challenges Ph.D students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in just 3 minutes, in language that anyone can understand. 3MT is not an exercise in trivializing or ‘dumbing-down’ research but requires students to consolidate their ideas, crystallize their research discoveries and capture the imagination of their audience.

Who's Eligible to Compete? All CMU Ph.D Students regardless of year in program. Whether it's your first year or last year, Come one - come all!

Why Compete? 3MT offers CMU doctoral candidates of any level the opportunity to gain early career recognition, connect with the campus community, and win prizes of up to $3,000. It's a great way to practice sharing your research with a non specialist audience and get listeners excited about your area of study. Students get to hear from fellow Ph.D. students across campus, which can spark interdisciplinary collaboration. They also get to present before staff, faculty, and alumni from a wide range of departments, as well as an extensive alumni network. Preliminary round winners receive $250 cash.

What Happens Next? Start practicing! All 3MT registrants will be scheduled to compete in preliminary rounds between January and February.

Then What? Winners of preliminary rounds go on to compete in-person in the CMU 3MT Championship, on Thursday, March 14, 2024 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm EST. Finalists will compete for an additional $500-$3,000 in cash prizes in the Three Minute Thesis Championship. Prizes are given for 1st ($3,000), 2nd ($2,000), and 3rd ($1,000) as well as the live audience-votes for People's Choice ($500) and virtual-vote for the Alumni Award ($750).

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• Next: 3MT Details >>
• Last Updated: Mar 20, 2024 3:43 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.cmu.edu/3mt

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.  While the original competition was for graduate students, a number of colleges are now sponsoring undergraduate competitions. The Writing Center sponsored Harvard's first undergraduate Three-Minute Thesis competition in April 2019. 3MT offers seniors the opportunity to create an accessible and interesting presentation of their senior thesis research for an audience of non-specialists. All finalists were offered the opportunity to work with a writing tutor and a public speaking tutor to craft their final presentations.

If you are a senior interested in entering this year's 3MT, you can find information on this page.  

First Prize

Meera Nair (MCB): ""M2 Macrophages: The Bodyguards of Metastasis."  (video unavailable)

Second Prize

Harrison Ngue (Biomedical Engineering): ""Beating Cancer Twice: Understanding How "Sleeping" Cancer Cells Become Resistant to Chemotherapy

Third Prize

Nour Khachemoune, "Animals, Diet, and Societal Collapse at the Maya Site of Copán, Honduras"

Alison Chen (Philosophy/History) "Where Mind Meets Body: Descartes on Knowledge in Everyday Life"

Yousuf Amiel Bakshi (Government): "Block to the Future: Understanding Why Certain Countries Use Blockchain for e-Government"

Henry Cerbone (Ontology of Autonomous Systems): "Running on Water: A Multi-Disciplinary Look at Basilisk Lizards"

Nikhil Dharmaraj (History and Literature/Comp Sci): "System Update: Historicizing Facial Recognition Technology in Hindutva India"

Laura Murphy (English): "The 1918 Influenza Pandemic: Fiction, Journalism, and Personal Journals of the Plague"

Jeromel Dela Rosa Lara (Social Anthropology/Comparative Religion): "Smugglers of Faith": The Enduring Presence of Filipina Migrant Domestic Workers in the Middle East"

Isha Puri (Applied Mathematics): "Shifting Paradigms of AI Explainability and Reasoning"

Sam Saba (NELC/Government): "Digitalization & Divide: Global Divides in the Digital Age"

Aristotle Vainikos (Government): "Thinking Outside the Disciplinary Box: The Role of Designers in Military Technology Innovation"

Michael Wallace (History): "How the National Park Service Created Environmentalism"

Zoe Weiss (Molecular and Cellular Biology): "RNA in a Haystack"

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The Three Minute Thesis Competition  

An 80,000 word ph.d. thesis would take 9 hours to present. their time limit...3 minutes. special thanks to our sponsor riverstone for supporting this event.  .

The 2024 3MT Competition is taking place in February and April! Thirty applicants will be selected to compete. Applications are now closed.

3MT Overview

Three Minute Thesis (3MT ® ) celebrates the exciting research conducted by PhD 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 their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes , in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. Competitors are allowed one PowerPoint slide , but no other resources or props.

The 8 th  annual 3MT competition took place in March 2023. We had 32 students compete and witnessed some fantastic presentations. We can't wait to see what our new and returning participants bring in 2024. To help students prepare for the 3MT we offer a workshop series that will guide students through the whole process-- developing the talk, creating the slide, and practicing the presentation. view all the 2023 preliminary and final round presentations

Past Participants

The UNH Graduate School Media Channel hosts videos of the 3MT competitions from every year! Browse the channel at the link below to find 3MT presentations from participants across a range of disciplines and subjects. You can find direct links to the videos of our award winners from each year in the "Past 3MT Winners" section on this webpage as well.

UNH Graduate School Media Page Official 3MT Website

2023 3MT Winners

2024 3MT Competition Schedule

Preliminary Round 1 - February 27th from 3-5pm, MUB Theater I Preliminary Round 2 - February 28th from 3-5pm, MUB Theater I 3MT Final Round - April 8th from 4-6pm, MUB Theater II (followed by a reception from 6-7pm)

Preparing for your 3MT

Upcoming workshop open to all UNH graduate students and postdocs

Introduction to the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Come for an overview of what the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition is and what makes a good 3MT, from content to audience to the way you present your research, orally and visually. Attendance can be in-person or virtual. 

When : December 13, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Where : Hamel Recreation Center room 107C or via Zoom

Register here

Past 3MT Winners

• 1 st place: Melanie Smith ,  Master's Student in Marine Biology
• 2 nd place: Manjot Rekhi , PhD Student in Earth and Environmental Science
• 3 rd place: Diana Reyes Gomez , PhD Student in Agricultural Sciences
• People's Choice Award: Ava Boutilier , Master's Student in Biochemistry
• 1 st place: Sathya Jagadeesan ,  PhD student in Chemical Engineering
• 2 nd place:  Nikolai Matukhno , Master's Student in Mechanical Engineering
• 3 rd place & People’s Choice Award:  Nick Pollak , PhD candidate in Chemistry
• 1 st place: David Heit , Msc Wildlife and Conservation Biology
• 2 nd place: Via D'Agostino , MFA Fiction Writing
• 3 rd place: Hannah Lightcap , PhD Psychology
• People’s Choice Award: Jess Flarity , PhD English Literature
• 1 st place: Jordan Pierce , MS Oceanography
• 2 nd place: Allison Giannotti , PhD Composition & Rhetoric
• 3 rd place: Isaiah Paolo Atienza Lee , PhD Molecular and Evolutionary Systems Biology
• People’s Choice Award: Danial Mirzaiyanrajeh , PhD Civil & Environmental Engineering
• People’s Choice Runner Up: Kerry Dykens , MS Oceanography
• 1 st place: Sidney Birch , PhD Molecular & Evolutionary Systems Biology
• 2 nd place & People’s Choice Award: Zane Relethford , PhD Chemistry
• 3 rd place: Katherine Ineson , PhD NRESS
• 1 st place: Jovana Milosavljevic Ardeljan , PhD Education
• 2 nd place: Devon O'Rourke , PhD Molecular and Evolution Systems Biology
• 3 rd place & People’s Choice Award: Kaitlyn Belknap , M.S. Genetics
• 1 st place: Drummond Biles , PhD, Mechanical Engineering
• 2 nd place: Meagan Wengrove , PhD Ocean Engineering
• 3 rd place: Ryan Stevens , PhD Natural resources
• People’s Choice Award: Rev. Holland Prior , MFA Creative Nonfiction
• People’s Choice Runner Up: Jovana Milosavljevic Ardeljan , PhD Education
• 1 st place & People’s Choice Award: Lesley Atwood , PhD Agroecology
• 2 nd place: Susan Deily Swearingen , PhD History
• 3 rd place: Maria Marin Jarrin , PhD Oceanography
• 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, etc.) 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 front of the theater.
• 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

3 Minute Thesis presentations are judged using the following criteria:

Comprehension and Content

• Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background to the research question being addressed and its significance?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the key results of the research including conclusions and outcomes?
• Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Was the thesis topic, key results and research significance and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the speaker avoid scientific jargon, explain terminology and provide adequate background information to illustrate points?
• Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation - or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect so that other aspects of the presentation felt 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?

