Coimbra Group 3 - Minute -Thesis Competition 2025 - University of Siena

Mercoledì, 19 Marzo, 2025 - 14:30
Coimbra Group 3-Minute-Thesis Competition 2025 – University of Siena

The 3-Minute-Thesis Competition (3MT) is an academic competition in which PhD students present their research results to a general audience in less than three minutes.

 

The 3MT challenge celebrates the exciting research conducted by PhD students, while challenging their capacity to effectively explain their achievements in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Further information on the 3MT competition can be found in this webpage:

 

If you completed your PhD program in 2024, you are invited to participate, provided you do not discuss your thesis before March 19, 2025 (2.30 p.m.)

 

 

The competition is divided in two phases.

 

Phase 1: local 3MT competition at the University of Siena

 

Among all the participants, 10 candidates will be selected by a jury composed by members of the International Relations Committee.

The 10 finalists will participate in the first 3MT Unisi live event, which will take place on March 19, 2025 (2.30 p.m.) in Auditorium Santa Chiara Lab (via Valdimontone, 1 – Siena)

At the end of the live event, the best presentation will be selected.

 

Phase 2: Coimbra Group 3MT Competition Final 

 

The video of the winning presentation will be sent to an independent Coimbra Group jury. This jury nominates three contestants among the local winners of all the universities participating in the Coimbra Group 3MT competition. The three contestants will be invited to participate to the 3MT Competition final, which will take place on June 12, 2025 at the University of Bologna.

 

Rules of the Competition

  • 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

The following criteria shall be applied in the local events, the initial procedure to determine the finalists as well as in the finals.

Comprehension and content

  • Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question.
  • 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.

In judging the presentations, it should be understood that scholarly and scientific research is at the core of the activity. Thus, the findings, results and the evidence for it must play a significant role in the presentation. Mere claims and overstatements of any kind regarding the scientific findings and their consequences or relevance must be avoided.

 

 

Eligibility

The 3MT is about communicating research results, not mere research plans. Therefore, active doctoral researchers (i.e. prior to thesis defense, no graduates) are eligible to participate if and only if they have already achieved substantial research results that can and have to be presented in the presentation. Presentations not reporting tangible results will be excluded from participation by the technical jury. Thus the target group consists of doctoral candidates in the last year of their thesis. Graduates are not eligible.

 

Golden rules:

  • Highlight the outcomes of your research.
  • Avoid overstatements.
  • Avoid trivialisation.

 

More information about the 3MT Competition and examples of presentations in past editions can be found in these webpages: