Get Ready for 3MT 2025
1. Roll up your WHY
You have 3 minutes to paint the picture of the problems you're tackling. Make it vivid and engaging so non-research people grasp why your work is amazing. Wrap things up by circling back to this point and give them a glimpse into the future—a world that is better because of the awesome stuff you're working on today. Remember, it's all about telling a compelling story!
2. Lose the DETAILS
No research topic is too boring or obscure for 3MT! The fun challenge of this competition is to find what makes your work fascinating and share it in a clear, engaging way. Think...broad, relatable ideas, and gradually introduce accessible specifics. Your goal is to make your audience smarter and more excited about your research.
3. The slide is a TRAP
The PowerPoint slide has long been the downfall of 3MT competitors because it plays upon the most basic instinct of the researcher: the desire to convey complex technical information in PowerPoint form. You must resist this urge. Use your slide only to set the tone. It's a prop, not a research poster!
Register for a 3MT Workshop
By registering for a 3MT workshop you are not committing to entering the competition. Join us and learn about a new way of communicating your research. The 3MT competition is open to all thesis-based graduate students.
Workshops
Oct 30
2-4 PM THORV 118
Join Jill McMillan, USask's Learning and graduate writing specialist and get a head start on your script.
- With a critical eye, deconstruct winning 3MTs by exploring any potential gaps between the presentation delivery, context and what the audience takes away as the central message.
Nov 29
10 AM - NOON THORV 118
Join the 3MT staff team in a fun, no-pressure environment that we call 3MT Speed Dating.
- Participants have three minutes with multiple prospective "audience" members to deliver the first draft of your 3MT presentation (no slides yet). Get immediate feedback on whether your pitch hits the mark.
Jan 30
2-4 PM THORV 118
Join Jill McMillan, USask's Learning and graduate writing specialist to refine your 3MT narrative.
- Building on all of the 3MT workshop content so far, Jill will take you through key elements to consider to refine your 3MT narrative for maximum impact.
Feb 19
2-4 PM QUANCE THEATRE
By this time you will have your narrative drafted, you have practiced and your slide is ready.
- Take the big stage and get a feel for what delivering a 3MT will be like at USask's finals at our open mic workshop. Get immediate feedback from a mock judging panel on your delivery and the design of your slide.
About
The first 3MT® took place in 2008 at the University of Queensland, Australia, and has since grown to become an international academic competition. Since 2011 the popularity of the competition has increased and 3MT competitions are now held in over 200 universities across more than 18 countries worldwide.
For nearly ten years, the Graduate Student Association, sponsored in part by the College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, hosted USask’s 3MT® competition every spring. The 3MT® communication competition challenges students to translate their research and its impact to an audience of non-specialists in just 3 minutes using only one static slide. This competition helps graduate students develop essential communication skills which are transferable for many purposes:
- Funding proposals
- Transitioning into employment
- Generating interest in, awareness of and support for academic research
- Communicating with confidence and clarity to diverse audiences
The College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies assumed responsibility (in 2013) for USask’s 3MT allowing the GSA to focus on its advocacy of its members in pursuit of a safe, supportive, respectful, accessible, and inclusive community that fosters the multi-faceted roles played by graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan. Visit #GSA for more information.
Archives
| 2024 |
USask Finals 1st Place: Marin Habbick 2nd Place: Runli Yuan 3rd Place: Matthew Chapelski People's Choice: Craig Eling |
| 2023 |
USask Finals 1st Place: Narsimha Pujari 2nd Place: Shaheli Senanayake 3rd Place: Hemlata Gautam People's Choice: Michele Monroy-Valle |
| 2022 |
USask Finals 1st Place: Antonia Powell 2nd Place: Gaurav Malik 3rd Place: Tumpa Sarker Honourable Mention: Kaylie Krys |
| 2021 |
USask Finals 1st Place: Ahmad Karimi 2nd Place: Kayla Cropper 3rd Place: Alivia Mukherjee Honourable Mention: Ninu Kallingal Mohandas |
| 2020 |
USask Finals 1st Place: Shaunti Bergen 2nd Place: Farzad Dehghan 3rd Place: Christopher Mahadeo Honourable Mention: Edgar Martinez-Soberanes |
| 2019 |
USask Finals 1st Place: Farzad Dehghan 2nd Place: Miranda Zwiefelhofer 3rd Place: Nicholas A. Belliveau People’s Choice: Miranda Zwiefelhofer Honourable Mention: Alivia Mukherjee |
| 2018 |
USask Finals 1st Place: Roland Macana 2nd Place: Sajna Simon 3rd Place: Adesola Olufade Honourable Mentions:
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First Place
Second Place
Third Place
People's Choice
Fine Print
- All USask Master's and PhD thesis-based graduate students are eligible to participate.
