3 minute thesis strathclyde

University of Strathclyde

The 3 Minute Thesis Competition - University of Strathclyde Final

Tuesday, 3rd May 2016, 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

The internationally renowned Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition has arrived at Strathclyde!

This event hosts the final of the University of Strathclyde 3MT® Competition. 3MT® is not an exercise in trivialising or ‘dumbing-down’ research, but challenges students to consolidate their ideas and research discoveries so they can be presented concisely to a non-specialist audience.

The final will see six PhD students, who have progressed from three extremely competitive heats, present a powerful overview of their research and its significance in just three minutes. 

This event precedes the Opening Night of the  Images of Research Exhibition  which takes place in the same venue.  You are welcome to attend this event as well, please select the additional option when you register.

Registration and refreshments will be available from 3.00pm. 

Who should attend?

Anyone interested in hearing about the exciting research taking place at the University of Strathclyde.

Senior undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Internal and external academics.

Benefits of attending

Attendees will have the chance to hear, in a matter of minutes, and critique some of the exciting research taking place at Strathclyde and select the University’s 3MT People’s Choice Winner.  

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Further information

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Find out how businesses and organisations can take advantage of our knowledge, technologies and innovations.

Engage with Strathclyde privacy notice Please see our privacy notice for information on how the University of Strathclyde will process your personal data as part of this event registration.

This event is one of 2 related events, please select those you wish to attend:

The internationally renowned  Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition  has arrived at Strathclyde!

An event to the launch of the Images of Research exhibition 2016.

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 Training Provider   Researcher Development Programme

Participants will gain the knowledge and skills required to compete in the University of Strathclyde's Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

Duration 2 half days

Course type webinar, booking status waiting list, is this course right for me.

Target Audience: Postgraduate Research Students

Participants will gain the knowledge and skills required to compete in the University of Strathclyde's Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Interested participants will have to submit an impact summary of their research prior to attending which will be developed at the training.

By the end of the workshop participants will have:

• Been introduced to the 3MT Competition
• Learned how to effectively engage an audience
• Discussed and reviewed previous 3MT submissions
• An understanding of creating an attractive and informative PowerPoint slide to aid their presentation
• Reviewed and developed their research impact summary
• Delivered a 3MT Pitch.

Prerequisites

• About the Researcher Development Programme
• Booking Conditions

Useful Links

• Researcher Development Programme
• RKES Portal

PG Certificate in Researcher Professional Development

All postgraduate research students are eligible to access the Researcher Development Programme workshops. This workshop can contribute towards the PG Certificate in Researcher Professional Development (PG Cert RPD).

You can find credit and class information in the Researcher Development Programme Handbook and in NEPTUNE (Engineering, HaSS) or SPIDER (Science).

Please check with your department or Supervisor to confirm if you are enrolled on the PG Cert RPD and how many credits you are expected to achieve if you are unsure.

• 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

What does it mean to be a science communicator?

5 tips for improving your public speaking skills as a researcher

How to write effective analogies for communicating research

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The University Library receives electronic and print copies of theses submitted for higher research degrees awarded by the University of Strathclyde.

Electronic copies of theses can be accessed via STAX . You can also search for print and electronic copies of theses in our main library catalogue, SUPrimo .

Print copies are kept under controlled access, not on the open shelves, but these are available on request during normal working hours. One print copy of each thesis is restricted to reference use in the Library. If a second copy is available, this may be borrowed for a six week period.

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22 The 3 Minute Thesis

Read time: 2 minutes

This chapter will provide an overview of the 3 Minute Thesis oral presentation format.

Sections in this chapter

What is it.

• 3MT examples

The three-minute thesis (3MT) is a new format of research presentation that builds on the classic “elevator pitch”. The challenge in this type of presentation is to explain your research to an intelligent non-specialist audience in under 3 minutes with limited visual aids. Often there are specific rules for the visual aid: a single 4:3 slide, no animations or video, and no props.

For a successful 3MT talk, you need to follow completely different rules from normal scientific presentations. You can skip common things like introducing yourself, thanking all your lab mates and colleagues, or funding. You typically don’t show data unless it is presented in a very simple figure.

Because of the challenge involved with presenting years of detailed research in only three minutes, Universities hold cross-faculty 3MT competitions. The first was founded by the University of Queensland, Australia, where you can find many great resources and videos .