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Graduate School Updates>

The latest COVID-19 news and information is available at  Penn State's Coronavirus Information website . 

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Update

On March 11 th  the University announced that beginning March 16 th  instruction for all students will be moving to a remote delivery format. Graduate students enrolled in resident courses should plan on participating remotely, and not coming to campus specifically for face-to-face instruction. Learn more at gradschool.psu.edu/covid19 .

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Three Minute Thesis

•  /  Career and Professional Development
•  /  Three Minute Thesis

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic research communication competition developed by the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. Through the competition, graduate and professional students can hone their academic and research presentation skills and their ability to effectively explain their research to a general audience. Each competitor has three minutes to speak and can use only one presentation slide.

The Graduate School will be hosting the 2024 Three Minute Thesis competition in partnership with the Graduate and Professional Student Association and the Graduate School Alumni Society .

Watch the Final Round

3MT at Penn State in 2024 

Penn State’s first University-wide 3MT Competition will take place over two rounds. To compete, graduate students must upload a video presentation during the submission period (January 8–February 9) and be available for the final, in-person round on Saturday, March 23, on the University Park campus.

Competitor Information

Learn more about eligibility requirements, the upcoming timeline, prize money, and more.

Judge Information

Learn about remote judging for the opening round, who can be a judge, judging criteria, and more.

Prizes 

• First Place: $1,000
• Second Place: $500
• People's Choice: $500

Competition Format

Opening Round — Video Format expand_more

Open call to any Penn State graduate or professional student conducting research to submit three-minute videos. Submissions will be judged by alumni, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, staff, and others. The top 10 students get invited to the final round as well as a free lunch at Penn State’s annual Doctoral Alumni Recognition Luncheon hosted by the Dean of the Graduate School. 

Final Round — In-Person Format expand_more

Saturday, March 23  10:00-11:15 a.m.  Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center 

The final round will be live streamed from the University Park campus and will include a people’s choice prize selected by virtual and in-person audience ballots. Winners will be announced shortly after the competition.

Regional and National Competitions expand_more

The top-scoring Ph.D. student from Penn State’s final round will be invited to the regional 3MT competition hosted by the Northeast Association of Graduate Schools in April 2024 (exact date to be determined). Winners of the regional competition are invited to the national competition hosted by the Council of Graduate Schools. Students in master's and professional degree programs are eligible to participate in Penn State's competition but are not eligible for the regional or national competitions.

Why participate?

Megan Rossi, past 3MT winner at the University of Queensland, discusses how the 3MT competition helped her career.

Contact  

Direct all questions about Three Minute Thesis at Penn State to: [email protected] .  

Three Minute Thesis, Graduate Exhibition, or Both?

In spring 2024, Penn State graduate students can participate in two major research and scholarship communication events, the Three Minute Thesis and the  Graduate Exhibition . Students are welcome to participate in both but should be aware that each event has its own application process and deadlines.

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Penn Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

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Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a competition for doctoral and research students to develop and showcase their research communication skills through brief, 3-minute presentations.

Penn's annual 3MT competition is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for Education, with co-sponsorship and support from Career Services, the Graduate Student Center, and GAPSA. 

Penn 3MT is a University-sponsored speaking competition designed to showcase graduate student research in three-minute talks to a general audience. This is a terrific opportunity for graduate students engaged in substantive original research to develop communication skills and share their work with faculty, students, and staff from across the University.

• 3MT Information Sessions : November 2023 & January 2024
• Research Communications Workshops : October - November 2023 &  February 2024 (optional)
• Practice and Feedback Sessions: February 2024 (optional)
• First Round Video Submissions Due: Saturday, March 2, 2024
• Finalists announced: March 7-8, 2024
• Finalist Feedback Sessions: March 8-21, 2024
• In-person Competition : Friday, March 22, 2024

In addition to bragging rights, a prize of $1000 will be awarded to the first-place winner and $500 to both the second-place and audience choice winners. Winners will also have the opportunity to participate in regional and national 3 Minute Thesis competitions!

