3MT: Three Minute Thesis

The Graduate College is pleased to sponsor the Eighth Annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition for graduate-student researchers. This annual event is an opportunity for students to build their communication skills by creatively describing their research in ways that make it relatable and relevant to a non-specialist audience. One static slide may be used while speaking for up to three minutes. Timelines and guidelines are listed below. Enjoy the videos of past award winners’ presentations, or an entire final round of competition.
Participation Timeline
- September 20, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.: Application deadline to be considered for the 3MT competition
- September 22, 2023: Applicants will be notified regarding their selection for the 3MT competition
- September 26, 2023 from 3-4 p.m.: Information Session in Carver 0205
- September 27, 2023 from 4-5 p.m.: Information Session in Carver 0305
- October 22, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.: 3MT slide submission deadline
- October 25, 2023 from 2-5 p.m.: Preliminary Competition
- October 26, 2023: Preliminary Competition winners announced
- November 9, 2023, 2 p.m. in the Reiman Gardens Auditorium: Final Competition
- November 10, 2023: 3MT Final Competition winner, runner up, and People's Choice Award winner announced
What is 3MT?
Three Minute Thesis (3MT) celebrates the exciting research conducted by master’s or Ph.D. students around the world. Developed by The University of Queensland, the competition cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. Presenting in a 3MT competition increases students' capacity to explain their research in three minutes in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. Competitors are allowed one PowerPoint slide, but no other resources or props.
Eligibility
Participants must be currently enrolled in a master's or doctoral degree program that requires students to conduct their own research (dissertation or thesis).
Prizes
Three participants will be recognized with awards. The winner of the final competition receives a $500 Ubill scholarship and may be asked to represent the university in other 3MT events. A scholarship of $250 will be awarded to the final competition's Runner Up and People’s Choice Award winner. The Graduate College will also raffle off two travel grants worth $200 each, as well as one U-Bill scholarship worth $200 for participants in their final year of graduate school. Every participant will have the opportunity to cultivate their presentation, research, and academic skills.
Judging Criteria
Winners will be determined by a panel of judges using the official 3MT competition rubrics. Judges for the initial heats will be invited from the Iowa State University faculty and staff and the local community. Judges for the final competition will be well-known Iowa constituents.
At every level of the competition, each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience.
Comprehension and Content
- Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question
- Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
- Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research
Engagement and Communication
- The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
- The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
- The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience's attention
Successful competitors will spend adequate time on each element of the presentation without rushing while emphasizing the significance and application of his/her research and leaving the audience wanting to learn more.
Presentation Feedback
Contact
3MT Committee (3mtcompetition@iastate.edu):
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Sarah Huffman
Denise Vrchota
Sarah Igram
Erin Todey
2022 Awardees
Winner: Abigail Schulte
Major: Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Presentation: Optimizing Solid-state Anaerobic Digestion of Prairie Grass and Dairy Manure
Runner Up: Abesh Bera
Major: Microbiology
Presentation: Biased Interaction of Different Tubulin Isotypes with Tumor Overexpressed Genes (TOG) Determines Cell Division Rate
People’s Choice Award: Abigail Koep
Major: Chemical Engineering
Presentation: Developing a Nanoscale Force-Mediated Drug Delivery System for Lung Fibrosis
Entire Event Video
2022 Final Round Participants
Name | Major | Presentation Title |
---|---|---|
Abigail Koep | Chemical Engineering | Developing a Nanoscale Force-Mediated Drug Delivery System for Lung Fibrosis |
Holly Loper | Microbiology | Large Predictions and Small Changes in Fertilizer Use |
Rachel Sorensen | Toxicology | Break Me Off a Piece of That Plas-tic Bar |
Daria Dilparic | Civil Engineering (Environmental) | PFAS: The Forever Chemical in Your Water |
Abesh Bera | Microbiology | Biased Interaction of Different Tubulin Isotypes with Tumor Overexpressed Genes (TOG) Determines Cell Division Rate |
Abigail Schulte | Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | Optimizing Solid-state Anaerobic Digestion of Prairie Grass and Dairy Manure |
Parvin Mohammadiarvejeh | Industrial Engineering | Developing Machine Learning and Optimization Models to Recognize Super-Agers |
Clayton Carley | Genetics & Genomics (Predictive Plant Phenomics) and Plant Breeding | Counting the Nodules that Count |