Three Minute Thesis (3MT®)

We’re now accepting entries for our 2024 Manchester Metropolitan Three Minute Thesis® competition. Please submit your entry by 5:00pm on Friday 26 April.

You can also book your place on our workshop‘Three Minute Thesis: Preparing a winning entry’, taking place on Friday 19 April, 11:00am – 12:30pm, on Microsoft Teams.

The Faculty heats for the final competition will take place as detailed below:

• Science and Engineering – Tuesday 7 May, 2:00pm – 4:30pm, John Dalton East (room JD E223)
• Health and Education – Wednesday 8 May, 2:00pm – 4:30pm, Brooks (room G.86)
• Business and Law – Monday 13 May, 2:00pm – 4:30pm, Geoffrey Manton (room GM 330)
• Arts and Humanities – Wednesday 15 May, 2:00pm – 4:30pm, Geoffrey Manton (room GM 330)

Successful presenters from the faculty heats will be invited to compete in the live final on Wednesday 19 June. Tickets for this fantastic showcase of Manchester Met doctoral research will be available to book soon.

Keep an eye on your doctoral student digest emails for more updates.

3MT®is a fantastic way to develop your skills as a researcher and help your work reach a wider audience. Taking part in 3MT® will enable you to:

• Identify the ‘core message’ of your research
• Deliver a snappy overview of your research that anyone can understand
• Build your confidence as a presenter
• Develop your presentation/teaching style to become more engaging to your audience
• Create a visual setup to frame yourself when presenting on video
• Develop skills in presenting to camera - something that is increasingly important for sharing your research online

Other reasons to take part - there are three prizes available:

• £200- Judges’ Choice winner 
• £200- Judges’ Choice runner up 
• £100- People’s Choice winner

Winners will have the opportunity to choose between an Amazon, Etsy or book token.  

Watch previous winners Nicola Edwards and Dounia Hachelef talk about why you should enter the competition.

3MT® is an international competition, and every 3MT® presentation around the world has to adhere by the same core rules and judging criteria.

Competition Rules

All entries into the Three Minute Thesis competiton must follow the competition rules:

• Only one single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations, or ‘movement’ effects 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 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

At every level of the competition each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Please note that each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience. Use these criteria to help shape your presentation, and get the most out of your opportunity to impress the judges.

Comprehension and content

• Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed, while explaining terminology and avoiding jargon?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and outcomes?
• Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Was the thesis topic, research significance, results/impact and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
• Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation - or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed?

Engagement and communication

• Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialise or generalise their research?
• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience’s attention?
• Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range; maintain a steady pace, and have a confident stance?
• Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation - was it clear, legible, and concise?

To submit your entry, please complete this form. Please submit your entry by 5:00pm on Friday 26 April.

Our 2023 finalists presented at a lively event on Wednesday, 28 June and the winners were:

Write for your audience

• Avoid jargon and use non-academic language.
• Explain concepts and people important to your research, and keep it simple.
• Highlight what you hope to achieve and the impact you think your research will have.
• Imagine that you are explaining your research to a close friend or fellow student from another subject.
• Convey your excitement and enthusiasm for your subject!

Tell a story

• You could present your research as a narrative, with a beginning, middle and end.
• It’s not easy to condense your research into three minutes, so you may find it easier to break your presentation down into smaller sections.
• Try writing an opener to catch the attention of the audience, then highlight your different points, and finally have a summary to restate the importance of your work.
• Have a clear outcome in mind.
• Know what you want your audience to take away from your presentation.
• Try to leave the audience with an understanding of what you’re doing, why it is important, and what you hope to achieve.

Revise your ideas

• Read your presentation to yourself in front of the mirror, to your friends and family, to your supervisor and academic colleagues.
• Get feedback and practise often. The advantage of doing a video entry is you can go back and re-shoot the presentation if you need to.
• Does your presentation clearly highlight what your research is about and why it is important?

Before you start work on your slide, make sure you take the official 3MT® rules into account, especially that your PowerPoint slide needs to be ‘static’, which means no slide transitions, animations or ‘movement’ of any kind and no additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted. Some suggestions for your slide are:

• 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 presentation.
• Personal touches: these 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.

Vocal range

• Speak clearly and use variety in your voice (fast/slow, loud/soft).
• Do not rush – find your rhythm.
• Remember to pause at key points as it gives the audience time to think about what you are saying.

Body language

• Stand/sit up straight and look confident!
• Hold your head up and make eye contact with the camera
• Never turn your back to the audience (or camera in this case)
• Practise how you will use your hands and move around your space, or how you will sit. It’s okay to move around energetically if that reflects your personality; however, it is also appropriate for a 3MT® presentation to be delivered from a single spot especially when filming the presentation
• Try not to fidget!

Remember to film your presentation in landscape so it plays better on a screen.

Serena Slack- Robins 3MT 2022 Judge’s Choice runner up shares her experience of the competition and provides some tips for making an entry.

We found these resources really helpful, and we hope that you will too!

• Watch the Vitae 3MT 2022 final 
• Watch the Vitae 3MT 2021 final, including the Judges’ Choice winner Ana Pavlovic from Kingston University and People’s Choice winner Manuela Carnaghi from University of Greenwich
• Is it worth doing the Three Minute Thesis? by Mary Woessner, Victoria University
• The three most common 3MT mistakes from the Australian National University
• How to win the 3 Minute Thesis by Dr Inger Mewburn (aka @thesiswhisperer)
• Giving a Presentation This is an Open University study skills resource.