Meet the Finalists & Winners!

First place, $1000, kritika jha.

Kritika is a material chemistry Ph.D. student at the SAS and has dedicated her research to sustainable and intelligent packaging solutions. She is also a great fan of cooking, so she’s always cooking up a storm both in the lab and the kitchen,  with a mission to whip up eco-friendly packaging solutions. So, just think of her as a chef-scientist, where her ingredients aren't just spices and veggies, but also the stuff that could make tomorrow's packaging as compostable as an apple core, with a sprinkle of creativity and a dash of science. Now she’s going to tell you more about all that in her talk title “Nanosuperheroes: Who Can See the Unseen Dangers” 

Second Place, $500, Grace Simon

Grace is a PhD Candidate in the Management Department. Before embarking on her PhD journey, Grace spent five years working in the financial services industry. From supporting employees through bank robberies to leading a crisis communications team during the pandemic, Grace realized the central role of emotions in the workplace. In her research, she explores when and why supportive intentions at work can go right and wrong.  When she's not working on research, you can find her searching for the best ice cream in Philadelphia or perfecting her soft pretzel recipe. Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled “Putting Feelings into Words” 

Audience Choice, $500, Talayah Johnson

Talayah is Bioengineering Ph.D. student here at the University of Pennsylvania. Her journey started at Penn State University where she received her B.S in biology and Masters in biomechanics. Outside of research she enjoys volunteering at Philadelphia high schools as a way of encouraging minority students to pursue STEM degrees.  Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled “The Tendon’s Achilles Heel: How Reduced Loading Affects Limb Growth” 

Shelvey Swett

Shelvey is a second year PhD student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department. Her work focuses on carbon capture and storage. Outside of research, Shelvey loves reading, watching video essays, and doing hot yoga. Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled ‘Carbon capture? I hardly know her! Critical Mineral Supply and Carbon Dioxide Storage from Mining Waste’ 

Maya Moritz

Maya is a PhD student in the Criminology department at Penn. She grew up in New Jersey and studied labor and historical economics in Scotland, Canada, and Germany. During her studies, she listened to way too many true crime podcasts and, as a result, decided to return home and examine a different labor market- crime. As a PhD student in criminology she tries to keep her work on the brighter side by studying the crime-fighting effects of art, lighting, and the power of community. Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled “A Picture Worth A Thousand Words: The Effects of Murals on Crime ” 

Chris Johnson

Chris is a doctoral candidate in chemical and biomolecular engineering, with a focus on deciphering the physics behind new materials for energy technology. He has had work published in scientific journals such as Polymer, Advanced Materials Interfaces, and Chemical Communications. He was the 2020 winner of the Elda Wollaeger Gregory poetry award at the University of Delaware, and spends his free time playing with his cat Poe. Now he’s going to tell you about his research in his talk titled “Mission Ion-possible Charges in Motion" 

Natalia (Nati) Aponte Borges

Natalia is a graduate researcher, bilingual STEM educator, and artist. She obtained her B.S. in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras and is currently a Biology PhD Candidate in the Schmidt Lab. She is broadly interested in the neurobiology of behavior, known as neuroethology. Her work focuses on the neural mechanisms that control courtship behaviors in songbirds. She studies brown-headed cowbirds, which have an elaborate song and display during courtship. Outside of research, she is passionate about community, science literacy, disability justice, and teaching. Along with birds, she loves photography, sewing, and going to the beach. Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled “The Neural Command of Courtship: How the Bird Brain Orchestrates an Elaborate Wingspread” 

Pulkit Khandelwal

Pulkit is a 5th year PhD student in the department of Bioengineering. Previously, he completed his masters in computer science at McGill University in Montreal. Pulkit's research interests lie in biomedical image analysis using artificial intelligence and shape analysis to understand how neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, spread in the brain using postmortem human brain MRI. In his spare time, he likes to read poetry, literature, listen to Greek mythology podcasts, nerd out on coffee, enjoy foreign language independent movies, and lately he has been interested in rare books and book binding! Now he’s going to tell you about his research in his talk titled “Alzheimer's disease: cutting the brain open, literally!” 

To enter, students must register below and submit a video of their three-minute talk to Penn 3MT (details below) by Saturday, March 2. From those first-round submissions, up to 10 finalists will be chosen to compete in the campus-wide, live competition on Friday, March 22.

Register for Round 1 Video Submission

The 3MT competition will teach you how to communicate effectively to specialists and non-specialists alike, preparing you to present your research at scholarly conferences and to take part in both academic and professional job markets.

Professional Development:  Penn 3MT is a great opportunity for graduate students to practice sharing their original research to general audiences. Participants have the opportunity to attend workshops and receive group and one-on-one coaching to  develop oratorical skills, dynamic deliveries, and compelling content  when presenting their academic research.

Networking:  3MT participants will have an opportunity to meet and engage with new faculty, staff, and students from across the University.

Impact:  Participants have the opportunity to make the importance and relevance of their research visible to a non-specialist audience. Participants can elect to have their presentation shared online, promoting both your own work and the value of graduate student research to a much wider audience.

Prizes:  Everyone who submits a video will receive prizes from GAPSA and the Grad Center! Please register at the blue button at the top of the page  if you plan on submitting a video so we can collect your contact information. Judges will select a first-place ($1000) and second-place ($500) winner at the live competition. There will also be an audience choice ($500) winner.

Active PhD, Professional Doctorate Research (program composed of at least 2/3 research and eligible for Research Training Program (RTP)), and full-time Masters 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.

Please Note : Students enrolled in any of the following programs are not eligible to enter the 3MT Competition:

Professional Masters

Professional Doctorate (less than 2/3 research)

Entries from all disciplines are welcome and encouraged.

In cases of presentation of a collaborative research project, the presenter’s contribution to the project must be salient and clearly specified.

If you are unsure of your eligibility or would like more information about 3MT, please contact [email protected] . You can also check the Graduate Catalog for your Penn School to see if your program is listed under the PhD and Research Master's Programs.

To enter, you must submit a three-minute video of your presentation by 11:59 p.m. (local time) on March 2, 2024.

Please register at the blue button at the top of the page  if you are interested in participating . Be sure to read through the Rules and Guidelines also before submitting your videos!

Competition Process

Students may submit their slide and video anytime before Saturday, March 2, 2024  for feedback. You can also request a 1:1 session during this time for immediate feedback or to go over your presentation with the Associate Director.

Research Communications Workshops offered by the Graduate Student Center will occur October - November and January - February. See our Events page for details.

Student videos submitted by the deadline of  Satur day, March 2 at 11:59 p.m., EST  are reviewed by a panel of staff for compliance with the eligibility requirements.

10 Finalists are selected for the online competition by March 7-8, 2024.

A  campus-wide competition between the finalists will be held March 22, 2024. A reception will be held after the competition.

On the basis of these presentations, winners will be selected by the panel of judges and a “people’s choice” by audience members.  

Judging and Selection

A panel of non-specialist faculty and staff judges will evaluate student presentations. Presentations will be evaluated based on clarity, comprehension, content, engagement, and communication.

Everyone who submits a video will receive a gift for participating! Please fill out the interest form above if you plan on submitting a video so we can collect your contact information. Judges will select a first ($1000) and second-place ($500) winner at the live competition. There will also be an audience choice ($500) winner.

All decisions of the judging panel are final.

Video submission:   

• Your video and slide should be submitted using the button below.  Please register at the blue button at the top of the page  if you are interested in participating .
• All video files should be named: “Title_of_talk.mp4” or “Title_of_talk.mov”.  Please do not include your name or any other identifying information in the name of the video file.
• You do not need to include your slide in your video. A video of you speaking is enough. You will upload your slide alongside your video.
• At the very beginning of your video, please state your full name, graduate program, and the title of your presentation. The time it takes to do this will not be counted against the three minutes to present your research.
• You will not be judged on your skills as a videographer, and you do not need to use professional video equipment. As long as the judges can see you and the audio is clear and understandable, that is sufficient. You can record yourself using the Panopto interface in Canvas. You can also record yourself in Zoom. You may ask a friend or colleague for help creating your video, or you can get assistance and borrow equipment from the Vitale Digital Media Lab . You can also follow these tips for recording a presentation in Zoom . Here is one demonstrated on a Mac .

