Contact us
- Graduate Research Academy
- Level 2, 16 Wally's Walk
- Macquarie University NSW 2109
- T: +61 (2) 9850 4741
- E: gr.experience@mq.edu.au
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* or MPhil* program (including thesis under submission) will be eligible to participate in 3MT. Graduates are not eligible.
MRes students are welcome to enter the Macquarie competition, but the national eligibility rules prevent them from progressing to the Asia-Pacific event.
* 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.
2024 Competition dates
1 June | Registrations open |
16 July | 3MT Info Session Storytelling Your Thesis workshop (see Training tab for details) |
23 July | Registrations close |
July/August | Department/Faculty heats. For more information contact your Faculty Liaison Coordinators. |
20 August | Faculties each submit (up to) 3 finalists to MQ 3MT Finals |
5 September | Live 3MT presentations Audience vote for People's Choice Winner MQ 2024 3MT Winner live announcement! |
27 September | 2024 Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT video submission deadline |
18 October | 2024 Virtual Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition People's Choice Vote and Winners announced |
Prizes for the Macquarie Winners 2024
Note: Prize money is to be used for research costs only and is not a cash prize.
Prizes for the Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition 2024
Judging panel
Prof Sakkie Pretorius - DVC Research
Prof Simon Handley - PVC Graduate Research
Prof Sarah Sorial - Associate Dean, Research Training and Performance, Faculty of Arts
The University of Queensland (UQ) has made the decision to host the 2024 Asia-Pacific Three Minute Thesis Competition in a virtual format (video submission).
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.
Modifications to the 3MT rules have been made to accommodate the new virtual format.
Note: Competitors *will not* be judged on video/ recording quality or editing capabilities (optional inclusions). Judging will focus on the presentation, ability to communicate research to a non-specialist audience, and 3MT PowerPoint slide.
Competitors can find additional information directly from the Asia-Pacific Competitors Guide website.
Macquarie candidates participating in the Macquarie competition should download and use the Macquarie Identifying Slide for Competitors [PPT 1,118KB].
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 - REVISED
Engagement and communication
*Positionality
Positionality is the disclosure of how someone identifies (race/gender/class), their experiences, their privileges etc and how those things exert influence on their research. We have included this in the judging criteria to better inform the audience of how the presenter is positioned with regards to their research topic.
Positionality has been something that many 3MT presenters disclose naturally in their talks.
What proportion of the presentation might focus on positionality?
Guidance on the proportion of any elements within the criteria is not provided, this will depend on the flow and emphasis the presenter wishes to make. However, it should not be the main focus of the presentation, rather a scene setting/disclosure element usually towards the beginning.
Positionality - Judging
Judges should consider whether the presenter clearly articulated how they are positioned with regards to their research. For example:
3-Minute Thesis Info Session
Tuesday 16 July 1:30 - 2:00pm
To help you prepare your 3MT entry, this info session will cover important competition details including entry requirements, judging criteria, and key dates.
***This workshop will be held in hybrid. Please use the respective registration link based on your preferred mode of attendance:
On campus: https://myrdc.mq.edu.au/registration/new/407061
Online: https://myrdc.mq.edu.au/registration/new/407101
Nb. The 3MT info session will be followed by the Storytelling Your Thesis workshop which will provide more practical information on crafting the content your entry (see details below).
Storytelling Your Thesis workshop
Tuesday 16 July 2:00 - 4:00pm
Communicating your research to a non-specialist audience is a valuable skill that can help broaden the reach and impact of your research. However, it can be a challenge, distilling the essence of your research into a cohesive story using language that a non-specialist audience can understand.
In this workshop we will discuss key components and considerations when communicating your research to non-specialist audiences, as well as explore the narrative of your own research.
***This workshop will be held in hybrid. Please use the respective registration link based on your preferred mode of attendance:
On campus: https://myrdc.mq.edu.au/registration/new/407141
Online: https://myrdc.mq.edu.au/registration/new/407181
How to win the 3MT
Did you miss last year's "How to win the 3MT" workshop on Zoom? Don't worry, you can access all the materials here!
Delivered by Pitch & Communication guru, Peter Browne and our own Dr Megan Brewer, find out everything you need to know about entering and acing this competition!
3MT Editing video tutorials
Topics and Timestamps:
This video covers using OpenShot Video Editor to create your virtual 3MT entry with the "cut-to" slide format. See Part 1 for instructions on how to convert powerpoint slides to jpeg images and vimeo set up