The first 3MT was held at the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2008 with 160 students competing. Enthusiasm for the 3MT concept grew and its adoption by numerous universities led to the development of an international competition in 2010.

For nearly ten years, the Graduate Student Association was USask's 3MT host, sponsored in part by the College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS). CGPS assumed all responsibility for the 3MT in 2022.

CGPS was the Western Canadian Finals host in 2017 and 2023 and saw one of their standout competitors, Antonia Powell, rise above the rest to claim victory and advance to the Canadian Nationals.

>>>> Watch Antonia Powell deliver her 3MT 

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!

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.

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!

• 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.

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 in April.

1. 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.
2. No additional electronic media (ex: sound or video files) are permitted.
3. No additional props (ex: costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
4. Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum; presentations running over 3 minutes will be disqualified.
5. Presentations are limited to spoken word (ex: no poems, raps, or songs).
6. Presentations are to commence from the stage (ex: no dramatic entrances).
7. Presentations are considered to have commenced when the presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.
8. The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

The competitors will be judged based on two criteria:

All competitors must complete these forms and include them with their registration details.

• Photo release form
• Personal information release form

• 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.