Visual submission :

• Presenters may use a single image or static PowerPoint slide (no Prezi or other presentation formats) to enhance their presentation.
• Students must create their slides themselves – they cannot ask someone else to design the slides. Use of PowerPoint templates is allowed.
• Slides can include visual elements (charts, visualizations, photos, clip art, etc.) created by someone other than the student, as long as the slide credits the original creator.
• Embedded audio, animations, and/or video clips (including but not limited to .gif, .avi, .mp4, .mp3, and .wmv file types) are NOT permitted.
• Powerpoint slides should be named "Title_of_talk.ppt". Please do not include your name or any other identifying information in the name of the PowerPoint file.

Powerpoint slides and videos can be uploaded below. If you are having difficulty, please upload it to Microsoft, Box, or Google Drive and email jomcb at upenn.edu the link to download.

Upload Your Video & Slide

Length and Timing: Presentations should be a maximum of three (3) minutes in length, commencing from the moment the speaker starts the presentation through movement or speech.

• The presentation  begins  at the moment the speaker engages with the audience (if they start with a hand clap, a gesture, or any other such engagement, prior to speaking, the clock begins at that time; if there is no such engagement the clock starts when the student begins speaking).
• If the speaker continues past three minutes, points will be deducted from the final score, beginning with one point at 3:03, and one point every two additional seconds thereafter.
• No props of any kind are permitted, and notes cannot be used during the presentation.

Want some help getting started? In need of Inspiration? Check out the resources below!

3MT® Resources

• Three-Minute Thesis Showcase :  Watch winning 3MT presentations from around the world.
• Three Tips to Help You Prepare a Winning Presentation
• 3MT: The Three Most Common Mistakes
• Sample 3MT Coaching Session

Past Penn 3MT ® Competitions and Workshops

Research Communications Workshops

Additional Resources

• Nature MasterClass: Effective Science Communication (PennKey login required)
• Alda Center for Communicating Science Creating Connections Workbook
• XKCD Simple Writer
• Dejargonizer
• TED Talks :  Short talks on “ideas worth spreading.” 
• PhD Comics Two-Minute Thesis  Competition
• Berkeley Grad Slam Competition

Graduate Student Center University of Pennsylvania 3615 Locust Walk Philadelphia PA 19104 215-746-6868

[email protected]

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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

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="three minute thesis thailand"> 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] . 

Graduate Education

Office of graduate and postdoctoral education, three minutes, infinite impact: 2024 3mt winners announced.

Apr 10, 2024

The ninth annual Georgia Tech Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition concluded on Friday, April 5, where 12 scholars shared their groundbreaking research through electrifying and informative three-minute-long presentations. Four graduate students emerged victorious, each winner taking home research travel grants.

Congratulations to the 2024 Three Minute Thesis Winners:

Master's Winner

Karina Bhattacharya, MID, Industrial Design

The master’s category winner won a $1,000 research travel grant.

Overall  Ph.D. Winner

Alexandra Patterson, Ph.D. Bioengineering

First Runner Up

Kantwon Rogers, Ph.D. Computer Science

Second Runner Up

Valeria Juarez, Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering

The first-place Ph.D. winner won a $2,000 research travel grant. The Ph.D. first runner-up

Won a $1,500 research travel grant, and the second runner-up won a $1,000 runner-up grant.

First runner-up, Kantwon Rogers also won the coveted People's Choice award,

which earned him an additional $500 research travel grant.

The Office of Graduate Education coordinates tech’s 3MT competition in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), The Naugle Communications Center, and the Language Institute. For more information about this year’s 3MT Competition, visit grad.gatech.edu/3mt .

Brittani Hill

Marketing Communications Manager

Office of Graduate Education

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Clark honors college menu, clark honors college, three minute thesis competition.

2nd Annual CHC Three Minute Thesis Competition

Thursday, april 25, 2024 | 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., lillis 282 followed by a reception from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. in lillis atrium, open to the community.

