Time is precious and so is our research
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an international competition celebrating the remarkable research undertaken by PhD candidates.
This competition offers a unique opportunity to nurture research communication skills, empowering candidates to effectively explain their research to a diverse audience beyond their field of expertise….in just 3 minutes.
Presented by the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies and The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, the 2025 UniSA 3MT Grand Final will be held on Thursday, 4th September at 6:00pm in the Allan Scott Auditorium.
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.
UniSA 3 Minute Thesis Finalists for 2024
Amanda Kelly
UniSA: Creative
“Designing for Equity in Education”
Elizabeth Wells
UniSA: STEM
“Bibliotherapy: Helping cancer patients feel better through books”
Elaine Nash
UniSA: Business
“Disability Not Inability: My Workplace Rules”
Eddie Hypolite
UniSA: Education Futures
“The Role of Teachers in Creating Racially Inclusive Secondary Schools”
Aayushi Notra
UniSA: Clinical and Health Sciences
“From Data to Discovery: New Steps in the Fight Against Neuroblastoma”
Sarah McMullen-Roach
UniSA: Allied Health and Human Performance
“Shining a light on the invisibility of LGBTI+ people in aged care”
2024 Winners
Congratulations to all of our finalists. Our 2024 winners are:
Sarah McMullen-Roach - 1st place
UniSA: Allied Health and Human Performance
“Shining a light on the invisibility of LGBTI+ people in aged care”
Aayushi Notra - 2nd place
UniSA: Clinical and Health Sciences
“From Data to Discovery: New Steps in the Fight Against Neuroblastoma”
Edmund Hypolite - People's Choice
UniSA: Education Futures
“The Role of Teachers in Creating Racially Inclusive Secondary Schools”
Hear from past participants
Participating in 3MT was an invaluable experience. It helped hone my communication skills and allowed me to connect with other participants in a collaborative environment. Even though we were competing, there was a sense of camaraderie and mutual support that made it feel like we were all in it together. One valuable aspect is learning to convey complex ideas in a concise and accessible manner. Another is the exposure which has helped raise my profile and could lead to new collaboration and funding opportunities. I would highly recommend 3MT to anyone looking to improve their communication skills and gain visibility for their research.
Participating in UniSA's 3MT is one of the biggest highlights of my PhD journey. It was a great experience to be able to efficiently share my research with people outside of my field. 3MT has also helped boost my confidence, particularly in sharing and presenting my research. And I got to meet a wonderful group of fellow 3MTers! Overall, I really enjoyed my 3MT experience - with two big takeaways in my research journey being sharing and listening.
The 3MT has been a major highlight of my PhD studies - and not just because I won the $3000 prize! It was fantastic to meet other students and hear about their inspirational projects. Getting honest feedback from other students allowed me to clearly articulate what my project is about and why I think other people should care about it too. The competition is great for pushing you out of your comfort zone for public speaking and proving to yourself that you can do it. Finally, I'm just back from a research field trip to New York funded by my winnings. What an amazing opportunity!
Participating in the 3MT competition was an amazing experience for me during my PhD journey. It was difficult to condense the complex concepts of my 3 years of research into a straight-to-the-point presentation within 3 minutes. But it helped me to gain more confidence in public speaking and gave me a chance to realise the big-picture impact of my work. I also had the opportunity to interact with other PhD students from different disciplines and learn about their exciting projects. I really enjoyed the whole process and I think it’s worth a try!
