University of Georgia Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) Competition
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland.
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™ is not an exercise in trivializing or ‘dumbing-down’ research but forces students to consolidate their ideas and crystalize their research discoveries.
Dates
UGA’s second 3MT™ finals will be held Thursday, April 4th at 3:30pm in Room 125 of the College of Environment and Design (285 South Jackson Street).
Eligibility
Currently enrolled doctoral students at the University of Georgia will be eligible to participate in 3MT™. Graduates and master's students are not eligible.
Prizes
- Winner: $500
- Runner-up: $350
- People's Choice: $250
Rules
- a single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description)
- no additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted
- no additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, 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
Judging Criteria
- Communication style: was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience?
- Comprehension: did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
- Engagement: did the presentation make the audience want to know more?
Other U.S. schools with 3MT competitions
3MT 2013 Results
Congratulations to the finalists and winners in the 2nd Annual 3MT Competition at the University of Georgia.
- Winner: Virginia Schutte, Changes in habitat structure affect ecosystems
- Runner-up: Kristy Segal, Amphibian Health in Costa Rican Rice Fields
- People's choice: Melissa M. Miller, Sustainable Control of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Cattle. How do we kill these suckers?
2013 3MT Finalists (first row from L to R): UGA Grad Studies Dean Maureen Grasso, Melissa M. Miller (Infectious Diseases), Virginia Schutte (Odum School of Ecology), Kristy Segal (Odum School of Ecology), Heather Rudolph (Math & Science Education), Ahmed Alhusban (Clinical & Administrative Pharmacy), (second row from L to R): Sau Wai Hung (Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences), Jessica D. Stephens (Plant Biology), Lisa Rohde (Educational Psychology), Eunbae Lee (Career & Information Studies), Jay Agarwal (Chemistry)
3MT 2012 Results
Congratulations to the finalists and winners in the inaugural 3MT Competition at the University of Georgia.
- Winner: April L. Conway, Conservation of the Pygmy Hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) in Sierra Leone, West Africa
- Runner-up: Elizabeth Gleim, The Effects of Long-term Prescribed Burning on Tick and Tick-borne Pathogen Dynamics
- People's choice: Samarchith P. Kurup, Improving Immunity to Trypanosoma Cruzi
2012 3MT Finalists (from L to R): UGA Grad Studies Dean Maureen Grasso, Fei Zhao (Physiology & Pharmacology), Rongrong Liu (International Affairs), Tonia A. Dousay (Educational Psychology & Instructional Technology), Valerie E. Cadet (Infectious Diseases), Karen Gerow (Educational Psychology & Instructional Technology), Samarchith P. Kurup (Cellular Biology), Cheri M. Abraham (Entomology), Aaron F. Brantly (International Affairs), April L. Conway (Forestry & Natural Resources), Elizabeth Gleim (Forestry & Natural Resources)
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.
