Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition

The 3MT competition will be held on Wednesday 24 April 2019 and is a great opportunity to focus on the message of your research. It will allow you to consolidate your ideas and crystallise your research discoveries. Communicating your research to a non-specialist audience will challenge you to think in a fresh way about your ideas and develop your presentation skills.

Taking part in the competition will help you to:

• improve your public speaking skills
• build your confidence
• share your passion for research

How the competition works

Entrants have three minutes to present their thesis to the panel of judges and the audience. The judges are academic staff from the University. The panel of judges choose the winner and the audience choose an ‘audience’s choice’ winner.

Prizes

• Judges’ Winner £200
• Judges’ Runner Up £100
• Audience’s Choice Winner £100

Rules

• 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.

How to enter

If you would like to take part, submit a 300 word summary of your research to: 3MT@essex.ac.uk by Monday 4 March 2019.

The most informative and engaging summaries will be selected and those students will be invited to speak in the University finals. You will be informed of the outcome by Friday 15 March 2019. If you're shortlisted you will be offered additional training prior to the competition to help you prepare your presentation.

Eligibility

To be eligible to enter this competition, you need to:

• be a doctoral student
• have had your registration status confirmed as PhD
• have not yet had your viva at the time of the local competition

Judging criteria