Flinders University 3MT competition

Can you condense and refine your research project to quickly and succinctly explain it to your peers and the wider community? And can you do it in less than 180 seconds? The 3MT competition can teach you how!

Flinders University PhD students are invited to compete to promote their research, develop their communication skills, boost their career and be in the running to win the Asia-Pacific 3MT prize of a $5,000 research travel grant.

Final's held on Friday 8 September 2023

This year’s Flinders 3MT Competition is well underway with the Final coming up on Friday the 8^th September from 2:30-4:00pm. The Heats and Semi-Final have been wonderful demonstrations of the amazing and diverse research being undertaken by Flinders PhD researchers. If you missed these events, we encourage you to watch the recordings (heat 1, heat 2, heat 3, semi-final).

In the most recent competition round, our Semi-Finalist competitors did an incredible job of incorporating the Judges feedback from the Heats – sharpening both their abilities to describe their research methods and articulate the significance of their research. The final is shaping up to be tough competition, with the topic six competitors in the Semi-Final separated by just a few points! You can learn more about these finalists here. Join us in person or online to vote for your favourite competitor as these finalists compete for the chance to represent Flinders at the Asia Pacific final.

Friday 8 September
2.30pm-4.00pm
Health Science Lecture Theatre Complex (HSLTC 1.01)

Watch Final Online

What is the 3MT?

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) celebrates the exciting research conducted by PhD students around the world. Developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), the competition cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. Presenting in a 3MT competition increases their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. Competitors are allowed one PowerPoint slide, but no other resources or props.

Every year, Flinders University students compete in the competition, throughout heats, semi-finals and finals, and our winner then competes at the Asia-Pacific Final in Brisbane.

Register here

Who can enter?

Students currently undertaking a PhD who have successfully passed their confirmation of candidature.

Competition structure

The competition is streamlined centrally with students presenting their research to cross-disciplinary peers.

The competition runs as follows:

Registration: All competitors must register for the competition by via Inspire.
Practice sessions: Competitors are encouraged to attend at least two practice sessions with Chad Han.
First round heats: Heats will be run by the Colleges to ensure an even mix of disciplines compete in the finals.
Semi-final: 16 winners from the first round will compete for the top eight spots in the final.
University final: 8 competitors give their presentations to celebrity judges, competing for the $2000 first prize.

Prizes

Flinders University will award the prizes up to the University final, and the winner for Flinders University will be in the running to win the Asia-Pacific 3MT prize of $5,000, held in Brisbane, Australia.

Heat	Winner	Runner-up	People's choice
First round heats	$100	$50
Semi-final	$250	$100
University final	$2,000	$1,000	$500
Asia-Pacific	$5,000 Research travel grant	$2,000 Research travel grant	$1,000 Research travel grant

Schedule

Competition dates are detailed below:

Date	Session	Location	Time
Thursday 15 June 2023	Registration Deadline
Wednesday 21 June 2023	Heat 1 – CBGL + CHASS	HSTLC 1.01	10.00am-12pm
Thursday 22 June 2023	Heat 2 – CEPSW + CNHS	HSTLC 1.01	1.00pm-3.00pm
Friday 23 June 2023	Heat 3 – CMPH + CSE	HSTLC 1.01	10.00am-12.00pm
Friday 25 August 2023	Semi Final	HSTLC 1.01	2.30pm-4.30pm
Friday 8 September 2023	University Final	HSLTC 1.01	2.30pm-4.00pm
Wednesday 18 October 2023	Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition Final	Virtually

Rules and judging criteria

A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description are allowed. The slide 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.
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 to commence from the stage.
Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

There are 3 judging criteria through which each three minute thesis presentation will be judged:

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

Each judge will score contestants on a numerical scale designed around the above criteria.

For registrations,
training and practice sessions

Visit inspire.flinders.edu.au

For further information

HDR.Development@flinders.edu.au

Testimonials of past finalists

2021 University final winner
Chad Han

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

“So, what’s your PhD about?” is the most common question I get. The 3MT has given me an opportunity as well as challenge, to communicate my research to a wider non specialist audience. The interaction with other PhD students reminded me that while the journey is one undertaken independently, it is not a lonely one. The 3MT has also helped hone my presentation skills and is one of the most enjoyable experiences thus far in my PhD!

2018 University final winner
Chelsea Mauch

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

“The 3 Minute Thesis competition was a timely and valuable experience that will remain one of the most memorable of my PhD. I was mid-candidature and waist deep in the first of three studies. The competition gave me the opportunity to return to the purpose of my project and develop a clear narrative. This focussed my writing and made the remaining stages of my PhD clearer, contributing to my first PhD publication and a successful seed grant application to fund my final study. The competition itself was thoroughly enjoyable, and taught me the value of conveying my research message in a way that is concise and connects with the audience on a personal level. I would highly recommend all PhD candidates take part at some stage during their candidature.”

2017 runner-up finalist
Tiffany Knight

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

"Participating in the 3 Minute Thesis has been one of the highlights of my PhD. Doctoral studies can be very lonely, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of information you have to process every day. The 3MT training sessions were a fun, relaxed opportunity to experiment with ideas and get a fresh perspective on my research. I discovered that I was part of a community of passionate scholars who were all doing amazing work in their respective fields. Condensing my research down to three minutes and finding engaging ways to explain its value to a non-specialist audience helped me to clarify my thinking and re-connect with my data in a new way. As this year’s trainer, I’m really excited to share what I’ve learned with you. So, I hope you’ll consider giving it a go. You might win some cash – you might even get to travel overseas representing Flinders University in the finals – but more importantly, by participating in the 3 Minute Thesis you will take the first step towards sharing your research with the world. And after all, as emerging researchers, isn’t that what we're all here for?”

Need help?

If you require more information or want to experience 3MT first-hand, require training and/or want to register for the practice sessions, please don't hesistate to get in touch.

hdr.development@flinders.edu.au

(08) 8201 2982