The tips below were adapted from “10 Hints for Improving Presentations for the Three Minute Thesis” by Danielle Fischer at Charles Darwin University ( Full PDF here ):

• Don’t introduce yourself, don’t do acknowledgements, don’t show data.
• Start by introducing how your research relates to the bigger picture. Try to think of why any person might be interested in your work.
• Only include relevant things on your slide and make sure images are good quality. Carefully design your slide, don’t overcrowd it or use too much colour.
• Use simple and familiar analogies.
• Speak with an excited and engaged manner.
• Don’t wear anything distracting.
• Use body language: smiling, gestures, movement, and eye-contact.
• Finish by bringing the audience back to the big picture.
• Practice and get feedback from a wide variety of people.
• Use your time, but don’t go over it.

These are some 3MT slides made by previous CHEM 803 students.

There are many resources online about preparing a 3MT presentation. Below are some links to helpful videos, award-winning 3MT talks, and the many resources provided by Queen’s University.

Helpful Videos

These videos were prepared by are owned by Australian National University.

3MT: three tips to help you prepare a winning presentation

3MT: the three most common mistakes

Award-winning 3MT

These are videos of some award-winning 3MT talks. The first one has the best title,  it’s simple and concise!

Wind turbines and climate change – Rosemary Barnes

Hypoxia-activated pro-drugs: a novel approach for breast cancer treatment – jasdeep saggar, the development of anti-body-drug conjugate to specifically target and soften the crystalline lens in vivo – gah-jone won.

Check out the Queen’s University 2020 Competition results, where you’ll find two award-winning 3MT talks from our Chemistry Department by Morgan Lehtinen and Alastair Kierulf. [ In the video at this link, click “Playlist” to find their talks ]

Principles of Scientific Communication Copyright © 2020 by Amanda Bongers and Donal Macartney is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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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

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Three Minute Thesis

Participants will gain the knowledge and skills required to compete in the University of Strathclyde's Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Interested participants will have to submit an impact summary of their research prior to attending which will be developed at the training.

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Three Minute Thesis 

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Target Audience:  Postgraduate Research Students

Participants will gain the knowledge and skills required to compete in the University of Strathclyde's Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Interested participants will have to submit an impact summary of their research prior to attending which will be developed at the training.

By the end of the workshop participants will have:

Been introduced to the 3MT Competition

Learned how to effectively engage an audience

Discussed and reviewed previous 3MT submissions

An understanding of creating an attractive and informative PowerPoint slide to aid their presentation

Reviewed and developed their research impact summary

Delivered a 3MT Pitch.

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• Three-Minute Thesis

What is the 3MT?

An 80,000 word thesis would take 9 hours to present. The 3MT time limit ... 3 minutes.

• The 3-Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition that challenges students to communicate the significance of their projects without the use of props or industry jargon, in just three minutes.
• Originally established by the  University of Queensland (UQ) in 2008 , the competition challenges research students to communicate the significance of their projects in just three minutes, with the aid of a single, static slide.

3MT develops academic, presentation, and research communication skills and supports the development of research students' capacity to quickly explain their research in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience leaving them wanting to know more. 

Competitions at the University of Minnesota

Collegiate-level 3MT Competitions

• Inquire with your Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) to find out if your college hosts a 3MT competition. 
• Collegiate-level 3MT winners advance to the University-wide competition. 
• All collegiate-level participants receive a Maroon Digital Badge from the Graduate School. 

University-wide 3MT Competition

• The Graduate School hosts a University-wide competition held every November .  
• All active graduate students who have advanced from their collegiate competition are eligible. 
• Previous 3MT winners  (first prize, runner-up, and people's choice) are not eligible to compete a second time.
• The 1st place winner advances to a 3MT competition hosted every March by the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS).
• All finalists may be invited to present to the University's Board of Regents. 
• All University-wide competitors receive a Gold Digital Badge from the Graduate School. 

3MT Competition Rules

• Single static PowerPoint slide. No slide transitions, animations, or “movement” of any description are allowed. The slide is to be presented from beginning of oration.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, lab equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum, and participants exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to commence from the stage.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps, or songs).
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts her presentation through either movement or speech.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

3MT Preparation Resources

• Prepare with  the Graduate School's 3MT e-course
• 2023 - Watch competition in its entirety

Who can I talk to about 3MT?

Please contact Dr. Noro Andriamanalina, Assistant Vice Provost, Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Initiatives: [email protected]

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

Three minute thesis.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a competition for doctoral students to develop and showcase their research communication skills.

3MT Competition

Could you present your 80,000 word thesis or dissertation in three minutes? Do you want the excitement of competing with other graduate students for a total of $2,500 in prizes and the opportunity to participate in the Northeastern (U.S. and Canadian) round or even to showcase your research at the annual Council of Graduate Schools meeting?

