UW Virtual Three Minute Thesis 2021
Eligibility Criteria | Event | Theme | Timeline | Prizes | Proposal Submission Guidelines | Proposal Selection Criteria | Past Winners | FAQs | Contact
About
UW 3MT® is a professional development competition that celebrates the exciting capstone and research experiences of master’s and doctoral students at the University of Washington from all three campuses. The competition supports graduate students’ capacity to effectively explain their research or capstone project in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a public audience. This event is a partnership between Core Programs—Office of Graduate Student Affairs in The Graduate School and the UW Libraries Research Commons.
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition originally developed by the University of Queensland, Australia.
This year’s prize awards total $5,000! Many thanks to Bruce and Joanne Montgomery for their generous sponsorship.
Send questions to uw3mt@uw.edu
2021 Winners
Congratulations to the following graduate students for winning prizes in this year’s virtual 3MT Competition!
- First Place ($2,500) – Beth Halsne, doctoral student in Rehabilitation Science & master’s student in Mechanical Engineering
- Runner Up ($1,500) – Jackie Otting, master’s student in Education (Learning Science & Human Development)
- People’s Choice ($1,000) – Arianne Caudal, doctoral student in Biochemistry
We recognize all of the outstanding presenters who also competed this year! Download their bios.
Watch the livestream recording on YouTube. This event was held online on April 22, 2021, 4:30 pm – 6 pm.
Theme
Equity is the theme for this year’s UW Three Minute Thesis. We define equity as a process that includes practices, frameworks, policies, models, and innovations that ensure that everyone has access to resources and opportunities in order to thrive and be included in society. We know that graduate and professional students are making significant contributions to the work of equity within their fields and disciplines, their communities, and across national and international levels.
Have you unearthed a critical aspect of history related to equity that needs to be told? Developed a new strategy or technology to address a community’s lack of access to resources? Are you engaged in health disparities or survivorship research? These are just a few examples. As long as your project relates to the theme of equity, we want to see your proposal!
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT, you must meet the following criteria:
- You are a University of Washington master’s or doctoral student from any UW campus.
- You have a draft of your final project (e.g. capstone, thesis, or dissertation), including findings and conclusions.
- Only one member of a capstone project team may submit a proposal. If the proposal is selected, the same student who submitted the proposal must be the presenter.
- Your degree will be granted to you no earlier than Spring 2021.
3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit a proposal to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.
Timeline
| Competition Process | Date, Time & Location |
| Submission Deadline | March 17 by 11:59 p.m. |
| Finalist Notifications | No later than March 31 |
| Online Practice Sessions (required) | April 12 to April 16 |
| Online Final Rehearsals | April 19, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. |
| Online 3MT Competition | April 22, 4:30 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. |
Prizes
At the 3MT Competition, a panel of external judges will select one winner for First Place and a Runner Up. A People’s Choice winner will be voted on by the audience.
Cash prizes will be awarded, totaling $5,000! Many thanks to Bruce and Joanne Montgomery for their generous sponsorship.
Proposal Submission Guidelines
The proposal submission includes three components: a capstone/research project summary, a description of how the project is invested in the work of equity, and a brief video presentation.
The proposal submission deadline was Wednesday, March 17 by 11:59 p.m.
Capstone or Research Project Summary
In 300 words or less, please describe your capstone or research project for a general reader (without discipline-specific jargon or technical language).
Your summary:
– Must be concise and coherent
– Does not include a lot of disciplinary jargon
– Is understandable to a general, public audience
Equity
We are featuring Equity as the theme for this year’s 3MT competition. In 300 words or less, please describe how your capstone or research project is invested in the work of equity.
Video Presentation
Record a brief video presentation of yourself (just you talking, no need for additional images). Video presentations should not exceed 3 minutes. Upload your video on a video sharing website like Youtube or Vimeo. If you only want your video accessible to proposal reviewers, we recommend setting your online video to private, but shareable via a password-protected link.
In your video, please respond to each of these prompts as if you were speaking to a general audience (not from your discipline):
– Why are you enthusiastic or passionate about your capstone or research project?
– Tell us about how your project is invested in the work of equity (see Theme section).
Submitting Your Proposal
The proposal submission deadline was Wednesday, March 17 by 11:59 p.m.
Proposal Selection Criteria
Successful proposals for UW 3MT are based on the following criteria:
Capstone or Research Project Summary
– Is the capstone or research project summary concise and 300 words or less?
– Does the summary include a lot of disciplinary jargon?
– Is the summary understandable to a general, public audience?
Equity
– Does the proposal include how the capstone or research project is invested in the work of equity in 300 words or less?
Video Presentation
– Does the student address why they are enthusiastic or passionate about their project?
– Does the student describe how their capstone or research project is invested in the work of equity?
– Does the student avoid disciplinary jargon?
Past Winners
2020
Event cancelled
2019
- First Place
Barbara Rodriguez Droguett, doctoral student in Built Environment - Runner Up
Junyue Cao, doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology - People’s Choice
Junyue Cao, doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
2018
- First Place
Amey Khanolkar, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering - Runner Up
Evan Schuster, master’s student in Mechanical Engineering - People’s Choice
Amey Khanolkar, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
2017
- First Place
Molly Grear, doctoral student in Civil & Environmental Engineering - Runner Up
Gabby Barsh, doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology - People’s Choice
Zheng Li, doctoral student in Bioengineering
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens on 3MT Competition Day?
UW Virtual 3MT Competition
April 22, 2021, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
In front of an online general audience and a panel of judges, up to 15 presenters will each compete by doing a three-minute presentation for First Place, Runner Up, and People’s Choice.
Who is eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT?
To be eligible to submit a proposal, you must meet the following criteria:
- You are a University of Washington master’s or doctoral student from any UW campus.
- You have a draft of your final project (e.g. capstone, thesis, or dissertation), including findings and conclusions.
- Only one member of a capstone project team may submit a proposal. If the proposal is selected, the same student who submitted the proposal must be the presenter.
- Your degree will be granted to you no earlier than Spring 2021.
3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit proposals to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.
What is allowed on my 3MT slide?
One single static PowerPoint slide is permitted.
In preparing the slide, remember that ‘less is more.’ It does not have to include text. Visual cues are very effective in assisting the presenter’s explanation of their research. (No slide transitions or animations are permitted).
Can I use sound or video files?
No additional electronic media (e.g. sound, music, and video files) is permitted during the competition.
Is there a dress code?
Business formal or casual is suggested. Costumes are not allowed.
Can I have props (a 3D printed model, a soccer ball, a microscope, etc.)?
No.
Can I win in more than one category?
Yes, it is possible to win a place (First or Runner Up) and also win the People’s Choice Award.
Who will be in the audience?
The virtual audience is often a mix of graduate students, faculty, staff, and University leadership. There will also be supporters of graduate education in attendance online, as well as presenters’ family and community members.
Contact
Send questions or comments to uw3mt@uw.edu.