Parking and Accessibility Information

What is Three Minute Thesis?

Initiated in 2008 by the University of Queensland, Three Minute Thesis competitions have spread across the world, offering both undergraduates and graduate students the opportunity to refine their abilities in orally communicating their research.

The CHC Three Minute Thesis competition challenges students to prepare and present a compelling speech about their thesis project and explain its significance to an educated audience using only one presentation image. 

2024 CHC Three Minute Thesis Finalists

Ben burress-irving.

Computational Protein Design for Bone Healing   Primary Thesis Advisor: Parisa Hosseinzadeh

Bryn Callie

In the Neighborhood: Phenology, Species Interactions, and Community Engagement in Ecological Research   Primary Thesis Advisor: Jeff Diez

Hye Lynn Choi

The Effects of Aging on Musculotendinous Stiffness at VL   Primary Thesis Advisor: Damien Callahan

Proteomic Signatures of Tibial Bone Stress Reinjury    Primary Thesis Advisor: Robert Guldberg

Alyson Johnston

Blind, Deaf, Accomplished, and Discredited: How Helen Keller’s Legacy Evolved with New Media   Primary Thesis Advisor: Charlie Deitz

Cerrando la Brecha: Latinx Voices' on identity, community, and social entrepreneurship   Primary Thesis Advisor: Tobin Hansen

Eden McCall

Saving Nature in Our Own Backyard: A Multimedia Science Story   Primary Thesis Advisor: Torsten Kjellstrand

Madi Serrano

The Effects of Exercise and Heat Therapy on the Ambulatory Blood Pressure of Adults with Untreated Hypertension   Primary Thesis Advisor: Christopher Minson

Alex Staben

Active Travel to School: Analyzing Barriers and Finding Solutions for Students of River Road/El Camino del Río Elementary in Eugene, OR   Primary Thesis Advisor: Anne Brown

Assessing Economic Espionage Allegations Against Huawei and Protecting U.S. Cybersecurity   Primary Thesis Advisor: Daniel Buck

 Win Cash Prizes!

1st Place: $750

2nd Place: $500

3rd Place: $250

Who Can Enter

• Any Clark Honors College senior defending their thesis winter or spring term. 
• To enter, submit a video of a 3-minute presentation on your thesis project supported by a single informational slide.
• The top 10 presentations will advance to the final round of competition. 

Key Deadlines

Video Submission: April 5

Finalists Notified: April 15

Final Competition: April 25

Event Parking and Campus Accessibility

Our event will be held at the Lundquist College of Business in the Lillis Business Complex. We recommend parking anywhere in the South or West B Zones or the street parking along Kincaid Street (between E 12th Avenue and E 14th Avenue). Zone parking permits and hourly parking payments are not required after 6 pm.

Accessible Campus Map

UO's Campus Map has a built-in app showing accessible routes, elevators, and parking.

Limited parking is available throughout campus by permit. See Transportation Services' Accessibility website for more information.

Access Shuttle

The access shuttle provides free on-campus transportation as a scheduled, shared ride service for students, faculty, staff, and visitors who have permanent or temporary conditions that limit mobility. Individuals with injuries or short-term situations may contact the shuttle directly at 541-525-8677. Visit their website to schedule a ride .

UO's Duck Rides offers nighttime transportation services for UO students, staff, and faculty. They have an ADA, wheelchair-accessible van that can be requested when booking a ride. Schedule a ride by calling 541-346-7433.  

Why do the Three Minute Thesis Competition?

"When you’re working on the thesis itself, it consumes you. It’s a very heavy thinking process. It’s you, your thesis advisor and maybe your CHC advisor. So, a lot of times it’s kind of isolating. What pulls me into the three minute thesis competition is the fact that it is this positive experience about sharing what you’re working on with the broader audience. It is a chance to get excited about that work."

— Lucy Roberts, data science major and 2023 3MT finalist, Class of 2023

Three Minute Thesis News

CHC Holds Inaugural Three-Minute Thesis Competition

CHC thesis students had three minutes to verbally present the idea behind their thesis and research, including the use of one slide.

