The Graduate College will host the University’s ninth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, with the deadline rapidly approaching. The competition allows students to grow their communication, presentation, research and academic skills, while also challenging them to present their research with a limited time frame.
It is the ninth annual event catered toward graduate-student researchers.
The 3MT competition originally began at the University of Queensland (Australia) in 2008 but has since grown to over 200 universities across the globe.
The original competition came about when Queensland was suffering from a severe drought, and students were asked to conserve water by taking three-minute showers. A professor at the university “put two and two together, and the idea for the 3MT competition was born,” according to the website.
According to Laura Reed, a student services specialist, the event allows students who have taken part in research to increase their skills to communicate with a non-specialist audience.
According to the 3MT website, a standard 80,000 word thesis would take nine hours to present. Instead, the participant’s time limit is three minutes.
Reed also stated that three winners will be selected. The top winner will receive a $500 scholarship applied to their university tuition, while the second place and people’s choice award will each receive $250. Additionally, Reed said the Graduate College will be raffling off “two travel grants worth $200 each, as well as one U-Bill scholarship worth $200 for participants in their final year of graduate school.”
“Every participant will have the opportunity to cultivate their presentation, research and academic skills,” Reed stated.
Last year’s winners included two biology students and one chemistry student.
The full timeline for the event is as follows:
- Sept.17, 2024: at 11:59 p.m.: application deadline to be considered for the 3MT competition
- Sept. 19, 2024: applicants will be notified regarding their selection for the 3MT competition
- Sept. 25, 2024: from 3-4 p.m.: information session
- Sept. 26, 2024: from 4-5 p.m.: information session
- Oct. 20, 2024: at 11:59 p.m.: 3MT slide submission deadline
- Oct. 23, 2024: preliminary competition
- Oct. 24, 2024: preliminary competition winners announced
- Nov. 7, 2024, 6 p.m. in South Ballroom: final competition as part of University Lecture Series
The Graduate College is also looking for volunteers to help with the event. For more information, including the application, please visit the Graduate College website.
