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Three Minute Thesis® Competition

Three Minute Thesis® Competition

About 3MT

The Three Minute Thesis® (3MT) was founded by The University of Queensland in 2008.

Competitions are now held at over 900 institutions in 80 countries.

Students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance. 3MT is not an exercise in trivializing or ‘dumbing-down' research but challenges students to consolidate their ideas and research discoveries so they can be presented concisely to a non-specialist audience.

Three Minute Thesis® Rules & Registration Process

The 2026 Ohio University Three Minute Thesis® competition will have a different format than in years past.

  1. Students will attend a preliminary workshop, organized by the Graduate College, that will set expectations for competitors and field questions.
  2. Students will then participate in an initial round organized by their home college, competing against other students within their college.
  3. Colleges will then submit five finalists each to the Graduate College. Finalists will submit their static PowerPoint slide to a OneDrive folder and compete against the whole of Ohio University on March 4th, 2026, from 4-7:30 pm, in the Baker Theater.

Rules for College Level Rounds and Finals

  • A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description, 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 on the spot. Presentations are timed, and the timer will be in the view of the presenter.
  • 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 movement (motioning to the time keeper) or speech.
  • The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Accommodations can be made for students with disabilities. Contact Nathan Blackburn at blackburnn@ohio.edu

Awards for Final Placements

All award amounts are generously donated to the Graduate College through Dr. René Paulson, the President and Senior Statistician at Elite Research, LLC and a graduate of Ohio University.

1st place in the Three Minute Thesis® finals will receive $2,000.

2nd place in the Three Minute Thesis® finals will receive $1,000.

3rd place in the Three Minute Thesis® finals will receive $500.

There are also two Audience Choice awards that all audience members in attendance will vote on after all presenters have finished and the judging panel deliberates on placement. These amount to $100 each and will be given to one doctoral student and one master's student. They CAN stack on 1st-3rd placement awards.

Judging Criteria

Comprehension & Content

  • Did the presentation:
    • Provide an understanding of the background of the research question being addressed and its significance?
    • Clearly describe the key results of the research including conclusions and outcomes?
    • Follow a clear and logical sequence?
  • Were the thesis topic, key results and research significance and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
  • Did the presenter:
    • Avoid scientific jargon?
    • Explain the terminology?
    • Provide adequate background information to illustrate points?
  • Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of the presentation, or did he or she elaborate for too long on one aspect, or was the presentation rushed?

Engagement

  • Did the oration make the audience want to know more? Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize the research?
  • Did the presenter:
    • Convey enthusiasm for the research?
    • Capture and maintain the audience’s attention?
    • 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?

Eligibility to Compete

Any doctoral candidate enrolled at Ohio University that has been admitted to candidacy (e.g., passed comprehensive exams) and whose culminating project is a research-based dissertation. The student must be enrolled in at least .5 credit hours during the semester in which the competition takes place.

Any master's candidate enrolled at Ohio University that has completed significant work toward his or her culminating project. The student must be enrolled in at least .5 credit hours during the semester in which the competition takes place.

Students must also indicate that they have attended a required preliminary workshop BEFORE their college level round.

Registration 

Registration will open on the morning of Friday, January 16, 2026.

Please note that, within the registration link, you will need to a.) indicate which one of the required Graduate College preliminary workshops you will attend, b.) commit to your college level first round of competition, and c.) indicate that you will be able to attend the finals on March 4, 2026, should you be chosen to advance.

Recorded Presentations

Preparing your Slide

To help you prepare your slide, watch a short video prepared by Sean McGraw, the 2016 Ohio University Three Minute Thesis® Competition winner.

Prepare Your 3MT Slide

2025 Placements

A group of people standing in a hallway

From L-R: Jorge Castillo, Faith Knutsen, Julia Tennant, David Koonce, Prothama Manna, Steve Patterson, Nisha Singh, Zachary Tayler, Nida Ajmal, Zhuldyz Zhigulina, Alexia Tasoula

Nisha Singh, Physics & Astronomy: 1st Place and People's Choice (Recreating the Cosmos on Earth)

Prothama Manna, Biological Sciences: 2nd Place ("Zoo gone wild"- Predicting the Fate of the Invasive Hippo Population)

Julia Tennant, Biological Sciences: 3rd Place and People's Choice (Regulatory Role of sRNA, Teg41 on Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis)

Jorge Castillo, Communication Arts: Finalist (Large-Scale Immersive Pollinator Sculpture and Exhibit: Reconnecting youth with nature in Native Appalachian Forests)

Zachary Tayler, History: Finalist (Normalization of Diplomatic Relations between the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 1975-1995)

Nida Ajmal, Translational Biomedical Sciences: Finalist (Diras: a Novel Regulator of Glucose Metabolism and Pancreatic Islet Survival)

Zhuldyz Zhigulina, Chemical Engineering: Finalist (H2S/CO2 Corrosion of Mild Steel at High Temperature)

Alexia Tasoula, Translational Biomedical Sciences: Finalist (The Role of MKX in Insulin Resistance)

 

Three people posing for the camera with certificates

Nisha Singh went on the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools 3MT competition and won People's Choice!

2024 Placements

 

A group of people standing in a hallway, three holding large checks

Christopher Walsh, Translational Biomedical Sciences: 1st Place (An Osteopathic Approach to Cancer Biology)

Emily Davis, Molecular and Cellular Biology: 2nd Place: (Growth hormone receptor antagonism as novel combination therapy for urothelial carcinoma)

Bright Kontor Osei, Fine Arts: 3rd Place and Master's People's Choice: (People of Ghana Art Exhibition)

Arshad Ahmad, Translational Biomedical Sciences: Doctoral People's Choice: (Growth Hormone Receptor Antagonism Markedly Improve Chemotherapy Efficacy Against Human Lung Cancer)

All remaining finalists:

Venkat Sai Akash Pamarthy, Communication Media Arts: (Sikh Ohio)

Shrirang Deshmukh, Engineering: (Effect of Oxygen on Corrosion in the Oil and Gas Industry)

Kushal Singla, Engineering: (Insights into Corrosion Inhibition)

Joseph Derkin, Molecular and Cellular Biology: (Where did These Cells Come From?)