3MT 2019 winner Kevin Boreskie
Calling all Grad Students – it’s time to apply for 3MT!
The applications for the 2020 3MT Thesis competition are now open. Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an international research communication competition developed in 2008 by The University of Queensland (UQ). Graduate students have three minutes to present a compelling oration of their thesis and its significance. 3MT is not an exercise in trivialising research, but instead it is a challenge to students to consolidate their ideas and research discoveries so they can be presented concisely to a non-specialist audience.
Since it began, the popularity of the competition has increased and 3MT competitions are now held at over 600 universities in more than 65 countries worldwide. This will be the 8th annual competition at the University of Manitoba.
Participating in 3MT is an excellent way to explain the depth and impact of your research, and provides you with the opportunity to enhance your communication skills. It also allows people everywhere and in all walks of life to learn about the important work that graduate students like you do here at the U of M. Another bonus? Cash prizes.
Your advisor will support you doing 3MT because if you can explain your research in three minutes, you’re going to do well on grant and scholarship applications. It’s also a fun way to share your research with people outside of your department.
Last year’s winner, Kevin Boreskie, said that one huge benefit of competing in 3MT was learning to be a better public speaker. He said, “When I first went into grad studies I hated doing public speaking. That’s why I signed up for Three Minute Thesis in the first place… I realized pretty early in my grad studies that you could be doing the coolest research, but if you aren’t able to disseminate it and tell people about it, it’s not going to go anywhere.”
The chosen challengers will face off head to head in three heats, February 24 at Bannatyne Campus, and February 25 and 27, at Fort Garry campus. The top three in each heat will win a $200 UM Bookstore gift card, and move on to the 3MT final, March 24, 2020. Wildcard selections from each heat will also be chosen to compete in the final event.
All applications received by January 15th that meet the criteria will be entered in a draw for a $50 U of M Bookstore gift card. Rules and eligibility can be found here.
Applications for 3MT 2020 close January 15 – apply now.