UCF’s First Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

On Wednesday, March 27, 2019, doctoral research will be presented in a novel and exciting way at UCF’s first Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Doctoral students will communicate their research in just three short minutes and with only one PowerPoint slide to non-expert judges while competing to win prizes.

Hosted by the College of Graduate Studies and Blackstone LaunchPad, 3MT is free and open to the public. The audience is invited to vote on their favorite presentation to determine the People’s Choice Award Winner. A panel of judges will determine the first, second and third place prize winners.

For questions about this event, please email Rachel Stern with the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Rachel.Stern@ucf.edu.

About 3MT

The 3MT competition celebrates the exciting research conducted by doctoral students. Developed by the University of Queensland, the exercise cultivates students’ academic, presentation and research communication skills.

Participants are judged on the ability to effectively convey the essence and importance of their research in an engaging way to a non-specialist audience in just three minutes, with one PowerPoint slide. A panel of judges will determine the first, second and third place prize winners.

The first 3MT competition was held at the University of Queensland in 2008. In 2009 and 2010 the 3MT competition was promoted to other Australian and New Zealand universities. Since 2011, the popularity of the competition has increased and 3MT competitions are now held in over 600 universities across more than 59 countries worldwide.

Why 3MT?

In addition to prizes, all applicants will learn how to:

Communicate your ideas effectively to the wider community.
Describe your research findings to a non-specialist audience.
Increase your profile within the UCF research community.
Network with other UCF doctoral students.
Develop an “elevator pitch” of your research

Eligibility

Participants must be currently enrolled UCF doctoral students who have entered candidacy and are actively engaged in dissertation research. A competitive candidate should have a well-conceived dissertation project, compelling data collected and a novel story to share. Work presented must have been conducted at UCF for the student’s current degree program.

Participants must be available to present, in person, at the 3MT competition on March 27, 2019

All presentations will be videotaped and will appear on the Graduate College’s website.

Rules

A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any description are allowed. If material for public use is included on a slide, the reference(s) must be clearly cited on the slide. 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 three minutes maximum and competitors exceeding three 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.

Judging Criteria

Communication style: Was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience?
Comprehension: Did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
Engagement: Did the presentation make the audience want to know more?

Submission Guidelines

Record a 90-second audition video describing your dissertation research and its importance.
Post the video on YouTube and include “#UCF3MT” in the title.
Fill out the application by February 20, 2019.

Applicants will be notified by March 6, 2019, if they have been selected to compete in the 3MT Finals. All Finalists are required to meet with a coach in the Blackstone LaunchPad to practice their pitch in preparation for the Finals.

Important Dates

Submission Open	January 16, 2019
3MT Info Session and Pitch Workshop	January 30, 2019
3MT Info Session and Pitch Workshop	February 14, 2019
Submission Deadline	February 20, 2019
Finalists Announced	March 6, 2019
Blackstone LaunchPad Coaching Sessions (for finalists)	March 18-22, 2019
3MT Event	March 27, 2019

Preparation Workshops

3MT preparation workshops are offered to help all graduate students learn how to communicate research to a non-specialist audience. Workshops are open to all graduate students and are a helpful resource for those doctoral students preparing to enter the 3MT competition.

Spring 2019 Preparation Workshops

January 30, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.

February 14, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.

Workshops will be held at the Graduate Student Center located on the second floor of Trevor Colbourn Hall, room 213.

Additional Resources

Practice Your Presentation

A video recording studio is available by reservation and free of charge at UCF’s Technology Commons II. Watch yourself, assess your performance and share with others to get their feedback and improve your presentation.

Practice Your Presentation

Video Recording Studio is Available in Tech Commons II