3MT® competition
The 3MT competition is a region-wide event encompassing all Australian and some international universities.
The 3MT competition provides an opportunity for you to develop confidence in public speaking and reach out to a broad audience for your research. The basic requirement for the competition is that you communicate the significance of you research in a maximum of three minutes of spoken presentation, unassisted by props or other materials, and accompanied only by a single Powerpoint slide (for the full set of requirement, see ‘Rules’ below). Prior participants often note how much participating in 3MT helped them to consolidate and clearly communicate their research ideas.
Each Australian university sends a university champion to the Asia-Pacific final. At La Trobe, we select our 3MT champion through a series of finals at the School and University level.
2023 3MT University Championship
The 2023 competition winner and People’s Choice on Friday 1st of September, was won by La Trobe Rural Health School PhD candidate Nesa Aurlene Jayadhas with their presentation 'Developing a behaviour change intervention to promote oral health among older people living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in rural Victoria'. Nesa will move on to represent La Trobe at the 2023 Asia-Pacific 3MT Finals.
The 2023 runner-up winner was PhD candidate Brandon Victor from the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Science with their presentation 'Detecting and describing plants from space with Satellite Images and Artificial Intelligence.'
Competition structure
The School heats are coordinated at School level. Given the wide range of school structures, there is some variation in how and when these are organised, but they all follow the same rules and judging criteria. Additionally, some Departments may choose to hold practice sessions or heats in the lead up to the School final. Please contact your School's Director of Graduate Research (DGR) for further information on dates and registration details.
The University Championship, coordinated by the Graduate Research School, is the final stage of the competition at La Trobe. The winner is awarded a major prize is selected to compete in the Asia-Pacific competition, held by the University of Queensland.
Support and coaching
Public presentation can be daunting for some, but it is a skill that is increasingly required for graduate researchers. The RED team provides a range of supports including:
- a self-paced 3MT development module
- tailored 3MT workshops at School level
- one-to-one coaching
- presentation skills workshops, advertised in the RED workshop schedule.
Eligibility
The 3MT is open to PhD and Professional Doctorate (Research) candidates who have successfully passed their confirmation milestone (including candidates whose thesis is under submission) by the date of their first presentation in the competition. Graduates are not eligible.
Your Professional Doctorate (Research) must be composed of at least 2/3 research and be funded via the Research Training Scheme (for Australian students). Master's by research and Professional Doctorate (coursework) candidates are not eligible for the Asia-Pacific 3MT® competition.
Note: For the La Trobe competition, Masters by research and pre-confirmation PhD and Professional Doctorate (Research) candidates who are active in their program can participate in the 3MT® competition at School level, at the discretion of each School.
Prizes
Generous prizes are on offer in the 3MT competition. The Graduate Research School provides $4,000 in research support funds to the winner, and $2,000 to the runner-up of the University Championship. There is also a ‘peoples’ choice’ award valued at $500.
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter in this years competition if I competed last year?
Absolutely. There is no limit to the number of times you can enter: many of our past finalists for the La Trobe Championship have entered twice or even three times before winning. And while being successful in the competition is nice, the idea is that you use 3MT to advance your skills and your confidence in presenting your research to diverse audiences.
What if I'm not a confirmed candidate?
While 3MT is a fantastic skill-building activity, a way to clarify what your research is about, not to mention a great experience, we don't want it to get in the way of progress on your thesis.
If you have not yet been confirmed in candidature you can enter at the School level; however, if you win or place, you will not be able to be in the competition. But next year is looking good!
What can the prize funds be spent on?
The grants for winners and runners-up of the University finals are to be spent on research-support and/or research-related travel.
Rules
- A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations or 'movement' 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 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
At every level of the competition each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below.
Please note: 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 provided clear positionality of the presenter to the research and research approach.
- 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.
A note on positionality: positionality is the disclosure of how someone identifies, their experiences, their privileges etc and how those things exert influence on their research. This is something that most presenters may raise in the natural course of describing why/how they have engaged with their research topic.