Three Minute Thesis Competition

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition 2011

UWS 3 Minute Thesis Finals

The UWS 3 Minute Thesis final was held at Parramatta on Friday 2nd September 2011.

The winner, and People’s Choice, is Cherylea Browne of the School of Medicine. Topic: Understanding the Underlying Mechanisms of Tinnitus. Cherylea won $2 000 for first prize and $500 for People’s Choice.

Second prize winner was Greg Whiteley of the School of Natural Sciences. Topic: Assessment of New Methods for Monitoring Environmental Surface Cleaning and Hygiene in Healthcare Settings. Greg’s prize is $1 000.

Third prize of $500 went to Ryan Al-Natour Centre for Cultural Research. Topic: The Case of the Proposed Islamic School in Camden.

Cherylea will represent UWS at the Trans Tasman finals at the University of Western Australia on 29th September 2011 in Perth.

For information on the previous UWS winners visit 2010 Three Minute Thesis and you can also watch videos of the 2010 UWS Three Minute Thesis Final.

A/Prof Hilary Bambrick (judge) with winner Cherylea Brown and special guest judge Ms Lucy Carter, Triple J News Director and ABC Youth Affairs Reporter.

Greg Whiteley, Cherylea Browne and Ryan Al-Natour

Host, Mr Michael Antrum and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Andrew Cheetham

3 Minute Thesis presenters at Open Day exhibition.

Meet the Judges

Lucy Carter, Triple J News Director and ABC Youth Affairs Reporter, is one of the judges at the UWS 3MT (three minute thesis) competition along with Professor Bob Hodge, Centre for Cultural Research and Associate Professor Hilary Bambrick, School of Medicine.

2011 UWS College Finals

College of Arts competitors

College of Business and Law competitors

College of Health and Science competitors

Judges at the Business and Law final

Judging Criteria

1. Communication style: was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience?
2. Comprehension: did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
3. Engagement: did the oration make the audience want to know more?
   

Rules

• a single PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions are permitted).
• no additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• no additional props (e.g. costumes, instruments [musical, laboratory etc]) are permitted.
• presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum. Competitors exceeding 3 minutes will be disqualified.
  
• the decision of the adjudicating panel is final.
  

What it is

It is an exercise in developing academic and research communication skills. Research higher degree (PhD and M(Hons)) students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis topic and its significance in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience.

What it is not

It is not an exercise in trivialising or ‘dumbing-down’ research. The oration should engage the audience without reducing research to entertainment value alone. It is fun but not a circus and is not about trivialising research.

Rewards, according to past winners

Networking, prize money, job offers, confidence in speaking, good practice in communicating research consolidates ideas, free food and people are interested in what you have to say.

Value of 3MT

3MT develops students’ capacity to communicate ideas well to non-specialist audiences and to the wider community.

Contributes to UWS research culture and PhD and M(Hons)progress/skills development.

Competitors report the 3MT helped them ‘crystallize’ thoughts about their thesis and how they communicate their research.

Internal and external promotion of the value of Doctoral and M(Hons) research.

It’s a lot of fun and generates public and media interest in what researchers do.

Who is eligible to enter?

Anyone who is active in a *PhD or *M(Hons) program (including thesis under submission). Graduates are not eligible. Universities may enter one competitor only in the Three Minute Thesis Inaugural competition.

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