Three Minute Thesis competition
Discover the Three Minute Thesis Competition with the University of Plymouth
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, and its success has established a range of local and national competitions in several countries.
About the competition
The competition challenges doctoral students from any discipline to give a compelling spoken presentation about their research and its significance – in just three minutes.
One single, static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No additional electronic media or props are allowed. Competitors exceeding three minutes will be disqualified. The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.
A panel of judges assesses each presentation against the below criteria, giving each one a score out of 30 points (ten points per section):
- Communication style: was the thesis topic and its significance communicated in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience?
- Comprehension: did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
- Engagement: did the oration make the audience want to know more?
3MT at the University of Plymouth
Entries for the University's 2026 3MT competition are open – you can take a look at our previous winners' entries below.
Enquiries can be emailed to researchskills@plymouth.ac.uk.
Eligibility requirements
- Current University of Plymouth research students (PhD, Professional Doctorate, MPhil and Research Masters). Please note: The best 3MT presentation by a Plymouth PhD or Professional Doctorate student will be entered into the UK 3MT competition for 2026. MPhil and Research Masters students are eligible only for the University of Plymouth competition.
Entry details
- 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 speech).
- 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 considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.
- The decision of the adjudicating panel and audience vote is final.
- Competition entries close on 26 May 2026. Entries and enquiries email: julia.crocker@plymouth.ac.uk.
Competition voting
University of Plymouth postgraduate research students and staff will be invited by email to vote for the 2026 Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT).
Judging will take place via Moodle from 1-7 June 2026, together with an online audience vote. The winners will be announced on 8 June 2026.
To enter please share via email your pre-recorded video together with your name, school, presentation title and 1 PowerPoint slide to julia.crocker@plymouth.ac.uk in the Research Skills team.
Three Minute Thesis winners
Watch the presentations of previous University of Plymouth Three Minute Thesis (3MT) winners.
1 / 11
Lauren Hallewell – 2025 winner
Smiles in Sync: Dietitians and Dental Professionals Supporting Healthy Growth and Teeth
2 / 11
Prashanti Eachempati – 2024 winner
Seeing from the patients view! Uncertainties in Oral health decisions
6 / 11
Llucia Mascorda Cabre – 2020 winner
Environmental impacts and sustainability of an offshore mussel farm
8 / 11
Emily Churchill – 2018 winner
HANGRY FLIES: The effect of food distribution on aggression
9 / 11
Omar Al-Hafith – 2017 winner
Towards a Novel Housing Solution for Iraq - An appropriate and thermally efficient housing design for Iraq
