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What is 3MT®?

What is 3MT®, Why is it Beneficial, How is it Judged, and How to Prepare

THE THREE MINUTE THESIS 3MT® COMPETITION AT MICROWAVE WEEK 2020

What is 3MT®?

The Three Minute Thesis 3MT® competition, developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, in 2008, (see https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/) “cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. The competition supports their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.”

In three minutes or less, using only one static slide, and no other props, contestants deliver their presentation to a panel of non-specialist judges. These judges rank the contestants, based on how engaging, accessible, and compelling they made their presentation. A candidate who goes overtime is disqualified.

Since its inception, the 3MT® competition has grown to include more than 600 universities across more than 65 countries worldwide.

Here, for example, is “Double rotor motor” by McMaster University engineering student Teng Guo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKCwewMKcg8

Links to Videos from Previous Microwave Week 3MT® Competitions

On the MTT-S IMS YouTube channel you can find videos selected from the inaugural IMS2017 3MT® Competition:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVXVJvkEq8EVV2hq1Lw8JmAQn_FWPaAfL

from the IMS2018 3MT® Competition:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVXVJvkEq8EXJ3aaLLUV2KJRiW326nZQ5

from the IMS2019 3MT® Competition:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVXVJvkEq8EX8PbpHl7WzJSp8YHZj21yw

How is 3MT® being adapted for Microwave Week 2020?

Going beyond the scope of academia, the proposed 3MT® competition for Microwave Week 2020:

  • Requires that participants have received their first professional degree no more than 15 years prior to the date of the competition
  • Is open to young and aspiring professionals, including students and postdoctoral fellows.
  • Requires authorship or co-authorship of a paper accepted for and presented at Microwave Week 2020 (in IMS, RFIC, or ARFTG) as the principal gateway for entry to the competition.
  • Requires, for further evaluation following paper acceptance, submission of a 30-second video to the 3MT® committee.
  • Limits any accepted contestant to speak only once, with no substitutions.
  • Caps the total number of contestants (maximum to be decided).

How is the Microwave Week 2020 3MT® being adapted for the virtual format?

Please be aware that in this unprecedented format of presentation, our candidates and organizers took pains to ensure the best quality of presentation over a virtual medium---one that is still fraught with technical and physical limitations, surprises, and wrong assumptions.

Following multiple group and individual Zoom meetings, rehearsal and problem-solving opportunities, presentations were finally recorded “live” during time-limited, individual video sessions over Zoom by the competition organizers. The resulting videos are edited only for file size and to be placed in a common template.

The organizers were not looking for the fruits of a 'video contest' by candidates. We hold that the spirit of 3MT is best captured by a 'live' and, as far as possible, single-shot, unedited presentation accompanied by one static slide.

Why is participating in the Microwave Week 2020 3MT® beneficial to your career?

Developing the skills necessary to distil highly complex, technical material into a form accessible to the non-specialist has become popular worldwide for students within universities that have adopted the 3MT® competition. Such skills become lifetime assets for the career advancement of any professional. Once such skills are mastered, namely, clarity of communication without oversimplifying or resorting to jargon, and the ability to engage a diverse audience with authenticity and enthusiasm, these skills are transferrable to virtually any professional career path.

Broad goals of the Microwave Week 2020 3MT® competition:

The Microwave Week 2020 3MT® competition is designed to stimulate interest in the wide range of applications of microwave technology. Such information would help renew the public’s interest in microwaves as a transformative technology that is rewarding both to those who study it, and to those whose daily lives benefit from incorporation of scientific developments in consumer products.

Goals Include:

  • Developing for the general public a suite of video-taped, award-winning 3-minute microwave-oriented presentations by passionate and articulate younger members of MTT-S.
  • Persuading general audiences of the importance to humanity of microwaves and related technical fields.
  • Showcasing the human element of individual members of our Society.

These goals should go a long way to attracting high-school students, undergraduates, and women to our profession.

The Prizes:

While recognizing the top 4 ranked contestants, it is planned to award cash prizes to the top three, and to the Audience Choice winner.

The Rules:

The 3MT® rules and judging criteria as formulated by the University of Queensland follow. See 
https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/resources/competition-rules

For the extended rules and guidelines for the Microwave Week 2020 3MT® Competition see Microwave Week 2020 3MT® Competition 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:

See: https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/resources/judging-criteria

Judges will not penalize candidates for issues related to internet bandwidth, camera resolution, microphone quality, the presence/absence of a 'virtual background', and other technical limitations.

Comprehension & Content:

  • Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed, while explaining terminology and avoiding jargon?
  • Did the presentation clearly describe the key results of the research including conclusions and outcomes?
  • Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
  • Was the thesis topic, key results and research significance and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
  • Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation—or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect or was the presentation rushed? 

Engagement & Communication:

  • Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
  • Was the presenter careful not to trivialise or generalise their research?
  • Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
  • Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience's attention?
  • Did the speaker 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?

Preparation & Links:

McMaster University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering:
2018 3MT® Competition:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsf_1-s90Gw4HXYkieLz3KOHFsAcRuusu
2019 3MT® Competition:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHmi3kew-kaGL6ldWd1xEQx-GEZw5k52t

3MT® presentations from around the world: https://threeminutethesis.uq.edu.au/watch-3mt

10 Hints for Improving Presentations for the Three Minute Thesis (3MT ™) Competition https://grad.uwo.ca/doc/recruitment_retention/3MT_hints.pdf

Making the Most of Your Three Minutes:
https://grad.uwo.ca/doc/recruitment_retention/3MT_guide.pdf

How to Sell Your Thesis (in Three Minutes or Less): https://thesiswhisperer.com/2010/07/01/how-to-sell-your-thesis-in-3-minutes-or-less/

If I Am To Speak Ten Minutes, I Need a Week for Preparation; If an Hour, I Am Ready Now: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/03/01/short-speech/

Workshops and Articles:

J.W. Bandler, “Effective presentations,” Professional Session: Preparing and Presenting Papers for MTT-S Journals and Conferences, IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp., San Francisco, CA, May 25, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gh9m4Vn-zs

J.W. Bandler, “You, you slides and your posters: allies or foes,” Public Seminar, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Nov. 4, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtSTppBXbPg

John Bandler and Ana Kovacevic, “Clear, brief, engaging: your thesis in three minutes,” Public Seminar, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, January 24, 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Vv5XKHHlg

J.W. Bandler, E.M. Kiley, and A. Kovacevic, “The art of effectively communicating complex, highly technical work in three minutes,” IEEE MTT-S Webinar, March 28, 2017. https://t.co/iCsHW8vnRm

J.W. Bandler and E.M. Kiley, “In the first few blinks of an eye: the basics of engaging presentations,” IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 112-114, March/April 2017. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=7843707

J.W. Bandler and E.M. Kiley, “Brevity, clarity, engagement: the IMS2017 Three Minute Thesis competition,” IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 18, no.3, pp. 85-87, May 2017. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=7893030

J.W. Bandler and E.M. Kiley, “The clarity of hindsight: the first ever IMS Three Minute Thesis competition,” IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 116-123, Jan./Feb. 2018. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=8186389

J.W. Bandler, E.M. Kiley, and D. Tajik, “Communicating your highly technical work to non-specialists in three short minutes,” IEEE MTT-S Webinar, March 13, 2018. Available on demand. https://goo.gl/AM1ZUA

J.W. Bandler and E.M. Kiley, “Moving forward with clarity: the second IMS 3MT competition,” IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 59-60, May 2018.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=8331328

J.W. Bandler, E.M. Kiley, and D. Tajik, “Engaging your non-specialist, non-technical listener in just three minutes,” IEEE MTT-S Webinar, March 26, 2019. Available on demand. https://goo.gl/UeqLpG

J.W. Bandler, E.M. Kiley, and R. Ma, “Our third IMS Three Minute Thesis competition,” IEEE Microwave Magazine, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 49-50, April 2018.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=8661639