3MT - Three Minute Thesis, founded by the University of Queensland

13th Annual UGA Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition

2024 Finalists

3MT® is a professional and highly engaging international research communication competition. Better known by the acronym 3MT, the competition requires contestants to explain their thesis or dissertation topic and its significance in three minutes or less using only a single static presentation slide.

The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.   This event is free and open to the public.

Final Competition:
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Morton Theatre
Doors open at 7:00 pm

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


Registration for UGA’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition opens on January 18

This competition challenges graduate students to explain their research to non-specialist audiences in the space of just three minutes. The winner takes home $1,000 and can represent UGA at the regional 3MT® competition. Master’s and Doctoral students are eligible.

The preliminary rounds will be held from February 26th through March 1st, 2024. Competitors are narrowed down to a field of ten for the finals.
Finalists will be notified by March 12th, 2024.
Finals will be held April 3rd, 2024, Morton Theatre.


About

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.

Master’s and doctoral students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis or 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.

Eligibility

Currently enrolled master’s and doctoral students at the University of Georgia will be eligible to participate in 3MT®. Graduates are not eligible. Students must present on the research that will culminate in either their master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. Previous winners of the 3MT® competition are not eligible to participate.

Prizes

  • Winner: $1,000
  • Runner-up: $750
  • People’s Choice: $500

Rules

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

Judging Criteria

Comprehension & 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 & 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

Interested in learning more about how to make the most of your 3 minutes? Here’s a guide that that will help you to prepare and deliver an effective 3MT™ presentation.


2024 Finalists:

Viviana Bravo – Odum School of Ecology, “Tiny Clues, Big Discoveries: Harnessing Environmental DNA to Study Macroinvertebrate Communities in Streams”

Keiko Bridwell – Department of Linguistics, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, “Cultural and Identity-Based Influences on Speech in Athens, Georgia”

Hanna Ericson – Department of Genetics, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, “Catalyzing Change: What Helps Department Heads Be Successful?”

Jouman Hassan – Department of Food Science and Technology, Center for Food Safety, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, “Dangerous Liasons: Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Seafood”

Abarna Murugan – Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, “The Road to Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease”

Jordan Parker – Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, “Helping Stem Cells Find Their Way Home”

Colin Peterson – Odum School of Ecology, “Cultivating Conservation: Social Norms, Agricultural Traditions, and Biodiversity in Madagascar”

Rachel Rackers – Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, “Plant Powered Planes: Harnessing Biofuel Sorghum for Sustainable Aviation”

Breanna Timani – Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, “Zika: Coming to a Neighborhood Near You”

Mikaela Warner – Department of English, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, “Henry VIII and Disability Studies”

 

2024 Judges:

Dana Nichols, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Success for the University System of Georgia

Becky Winkler, Member of the University of Georgia Foundation Board of Trustees, Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and Business Consultant

 
 
 

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