Winners - 3MT 2011

1st Place - Robyn Faulkner - Faculty of Education

Runner Up - Wahyu Nawang Wulan - Faculty of Applied Science

Peoples Choice - Robyn Faulkner - Faculty of Education

What is 3MT?

• 3MT (3 Minute Thesis Competition) is a great exercise in developing academic and research communication skills
• Candidates have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis topic and its significance in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience.
• The 3MT concept was developed by University of Queensland where the first university-wide competition was held in 2008
• 2011 3MT Australia and New Zealand competition:

• • Each competing university sends one representative to compete in the inaugural competition at The University of Western Australia on 29th September 2011 

  • Currently 33 universities across Aust/NZ have joined the competition. 

  • UWA Prizes: $5000 for winner, $2000 for runner up and $1000 for People’s Choice Award 

• 3MT is NOT an exercise in trivialising or ‘dumbing down’ research 

• The presentation needs to engage the audience without reducing the research to entertainment value alone

3MT @ UC University Final

When: 10am, 28 July 2011 

Where: Building 2, Room 2B07, University of Canberra 

Why 3MT?

Benefits:  

For candidates 

• Supports the development of candidate’s capacity to communicate complex ideas successfully to a range of non-specialist audiences
• The experience can help students ‘crystalize’ thoughts about their thesis and how they communicate their research
• Opportunity for candidates to network both within Faculties and across UC
• Worthwhile prizes

For Faculties/Centres  

• Supports the development of a healthy and strong research culture
• Promotes the value of postgraduate research within the Faculty/Centre

For University of Canberra  

• Provides an avenue for the development of generic skills in HDR candidates
• External relationship building
• Generates media and public interest in research at UC.

3MT Competition Dates

The Rules of 3MT

• A single PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions are permitted)
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, instruments [musical, laboratory etc]) are permitted
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum. A warning bell will sound at 2 minute 30 seconds and then a bell will signal 3 minutes, at which point the presentation will stop. Competitors exceeding 3 minutes will be disqualified.  
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final

Judging Criteria

There are 3 criteria through which each three minute thesis presentation will be judged, in the UC Heats, the UC Final and the UQ Competition Final: 

1. Communication style: was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience
2. Comprehension: did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
3. Engagement: did the oration make the audience want to know more?

Each judge will score contestants out of a possible 10 points for each of the above criteria. 

Prizes for UC Final

Prizes will be awarded at the University of Canberra Final for 1st place, 2nd place and People’s Choice (voted upon by the audience). 

• 1st prize is $2000 (to go toward research expenses, including conference travel). The winner of the University Final will also have travel provided for the Australia and New Zealand competition in Perth.  
• 2nd prize is $1000 (to go toward research expenses, including conference travel) 
• People's Choice $500 (to go toward research expenses, including conference travel) 

Who is Eligible?

Anyone who is currently enrolled in a Higher Degrees by Research course* at UC (including thesis under submission).
 

If you have graduated from your HDR course at the time of UC competition then you are not eligible to enter, entry is only available to current research students. 

Competitors who are eligible at the time of entering the UC competition shall remain so for the Australia and New Zealand final irrespective of subsequent changes to their status (e.g. those who subsequently graduate before the date of the Australia and New Zealand final). 

Please note: Entrants will need to be available for the University of Western Australia Final on the 29 September 2011 in order to compete in the UC Final. 

* Note: degree must be at least two thirds research.

Registration

Download and complete the expression of interest form here or at the link below. Once complete, please send the form through to postgrad.research@canberra.edu.au by Friday the 10 June 2011.

3MT - Registration Form

Training for 3MT

To assist candidates in their preparation for the competition, the Research Services Office will organise a series of training and feedback sessions. Entrants in the competition are strongly encouraged to attend at least one training session. 

For more information on these sessions please email the Research Education Program Convenor: joelle.vandermensbrugghe@canberra.edu.au

Resources and Links

The University of Queensland 3MT webpages: contains video and audio clips of successful 3MT presentations. Please visit: http://www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/three-minute-thesis

The University of Western Australia 3MT webpages: contains video and audio clips of successful 3MT presentations along with updates on the 2011 Three Minute Thesis International Competiton. Please visit: http://www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/news/3mt

Information taken from the following sources

University of Queensland Graduate School, Brisbane, accessed April 2010, <http://www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/three-minute-thesis>.

University of Western Australia Graduate School, Perth, accessed April 2011 <http://www.postgraduate.uwa.edu.au/news/3mt>.