 3MT is an annual competition sponsored by the Cornell Graduate School. 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. All enrolled doctoral students at the research stage (with at least some results to share) are eligible. In 2024, the Graduate School 3MT is also open to research master’s students. The next competition will take place in Spring 2025.

Learn more about the 2024 Graduate School 3MT competition.

Email [email protected] with any questions.

All newly created videos on this website are accessible. Closed captions are available for the video on this page, and selecting the option to watch in YouTube will provide a transcript for the video. For an accommodation for this archival video, please contact [email protected] .

The first 3MT was held at The University of Queensland (UQ) in 2008 with 160 graduate students competing. Enthusiasm for the 3MT concept grew, and its adoption by numerous universities led to the development of an international competition in 2010. Today students from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Asia-Pacific region take part in their own regional and national events.

Cornell Graduate School hosted its ninth 3MT competition final round event on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Video submissions for the preliminary round was due on March 1, 2024, and was reviewed by a panel of volunteer judges using a common scoring rubric to select the finalists.

At the final round event, held in person on the Ithaca campus, a panel of judges scored presentations and selected the top two finalists. Additionally, audience members were able to vote for their favorite presenter for the People’s Choice Award.

3MT Resources

• Watch videos of finalists from Cornell’s 3MT contests .
• Learn more about the 2024 3MT winners and finalists .
• Learn more about the 2023 3MT winners and finalists .
• Learn more about the 2022 3MT winner and finalists .
• Learn more about the 2021 3MT winner and finalists .
• Learn more about the 2019 3MT winner and finalists .
• Learn more about the 2018 3MT winner and finalists .
• Learn more about the 2017 3MT winner and finalists .
• Watch a video of the inaugural 2019 Ivy 3MT event . Read more about the 2019 Ivy 3MT event .
• Watch videos of winning presentations from around the world .
• Read more about the Three Minute Thesis in Science Magazine .
• Presentations are limited to three minutes maximum and competitors exceeding three minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (i.e. no poems, raps, or songs).
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when presenters start their presentation through movement or speech.
• Presentations are to commence from the stage.
• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any kind) and is to be presented from the beginning of the oration.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Zoom backgrounds are considered props. Please ensure your background is a blank screen or wall. 
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Judging Criteria

Each of the judging criteria has equal weight. Note what each criterion has in common: An emphasis on audience.

Comprehension and Content

• Did the presentation provide a clear background and significance to the research question?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the conclusions, outcomes, and impact of the research?

Engagement and Communication

• Was the oration delivered clearly, and in language appropriate for a non-specialist audience?
• Was the PowerPoint slide clear and did it enhance the presentation?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research, and capture and maintain the audience’s attention?

For more information about the Cornell competition, email  [email protected] .

Theses: How to find theses: Home

Thesis or dissertation - what's the difference.

In general in the UK a dissertation is a piece of independent research carried out at undergraduate or taught postgraduate level. The term thesis refers to a piece of work undertaken for a research degree for example a PhD, MLitt, MRes. Dissertations are generally shorter than a thesis. However, in many cases and in many countries the terms thesis and dissertation are used interchangeably. Before requesting or consulting a thesis or dissertation it is advisable to check the level of degree for which it was submitted. 

Finding dissertations in the library

Dissertations undertaken as part of a taught postgraduate or undergraduate degree programme are not held in the library. You should contact the department/s concerned directly, to arrange consultation.

Practical information about submitting a Strathclyde research thesis

• Advice about submitting a thesis
• Copyright and your Thesis LibGuide
• List of thesis binding companies

Obtaining theses - Inter-Library Service

If you wish to consult a thesis from another library, which is not available electronically, you should use the Inter-Library Service . This service is available to 4th year undergraduates, postgraduates and staff. Please be aware that it may take some time to obtain a thesis from another library, particularly if the library is based overseas. 

New books about writing a thesis or dissertation

Related Guides

• Copyright & Your Thesis by Deborah Ferns Last Updated Feb 9, 2024 589 views this year

Finding Strathclyde theses

All of the theses available from the library are listed in SUPrimo . You can either:

• Search for a subject or topic of interest using the Library Collections  filter, e.g. photonic devices, and then limit your results to theses using the  Collection  >  Strathclyde theses  filter. Searching SUPrimo this way will list printed and electronic theses. 

or, if you wish to see a list of electronic theses

• Search the  Strathclyde Research  tab, e.g. photonic devices. Searching SUPrimo in this way will only display theses which can be accessed electronically, printed theses will not be included in your results list. 

If you have searched using the Library Collections filter, you may see the wording 2 versions of this record exist.  This indicates that there may be both print and electronic versions of the thesis. Click on the wording  2 version of this record exist  to display both records. 