May News You Can Use

Three-Minute Thesis winners, final Forensics debate, summer registration open, new Board of Trustees member from CHC, music professor in Eugene Weekly, and more alumni news.

Data science work sparks interest in public health for CHC senior

Lucy Roberts wants to win the top prize in the inaugural Three-Minute Thesis competition, and she plans to use the experience to sharpen her work.

CHC will host Three-Minute Thesis competition in April

In April, the Clark Honors College will hold its inaugural Three-Minute Thesis competition, allowing anyone who is defending a thesis in winter or spring 2023 to participate and win cash prizes.

Annual Three-Minute Thesis Competition Provides Research Capsule Talks

Creating an elevator pitch from information gleaned through years of specialized research takes clear thinking, precise wording and a flair for presenting to an audience. Just ask the participants of this year’s Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Ten graduate and doctoral students took part in the contest’s final round last month.  

3MT provides participants with the chance to share details about their research and creative work in a compelling way—within a three-minute time limit. It was first developed by the University of Queensland in Australia and is now held at colleges and universities around the world.   

“3MT forces students to come up with ways to describe their research succinctly to non-specialists in a way that is not just comprehensible, but is also interesting and engaging. That’s a skill set that will pay off on the job market, and even beyond, as far as interacting with the media and others who can help disseminate your work and findings more broadly,” says Glenn Wright, executive director of career and professional development for the Graduate School, who runs the competition.  

Nimisha Thakur

This year’s top winner is Nim isha Thakur , a Ph.D. student in anthropology, whose topic was “ River Song: Riverine Futures Amidst Climate Change on the Brahmaputra Floodplains .” Thakur, a graduate research associate at the South Asia Center in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs , won a 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 and a year membership in the Anthropological Association of America. Thakur also has the chance to represent Syracuse University in the regional 3MT competition hosted by the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools.   

Qingyang Liu

Qingyang Liu , a Ph.D. student in human developm ent and family science, was named the “People’s Choice” winner by audience vote. Liu conducts research in the SELF Regulation Laboratory in  the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics . Her topic was “ Material Hardship’s Influence on Self-Regulation Across Childhood: Which Hardship Truly Matters ?” The prize was a set of Bose noise-cancelling headphones.   

Additional finalists were:   

• Caroline Barraco , master’s student in history, “Authenticity, Commodity and Empire in the Early Modern Spanish Relic Trade”  
• Yener Çağla Çimendereli , Ph.D. student in philosophy, “Nonnative Speaking and Linguistic Justice”  
• Nicholas Croce , Ph.D. student in social science, “America’s Forgotten Labor Colony Experiment”  
• Nardini Jhawar , Ph.D. student in clinical psychology, “Racial Reflections: Examining ADHD Help-Seeking Among Asian American College Students”  
• Matthew D. O’Leary , Ph.D. student in anthropology, “Entangled Frontiers: Capitalism and Artifacts of Power at Fort St. Frédéric”  
• Andrew Ridgeway , Ph.D. student in composition and cultural rhetoric, “Evil We Desire: Akrasia and Conspiracy Rhetoric”  
• Paul Sagoe , Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, “From Joint Pain to Joy Gain: Delivering Drugs for Osteoarthritis Cure”’  
• Julia Zeh , Ph.D. student in biology, “From Baby Babbles to Masterful Melodies: Investigating Vocal Development in Humpback Whales”  

Judges were Sarah Hamersma, associate professor and director of doctoral studies in public administration and international affairs, and Chung-Chin Eugene Liu, assistant professor of economics, both of the Maxwell School; and Corey Williams, a Syracuse City School District employee and a Common Councilor for Syracuse’s Third District.

Diane Stirling

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Every year, the second week of April marks National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week (NPSTW), a time dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the dedication, service and sacrifices of public safety telecommunicators. The staff of the Emergency Communications Center (ECC) within the…

Libraries’ Earth Day Events Highlight Plastic Collection Materials

Plastics. They’re lightweight, durable, flexible, inexpensive. They’re moldable, extrudable, pressable. They’re colored and clear; they’re dinnerware, jewelry, vinyl siding, military supplies, toys and thousands more things. In the early half of the 20th century, the availability of polymers and fossil…

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