An 80,000 word PhD thesis would take 9 hours to present.
Your time limit... 3 minutes.
The Three Minute Thesis competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by Doctor of Philosophy students. Developed by The University of Queensland, 3MT cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills.
The competition supports your capacity to effectively explain your research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.
Eligibility
Anyone who is active in a PhD* program (including those with a thesis under examination) will be eligible to participate in 3MT. Students who qualify for their degree prior to 4 September are not eligible.
* Note: degree must be at least two thirds research (definition drawn from Grant Guidelines 2006 for Higher Education Support Act (HESA) 2003) and must produce a thesis that is examined externally.
2026 Competition dates
| 7 July | 3MT Info Session (see Training tab for details) |
| June/August | Department/Faculty heats. For further information about your faculty heats, please contact your Faculty Liaison Coordinators: gr.liaison@mq.edu.au |
| 24 August | Faculties each submit (up to) 3 finalists to MQ 3MT Finals |
| 3 September | Live 3MT presentations Audience vote for People's Choice Winner MQ 2026 3MT Winner announcement! Refreshments Register here |
| 11 September | 2026 Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT video submission deadline |
| 14 October | 2026 Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition People's Choice Vote and Winners announced |
Prizes for the Macquarie Winners 2026
- Winner: $1000
- Second Place: $500
- Third Place: $250
- People's Choice Winner: $250
Note: Prize money is to be used for research costs only and is not a cash prize.
Prizes for the Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition 2026
- Winner: $5000 research grant
- Runner Up: $2000 research grant
- People's Choice: $1000 research grant
Judging panel
TBC
Competitors have three minutes to give an engaging and dynamic talk on their thesis topic, and its significance, in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience. The talk should engage the audience without reducing the research to entertainment value only. As such, the competition does not trivialise or "dumb-down" research but forces students to consolidate their ideas and crystallise their research discoveries.
Format
Macquarie University’s Three Minute Thesis Final, along with the department/faculty heats, will all be held live. Competitors must be available and prepared to present in-person to a live audience at their department/faculty heat/s (please refer to the table below for faculty/department heats for dates and times).
The University of Queensland (UQ) has made the decision to host the 2026 Asia-Pacific Three Minute Thesis Competition in a virtual format (video submission). Advice and support will be provided to the winner of MQ’s Final with regards to submitting their virtual entry to the Asia-Pacific competition.
Competition Rules for Live Presentation
- Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
- Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs).
- Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
- A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or movement) 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.
- The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.
Competitors can find additional information directly from the University of Queensland’s 2026 Asia Pacific Competition website:
How to Enter
- Register your participation by 1pm Monday 20 July (see table below for faculty/department specific instructions)
- Prepare your 3MT entry:
- [Optional] Attend the 3MT Info Session and Storytelling Your Thesis Workshop on Tuesday 7 July
- Download the MQ_3MT_CompetitorSlide.pptx and add your first and last name to the file name
- Fill out the title slide details on slide 1
- Add your competition slide to slide 2
- Compose your presentation speech
- Practice, practice, practice
- [Optional] Book a 1:1 consultation with a GR Development Advisor for feedback on your 3MT
Department/faculty heat organisers will contact you after July 20 with further details about your first heat
Faculty/Department | Registration | Heat |
Arts | Tue 4 Aug; 2pm | |
all departments | Fill out the 3MT Entry Registration Form | |
MQBS | Thu 13 Aug; Time TBC | |
all departments | Fill out the 3MT Entry Registration Form | |
FMHHS | Thu 13 Aug; 2pm | |
AIHI | Contact Prof Janet Long | Tue 28 Jul; 10am |
Chiropractic | Fill out the 3MT Entry Registration Form | Mon 10 Aug; Time TBC |
Linguistics | Fill out the 3MT Entry Registration Form | Tue 28 Jul; 1pm |
Health Sciences and Nursing | Contact Prof Chris Gordon and A/Prof Camilla Hoyos | TBC |
MQ Medical School | Contact Prof Simon McMullan | Tue 28 Jul; 2pm |
Psychological Sciences | For registration contact Jesse Wheeler; for questions contact Prof Naomi Sweller | Tue 28 Jul; 10am |
FSE | Thu 20 Aug; 11am | |
AAO | TBC | NA |
Applied Biosciences | Fill out the 3MT Entry Registration Form | Mon 3 Aug; Time TBC |
Computing | Fill out the 3MT Entry Registration Form | Fri 7 Aug; Time TBC |
Engineering | Fill out the 3MT Entry Registration Form | TBC |
Mathematical and Physical Sciences | Fill out the MAPS 3MT Registration Form | Mon 3 Aug; Time TBC |
Natural Sciences | Contact Prof Ajay Narendra | Tue 4 Aug; Time TBC |
Last updated 22/06/2026.
