The 3MT^® competition is back for 2013! 

Queen's 3MT^® on 18th - 21st March 2013.

Heats 1 & 2 - 2pm start, Walter Light Auditorium - completed

Heat 3 - 1pm start, Walter Light Auditorium - completed

Final - 6pm start in new medical building, Abramsky House, room 032a 

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Ontario 3MT^® on 18th April 2013, at Queen's

4pm start, new medical building Abramsky House, room 032a

(Queen's is hosting the first Ontario University 3MT ^®competition against 16 other Ontario Universities)

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What is 3MT^® ?

3MT^® is a university wide competition for Queen’s Masters (thesis only) 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.  The challenge is to present complex research material in an engaging, compelling way, using only one slide.

The three minute thesis competition provides graduate students with an opportunity to refine skills that can be transferred after graduation to diverse career paths.  Distilling research into a clear form, without over-simplifying or making overly-complex, and highlighting the wider implications of this research are important skills to carry into post-graduate employment and public service.

The competition also enables students to showcase their research to a wider audience, across disciplines within the university and to the broader public.  The heats and the final are open to the public, and are advertised within the community.  The audience will be able to cast a vote for The People’s Choice award in the final.  Videos of the speeches will be posted on the SGS website. This is a unique opportunity to communicate the innovative and significant research undertaken by graduate students at Queen’s University to our community and beyond.  

The Three Minute Thesis 3MT^® ) competition was initially developed by The University of Queensland in 2008 to promote effective communication of research.  The success of the first Queensland competition prompted other Australian and New Zealand universities to run their own competitions, culminating in the first Trans Tasman competition held in 2010.3MT^® has spread internationally: Queen’s is the first University in Ontario to host a 3MT^® competition.

Heats

• The competition for 2013 will consist of 3 heats
• The top three participants  plus "People's Choice winner" will go forward to the SGS finals
• All presentations will be videoed and available for viewing after the competition via the School of Graduate Studies website.
• Top two placegetters in the final will go on to represent Queen's at the Ontario 3MT^® competition.

Rules

• a single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description)
• 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
• the decision of the adjudicating panel is final

Judging Criteria

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.

Comprehension:

• Did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
• Did the presenter clearly outline the nature and aims of research?
• Do you know what is significant about this research?
• Did the presentation follow a logical sequence?

Engagement

• Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialise or ‘dumb down’ their research?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their work?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience’s attention?
• Would I like to know more about the speaker’s research?

Communication

• Was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the speaker use sufficient eye contact and vocal range; maintain a steady pace, and a confident stance?
• Did the speaker avoid scientific jargon, explain terminology that needed to be used, and provide adequate background information to illustrate points?
• Did the presenter spend the right amount of time on each element of their presentation – or did they elaborate for too long or were rushed?
• Did the PowerPoint slide enhance, rather than detract from, their presentation – was it clear, legible and concise?

Eligibility

• To participate in 3MT^® 2013 @ Queen's you must currently be registered in a Masters (thesis only) or PhD program at Queen’s and have made substantial progress on research and analysis. (Please note that Master's Research Papers are not eligible for the 3MT competition).
• Presentations must be based on research that is directly related to the student’s graduate program thesis.
• Presenters must agree to be video-taped.
• Presenters must have registered via moodle, completed the information form (including confirmation signature of your eligibility by your supervisor/department) and received confirmation of a place from the School of Graduate Studies.
• 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 & Runner Up will be expected to represent Queen's at the Ontario 3MT^® competition

Prizes

Heats 2013

• Prizes for the top three participants in each heat.
• People's Choice Award for each heat.

Finals 2013

• Winner: $1000 cash
• Runner-up: $500 cash
• People's Choice: TBA

See all nine (9) finalist videos from 2012 at: http://www.queensu.ca/sgs/3mt/video.html

The Winner and People's Choice winner 2012 on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuRw_4VSp44&feature=youtu.be

The Runner Up 2012  video on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyA_wYhxZJ8&feature=youtu.be 

Accessibility

If you have any accessibility requirements or special needs, call Colette Steer at 613-533-6000 ext 78776 or email grad.recruitment@queensu.ca

Resources

To see how competitions in Australia, New Zealand and at UBC have fared, plus some hints on how to do your presentation in 3 minutes and still get your point across, go to our Registration page (at the bottom of the page) OR our Resources page.

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