- A student whose thesis is under submission on the date of their first competition is still eligible to compete.
- Presenters must register for the event and be able to present in person.
- One single static PowerPoint slide is permitted.
- No slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description are permitted.
- Your slide is to be presented from the beginning of your oration.
- No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
Suggestions,
- Less is more: text and complicated graphics can distract your audience – you don’t want them to read your slide instead of listening to your talk.
- Personal touches: personal touches can allow your audience to understand the impact of your research.
- Creativity drives interest: do not rely on your slide to convey your message – it should simply complement your oration.
- Work your message: think about how your slide might be able to assist with the format and delivery of your presentation – is there a metaphor that helps explain your research?
- An engaging visual presentation can make or break any oration, so make sure your slide is legible, clear and concise.
Submitting a recording for the virtual 3MT competition? Follow these steps:
1. Submit a recording of you speaking (no slide) | one file
Filmed on the horizontal
Filmed on a plain background
Filmed from a static position
Filmed from one camera angle
MP4 video format is preferred. Instructions on how to submit your video file will be sent to you after you complete the registration form.
Send only 1 static slide using 16:9 .pptx format then convert that to a .jpeg.
Do not include a title slide
Include this file with your registration form
Our team puts the two files together (the recording and the slide) once submitted to ensure a standardized format for every entry.
The judging panel for the virtual preliminaries is selected from campus faculty/staff and students who have a communications background and/or previous winners of research poster competitions. They will be selecting up to 15 of the highest calibre talks to move forward to the finals on April 11th.
Of the 15 presenters selected each will receive a certificate of participation and a brief feedback summary.
[info coming soon]
Each recipient will receive a certificate of participation and a swag bag.
- Presenters are allowed a single PowerPoint slide; no slide transitions, no animations or movement' of any kind, the slide is presented from the beginning and for the duration of the presentation.
- No additional electronic media (ex: sound or video files) are permitted.
- No additional props (ex: costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
- Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum; presentations running over 3 minutes will be disqualified.
- Presentations are limited to spoken word (ex: no poems, raps, or songs).
- Presentations are to commence from the stage (ex: no dramatic entrances).
- Presentations are considered to have commenced when the presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.
- The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.
The competitors will be judged based on two criteria:
| Comprehension and Content | Engagement and Communication |
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- First place - $1,500
- Second place - $750
- Third place - $500
- People's Choice - $250
All competitors must complete these forms and include them with their registration details.
- Simon Clews (University of Melbourne) has prepared a helpful guide on preparing for the Three Minute Thesis Competition
- Jackie Amsden (Simon Fraser University) discusses how narrative frameworks can help grad students effectively tell their research story
- Matt Abrahams (Stanford University) provides Tips and Techniques for More Confident and Compelling Presentations
- Matt Abrahams (Stanford University) podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart: advice for impromptu speaking
- Anett Grant (Executive Speaking) addresses Six Pieces of Bad Speaking Advice That Just Won’t Die
- Inger Mewburn (RMIT University) developed How to Talk About Your Thesis in 3 Minutes
- Henry Miller (UT Health San Antonio) shares 11 Tips For The 3 Minute Thesis Competition
- At the high point, the 3MT Finals event page (2023) had 2.3K views and an event count (scrolls) on the page of 7.2K.
- The People’s Choice voting had over 2000 active hits with more than 919 actual votes placed from unique IP addresses.
- The live stream captured ~ 508 active watchers from across the globe. The heatmap below is a snapshot of where folks tuned in from.