Electronic thesis

To view an electronic theses, click on the  Online access  link. Scroll to the  View It  section and follow the link there to display the full text. You may need to enter your DS users and password to view the thesis. Here is an example of an electronic thesis record in SUPrimo. 

Print format thesis

Print theses are kept in a store and so must be requested in advance. To request a thesis, click on the wording  Available - see 'Get it' for details  as highlighted in the image below. Next, scroll to the  Get it  section and sign in to SUPrimo. Once you have signed in the  Request  option will be visible. Click on this and place your request. 

Library staff will fetch the thesis from store. We will email you when the thesis is ready for you to collect from Level 3 (entrance level) of the Library. If only one copy of the thesis is listed in SUPrimo the thesis will be a reference only item and you will not be able to borrow it from the Library. If there is a second copy listed in SUPrimo, one copy will be available for borrowing. 

If you are not able to make use of the request function in SUPrimo, please email [email protected] with the details of the thesis which you would like to consult. 

Finding non Strathclyde theses and dissertations

Many of the Library's databases will search for theses as well as journal articles and book chapters. The following databases are particularly useful for finding theses: 

Another useful source is Jisc Library Hub Discover a combined catalogue of the largest research libraries in the UK and Ireland. Searching Jisc Library Hub Discover will help you identify theses available from other universities. To limit your results to theses use the  Main Search , then limit results to  Theses  in the Material Type menu. 

• theses.fr A database to find French doctoral theses.

Why should I consult other people's theses?

• They contain research that may not have been published in any other format
• They can help you avoid duplicating research and identify areas for further research
• You can see examples of how to layout a thesis
• Last Updated: Apr 11, 2024 4:07 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.strath.ac.uk/theses

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.

Three Minute Thesis

What is the three minute thesis.

Could you explain your doctoral research to a lay audience in just three minutes?

Our Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition challenges doctoral candidates to present the complexities of their research in a clear, concise and accessible way to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes. It celebrates the exciting research conducted by doctoral candidates across King's College London and gives them the opportunity to develop their academic, presentation, and research communication skills.

The rules are simple:

• explain your research to a non-specialist audience in three minutes
• you can only use one single static PowerPoint slide
• no props, sound, moving images, poems, raps, songs or mimes are allowed

Each year, the winner of the King's 3MT competition progresses through to the national competition, where they will be considered for a spot at the Vitae Three Minute Thesis UK finals.

More details about the 2025 King's 3MT Competition will be announced later this year.

Three Minute Thesis 2024

We're delighted to announce the winners of this year's King's 3MT Competition:

• Winner: Beth Gallimore , I nstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, 'Voices of Barbados: Lived Experiences of Mental Health Stigma and Help-Seeking among Young People'.
• Runner Up: Obianuju Nzelu , Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine , 'Do uterine fibroids increase the risk of blood clots?'
• People’s Choice Award: Syed Alhafiz bin Syed Hashim , Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, ' Cracking the Code of Breast Cancer: Empowering Our Immune Response to Reveal the Hidden Hideouts.'

Beth Gallimore will go onto represent the university at the national UK 3MT competition later in the year.

Three Minute Thesis 2023

• Winner and UK 3MT Semi-Finalist: Sean Maroney , Faculty of Arts & Humanities, 'Empathy and Understanding Our Own Emotions'
• Runner-Up: Hogan Wai , Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, 'The War for Bacterial Supremacy in Paediatric Eczema'
• People's Choice Award: Hannah Deasy , Faculty of Arts & Humanities, 'The Boy Chorister through his Voice'

Sean represented the university at the national 3MT competition and was selected as one of the twelve UK national semi-finalists.

You can watch all of our 2023 3MT finalists entries below.

Three Minute Thesis 2022

Winner and UK 3MT Finalist: Julia Fajardo-Sanchez , Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, 'Seeing the Whole Picture.'

Runner-up: Alex Martin , Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, 'The role of the father in reducing the risk of depression within families.'

Julia represented the university at the national 3MT competition and was selected as one of the six UK national finalists.

Read our blog post, King’s 3MT Grand Final 2022 , to learn more about the 2022 finalists and their advice for future participants. You can also watch the finalists presentations from this year and previous years below.

More about the doctoral experience

Doctoral development

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Training and development and careers support for health researchers.

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Find out more about our Doctoral training partnerships.

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About the Centre of Doctoral Studies and available student support.

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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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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Filters for student theses.

• 1 - 25 out of 2,772 results
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2d ultrasonic phased arrays for quantitative characterisation of complex defects.

