Graduate students to compete in Three Minute Thesis Competition

LAWRENCE – Years of research explained in 180 seconds or less. That is what to expect when University of Kansas graduate students present their cutting-edge research in a unique competition called the Three Minute Thesis, or 3MT.

More than 30 graduate students will participate in the virtual competition beginning Nov. 1. The competition is part of a global event highlighting graduate student research by challenging students to explain their work effectively and engagingly to nonexperts.

“The 3MT competition helps graduate students develop important communication skills while also promoting their research discoveries,” said Jennifer Roberts, vice provost for academic affairs and graduate studies. “It also pushes students to identify and focus on the most significant parts of their research.”  

The judges of the competition are professionals but not experts in the fields of research presented. Megan Hamilton, a doctoral student in bioengineering who placed second and claimed the People’s Choice Award in 2020, appreciated that aspect of the contest.

“The videos aren’t meant to be packed with super scientific and technical jargon,” Hamilton said. “Having an easily understandable elevator pitch of my research that I can share with my friends and family is a great benefit from 3MT. It forced me to figure out the most effective way to communicate dense information.”

For Punam Rawal, last year’s first-place winner and a doctoral student in pharmacology and toxicology, the contest gave her a greater appreciation for the impact of her research. She worked with Neil Rasmussen, a media specialist for KU Information Technology, to get her virtual presentation ready. And as it turns out, her research hit home with Rasmussen.  

“After hearing my presentation about my research on Alzheimer’s disease, he shared with me his own story,” Rawal said. “His father suffered from Alzheimer’s, and my presentation made him hopeful in the future of Alzheimer’s research. This gave me a new perspective on my research. As students, we focus on the very detailed insights, but sometimes understanding the big picture of our research and its overall impact can be so important. That is what participating in the 3MT did for me.”

Students who advance from the initial heats Nov. 1-5 will compete in finals from Nov. 15-19. All members of the KU and Lawrence communities are welcome to watch these presentations Nov. 1. Judges will select a first-place winner who will receive $500 a second-place winner who will receive $250 and a People’s Choice winner voted by the audience who will receive $125. The first-place presenter will represent KU at the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools 3MT Competition April 6-8, 2022, in Milwaukee, with travel, lodging and other expenses paid for by the Office of Graduate Studies.

The top presenters at KU’s heats will receive a professional head-and-shoulder portrait session, a research spotlight on the Office of Graduate Studies social media, Office of Graduate Studies swag and their preferred choice from a predetermined list of books.

The 3MT academic research communication competition was developed by the University of Queensland in Australia and was first held in 2008. 3MT competitions have been held at more than 900 universities and more than 80 countries worldwide. 

For more information, contact the Office Graduate Studies at graduate@ku.edu.