Three Minute Thesis

No Props, One Slide, 3 Minutes

3 Minute ThesisThe Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia for research students.

From January to April each year, Queen's graduate students have the opportunity attend workshops and participate in the Queen's 3 minute thesis competition.  Following that our top participants have the chance to compete against other Canadian Universities as well as our Matariki partners.

3MT® is a university-wide competition for Queen’s Masters (thesis or research project) and doctoral students in which participants present their research and its wider impact in 3 minutes or less to a panel of non-specialist judges.

Distilling research into a clear form, without over-simplifying or making it overly complex, and highlighting the wider implications of this research are important skills to carry into post-graduate employment and public service.

This is a unique opportunity to communicate the innovative and significant research undertaken by our graduate students.

Competition Dates for 2024

  • Queen's Heats (Mitchell Hall, Event Commons) - March 12th, March 13th, March 14th (each heat starts at 12:00 PM each day - everyone is welcome to attend and cheer on the participants). 
  • Queen's Final (Kinesiology 100) - March 21st (5:00 PM start - everyone is welcome to attend and cheer on the participants)
  • NAGS 3MT Final (online) - April 26th (3pm-5pm ET) via zoom - Register to view and support our representative, Julia Tropak (Chemistry) and help choose the People's Choice
  • Ontario 3MT - Wednesday, May 8th, starting at 10 AM hosted by Lakehead University at their Orillia campus.  The event will be live streamed. 

  • To participate in 3MT®  @ Queen's you must currently be an active Masters (Thesis or MRP) or Ph.D. or DSc. program at the time of the competition and must have made substantial progress on your research and analysis.  
  • Course-based Masters students are ineligible
  • Ph.D. and Masters students who have defended, but have not yet convocated, are eligible to participate.
  • Post-Docs are invited to participate in the heats as guests and will be judged separately by the graduate students. Postdocs are encouraged to sign up for the Postdoc Three Minute Research competition. Talk to the Coordinator Postdoctoral Affairs at postdoc@queensu.ca
  • Visiting grad students and Exchange grad students may participate in the Queen's 3MT competition as guests, but will not be eligible to represent Queen's in either the Ontario 3MT, National 3MT, or Matariki 3MT, and are not eligible for the prize money. 
  • Presentations must be based on the primary research the student has conducted in their graduate program.
  • Presenters must agree to be video-taped and if in the final, give permission to have the video available on our website/Queen's YouTube
  • Presenters must agree to be photographed and give permission for the photos to be used for promotional purposes.
  • Presenters must have registered, completed the information form, sent in a photograph of themselves, and received confirmation of participation from the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.
  • Presenters must be available to present, in person, on the day of their heat.  To advance in the competition, heat winners must also be available to present, in person, at the School of Graduate Studies final.
  • The Winner will be expected to represent Queen's at the Ontario 3MT® competition

It is understood that by registering, you have discussed your participation with your Supervisor and have agreed that you fulfill the eligibility requirements set out above.

NOTE: Past winners & Runner Up will not be eligible.

Registration for the 3MT is now closed!

  1. Before you register, please ensure you are eligible.
  2. Log in to the 3MT Registration system and follow these instructions:
    • Always use your Queen's NetID and password
    • Fill in as many fields as you can now.
    • Choose a heat. A waitlist will be available once the heat is full.
    • You can go back into the system at any time to update any missed information.
    • Don't forget to provide a photo of yourself (JPEG) that we can use to help promote each heat.
    • Don't forget to provide a JPEG file of your one slide no later than one week before the start of the event. Use aspect ratio of PowerPoint of 16:9
    • Click "Save Data"
    • Sign out
  3. The School of Graduate Studies will contact you to confirm your participation.

If you have any trouble registering, contact Colette Steer at the SGSPA office at sgspa.events@queensu.ca.

Registration Closes 4th March, 2024

  • A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted 
  • PowerPoint slide should be created using an aspect ratio of 16:9
  • 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) is permitted
  • No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment, laser pointers or note cards) are permitted
  • Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified
  • Presentations are to be delivered in regular prose (eg no poems, slam poetry, raps, songs, or spoken word presentations)
  • Presentations must commence from and remain on the stage
  • Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter initiates either movement or speech
  • The decision of the judging panel is final

At every level of the competition, each competitor’s presentation will be assessed according to the criteria listed below.  Please note that each criterion is equally weighted.

Communication

  • Did the presenter use non-verbal communication (ie. eye contact, voice modulation, body language, etc) effectively?
  • Did the presenter use language and terminology that was clear, jargon-free and understandable to the general audience?
  • Did the presentation follow a logical sequence?
  • Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation? Did they elaborate for too long on one aspect, or did the presentation feel rushed?

Comprehension:

  • Did the talk help you to understand the scholarly research and creativity being undertaken?
  • Did the presenter clearly outline the nature and purpose of their research?
  • Did the presenter clearly indicate the fascinating or compelling aspects of their research?
  • Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance of the research question being addressed?
  • Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and outcomes?

Engagement

  • Was the talk engaging?
  • Did the presenter capture and maintain the attention of the audience?
  • Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their work?
  • Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize their research?
  • Did the talk inspire you to want to know more?
  • Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation - was it clear, legible, and concise? 

The 3MT® must represent the thesis project research of the presenter. Students must understand that the presentation of their research in a 3MT setting will be publicly accessible and in the public domain.

The presentation of the research, will not affect any pre-existing rights prior to and following the competition except as stated below:

  • Due to the nature of the competition, judges, reviewers, staff or the audience will not be asked to sign non-disclosure statements.
  • If your research is being/has been conducted under contract with an outside sponsor, please discuss the related contractual terms of confidentiality and intellectual property with your supervisor before participating in the competition.
  • All public sessions of the competition, including but not limited to oral presentations, are open to the public at large; any and all of these public sessions may be broadcast to interested persons through media which may include the Internet.
  • Any data or information discussed or presented in public sessions should be considered in the public domain.
  • If your research includes confidential or culturally sensitive material, we advise that you discuss your competition entry with your supervisor(s) before entering the 3MT®
  • The School of Graduate Studies, Queen's University and the 3 Minute Thesis Competition may make photocopies, photographs, videotapes and/or audiotapes of the presentations or material prepared for use in presentation at the 3MT®

Dates of workshops and practice sessions for 2024:

Resources: View 3MT talks from previous years and around the world

Queen’s is committed to an inclusive campus community with accessible goods, services, and facilities that respect the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs forms, etc. are available in an accessible format or with appropriate communication, supports upon request.

Contact the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs:

Email: sgspa.reception@queensu.ca
Phone: 613-5336100
In-person: Gordon Hall, Room 425