Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland in 2008. Participants present their thesis work in a short presentation using a single slide. The competition challenges students to distill their research ideas and discoveries into a concise, compelling presentation that can be understood by a general, non-specialist audience.

The 2025 3MT will take place during the February 26, 2025, Graduate Research Symposium. GRS attendees will score the presentations and select a winner, who will move on to compete at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools April 4, 2025 in Indianapolis, IN.

Application

The application to submit your slide for inclusion in the 2025 Three Minute-Thesis Competition is now open until Friday, Dec. 6 at 11:59 p.m.

Submit your 3MT slide

Eligibility

The competition is open to Ph.D. students completing a thesis or a dissertation.

Rules

• Participants can use only one static PowerPoint slide. (No transitions, animations, or movement are allowed.)
• No additional electronic media are allowed. 
• No props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, models, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to three minutes; competitors who exceed the time limit will be disqualified.
• Presentations must be spoken word. No poems, raps, or songs are allowed.
• Participants must deliver their remarks from the stage.
• Presentations are considered to have begun when participants begin speaking or moving.
• The winners of the 3MT competition at the GRS will be selected by popular vote and the decision will be final.

Judging

Presentations will be judged by the participating audience.  Every member of the audience will vote for their top three presentations according to the criteria listed below. (Each audience member can vote only once for a specific competitor.)  The scores from all audience members will be compiled to determine the winners.

Comprehension and content

• Did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
• Was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience?

Engagement and communication

• Did the oration make the audience want to know more?

Awards

• First place - $1000 plus the registration fee to attend the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools competition 
• Second place - $500 award
• Third place - $300 award 

Resources

Tips

• 3MT Competitor Guide by The University of Queensland (2017)
• 3MT: The Three Most Common Mistakes, a video featuring Inger Mewburn, director of research training at Australian National University
• 3MT: Three Tips to Help You Prepare a Winning Presentation, video featuring Rosanna Stevens, 2014 winner of the Australian National University 3MT competition
• How to Talk about Your Thesis in Three Minutes, a Prezi presentation by Inger Mewburn (2012)
• Making the Most of Your Three Minutes, a guide by Simon Clews
• Winning Tips for Preparing a Three-Minute Thesis Presentation, video by Sean McGraw  

Presentations

• 2017 People's Choice Award  winner, Nisansala Muthunayake, Chemistry
• 2017 First Place (tie), Xavier Swiecki, Art and Art History
• 2017 First Place (tie), Daniel Harrison, History
• View 3MT presentations on the University of Queensland's 3MT website