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 motivation, 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
3-Minute Thesis Info Session
To help you prepare your 3MT entry, this info session will cover important competition details including entry requirements, judging criteria, and key dates.
Register below via myRDC:
- Training Rm 186, Level 1, 18 Wally's Walk
- Online - Zoom link circulated evening before
Storytelling Your Thesis: Communicating your research to non-specialist audiences
To help you get you started on your 3MT entry, this practical workshop will discuss key components and considerations when communicating your research to non-specialist audiences. During the workshop you will explore the narrative of your own research and start a rough draft of your 3MT entry.
- Training Rm 186, Level 1, 18 Wally's Walk
- Online - Zoom link circulated evening before
The 2026 Asia-Pacific 3MT Semi-Final will showcase video submissions from the 3MT finalists from across Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, North-East Asia and South-East Asia. The showcase will be launched on the 3MT website.
Asia-Pacific 3MT Semi-Final Showcase
Date: Monday 21 September 2026
Event Format: Online Showcase on 3MT website (website video viewing / no virtual online event)
On 5 September 2024, we announced the winners of the MQ 3MT competition! We would like to thank our fantastic judges and finalists for their involvement and support. Thank you to our People's Choice voters too - we are so pleased you participated.
Congratulations to our MQ finalists and winners:
3MT Winner
- Syed Nazmus Sakib (School of Engineering, FSE) ($1000 research grant)
- Presentation title: 'Green Energy: Illusion or Reality?'
1st Runner-up
- Hannah Lott (School of Natural Sciences, FSE) ($500 research grant)
- Presentation title: 'Killer co-dependents: Investigating how Acinetobacter baumanni teams up to infect'.
2nd Runner-up
- Friederike Charlotte Hechler (School of Psychological Sciences, FMHHS) ($250 research grant)
- Presentation title: ''What does ‘often’ even mean? Revising and Validating the Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory in Partnership with Autistic People'
Congratulations to our 2024 MQ 3MT Finalists
Samantha Curtis (School of Psychological Sciences, FMHHS) - Outsmarting the Stroop Effect: The Power of Selective Attention
Anna Grogan (School of Education, FOA) - A Tour of Abstract Talk: Conversations between Educators and Young Children
Wendy Higgins (School of Psychological Sciences, FMHHS) - Taking Psychological Measurement for Granted
Swati Kasana (Management, MQBS) - There Is No Plan B. There Is No Planet B.
Genevieve Le Ban (Department of History and Archaeology, FOA) - The Wicked 'Witch' of the (Near) East: Examining 'Witchcraft' Beliefs from Sumer's Early Dynastic Periods (ca. 2900-2350 BCE)
Xiuping Liao (School of Engineering, FSE) - Trash to Treasure
Tran Nhu Ngoc Ho (Jade) (Applied Finance, MQBS) - The ESG Index Effect on Stock Prices
Nazanin Sadeghi (Applied Finance, MQBS) - Sink or Swim? Resilience of Small Businesses in the Face of Intense Climate Events
Peter Voller (Department of History and Archaeology, FOA) - Ancient Mindhunter: Modern Forensic Psychology in Ancient Macedonia
Throughout November, each of our 2024 3MT finalists featured in a 5-minute interview on 2SER radio’s show The Daily. Like the 3MT itself, this radio spot is an excellent opportunity for our candidates to hone & demonstrate their research translation & oral communication skills.
The 2SER interviews with our 3MT finalists have been collated here.
| 2023 |
|---|
Winner of the 2023 Macquarie Competition: Frigg Speelman from the School of Natural Sciences (FSE): Children of divorce: what we can learn from the animal kingdom
Listen to the fantastic radio interviews with 2023 finalists here. |
| 2022 |
Winner of the 2022 Macquarie Competition: Ruby Stephens from the School of Natural Sciences (FSE): How was the ancestor of all flowers pollinated?
Listen to the fantastic radio interviews with 2022 finalists here. |
| 2021 |
Winner of the 2021 Macquarie Competition: Hamid Yahyaei from the Department of Applied Finance (MQBS): Where does money come from?
|
| 2020 |
Winner of the 2020 Macquarie Competition: Geraldine Sullivan from the Department of Molecular Sciences, FSE: The Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance [YouTube video]
|
| Earlier winners |
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Level 2, 16 Wally's Walk
Macquarie University NSW 2109