Student thesis : Doctoral Thesis

3D biofabrication of constructs for orthopaedic tissue regeneration and clinical biofilm study

Supervisor: Shu, W. (Supervisor) & Riches, P. (Supervisor)

3D printed alkali-activated sensors for civil infrastructure

Supervisor: Perry, M. (Supervisor) & Switzer, C. (Supervisor)

3D-printed photoacoustic spectroscopy for industrial process control

Supervisor: Lengden, M. (Supervisor) & Johnstone, W. (Supervisor)

3D-printing technology applied to the development of bio-inspired functional acoustic systems

Supervisor: Windmill, J. (Supervisor) & Jackson, J. (Supervisor)

3D tumour-stroma microfluidic cultures for the assessment of anti-cancer therapies

Supervisor: Zagnoni, M. (Supervisor) & Uttamchandani, D. (Supervisor)

4D CT based analysis of knee kinematics

Supervisor: Riches, P. (Supervisor) & Rowe, P. J. (Supervisor)

5G network slicing for rural connectivity: multi-tenancy in wireless networks

Supervisor: Stewart, R. (Supervisor) & Crawford, D. H. (Supervisor)

A bioelectronic approach to post-surgical anastomotic leakage diagnosis

Supervisor: Connolly, P. (Supervisor) & Black, R. A. (Supervisor)

A biomechanical analysis of stair ascent and descent in older adults

A biomechanical evaluation of three prosthetic feet.

Student thesis : Master's Thesis

A biphasic diffusion model of drug release from medical implant coatings

Supervisor: McCormick, C. (Supervisor) & Kazakidi, A. (Supervisor)

A blade design methodology for overspeed power regulation of horizontal axis tidal turbines

Supervisor: Johnstone, C. (Supervisor) & Clarke, J. A. (Supervisor)

A blade-resolved, partitioned-approach fluid-structure interaction analysis of a ducted, high solidity tidal turbine in real flow conditions

Supervisor: Xiao, Q. (Supervisor) & Incecik, A. (Supervisor)

A categorical approach to the foundations of Quantum theory

Supervisor: Duncan, R. (Supervisor) & Ghani, N. (Supervisor)

Accessing ultrafast protein dynamics through 2DIR spectroscopy of intrinsic ligand vibrations

Accommodating maintenance in prognostics.

Supervisor: West, G. (Supervisor) & McArthur, S. (Supervisor)

A CFD study of fluid-structure interaction problems for floating offshore wind turbines

A chemical approach to regenerating the performance of thermally damaged glass fibres.

Supervisor: Yang, L. (Supervisor) & Liggat, J. (Supervisor)

A chemical probe for TIGAR

Supervisor: Tomkinson, N. (Supervisor) & Johnston, B. (Supervisor)

Achieving quality medical equipment in developing countries through remanufacturing

Supervisor: Ijomah, W. (Supervisor) & Wong, A. T. (Supervisor)

Acid gas removal from natural gas using ionic liquids

Supervisor: Lue, L. (Supervisor) & Burns, I. (Supervisor)

A classical view of the quantum vacuum

Supervisor: Jaroszynski, D. (Supervisor) & Noble, A. (Supervisor)

A cognitive-operative approach to improve the L2 learning of the Spanish subjunctive

Supervisor: Fabb, N. (Supervisor) & McPake, J. (Supervisor)

A cold-atom fountain clock from a diffractive optic

Supervisor: Griffin, P. (Supervisor) & Riis, E. (Supervisor)

Student Wins Runner-Up at Three Minute Thesis Competition

Emma Elizabeth Sabu Kattuman, a Ph.D. student in physiology and pharmacology in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, was honored as the runner-up and recipient of the people’s choice award at the Three Minute Thesis Competition regional competition held by the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools in St. Louis on April 5.

She has been nominated to represent midwestern universities at the national-level competition scheduled for December of this year.

Emma Elizabeth Sabu Kattuman, a Ph.D. student in physiology and pharmacology, was honored as the runner-up and recipient of the people’s choice award at the Three Minute Thesis Competition regional competition.

Last year, Sabu Kattuman won first place and the people’s choice award at the intra-university 3MT finals.

“This award brings me great joy and pride to be able to represent my institution at the regional and national level,” said Sabu Kattuman. “This platform provides us the great opportunity to describe our research to a general audience within three minutes. It was really amazing to hear about all the different research that was going on in the fields other than my field of interest. A truly enriching experience.”

The 3MT is an exercise that develops academic, presentation and research communication skills and challenges the research student’s capacity to effectively explain their research in only three minutes in a language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience.

Graduate students in good standing in the thesis and dissertation-writing stage of their studies were eligible to compete.