Three minutes to win it

Graduate level researchers know their own research topics inside and out. But how difficult is it to cut out the jargon and explain a thesis to an audience unfamiliar with the field?

That was the challenge of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, organized by GradProSkills and held at Concordia University for the first time April 12.

“It was complicated,” says Damien Biot-Pelletier, whose three minute thesis, Carburer au bran de scie grâce à une super levure, won him the opportunity to represent Concordia at the PhD level at the 2012 Congres de l’Acfas, hosted by the Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas).

“I spent most of my time trying to come up with a text that would be concise and easy to understand; that wouldn’t assume too much prior knowledge without dumbing things down,” Biot-Pelletier continues. “I had to trim it and trim it and trim it again.” 

The 3MT Competition originated at the University of Queensland in 2008 and, after catching on in Australia and New Zealand, has now come to Quebec and Canada. Participating Graduate students have three minutes to present their research, with the aid of a single visual slide that is both clear and engaging.

“The 3MT format requires that students distill and communicate the complexities of their work in an accessible manner and in that way helps to foster strong communication skills,” explains Graham Carr, interim vice-president of Research and Graduate Studies and the dean of Graduate Studies. “The competition also provides a fun way for students in different areas to learn about each other’s work, and for the wider university community to gain exposure to some of the exicting and diverse research being undertaken by graduate students.

“The quality was very impressive, as was the wide range of research topics covered,” Carr continues, “from bioengineering to women and democracy, to deforestation, to cool cities, and smart technology for urban planning.”

Watch the video about the 3MT competition at Concordia:

Twenty-three students participated in Thursday’s competition; nine master’s students and 14 PhD students. Participants were judged on three main criteria: communication style, comprehensibility and engagement.

Of the 23 participating graduate students, there were five winners and two runners-up. 

“It was a pleasure to win the prize for the French presenter,” says Thomas Bourdier, whose winning thesis, Résultat de la défoliation par la tordeuse des bourgeons de l’épinette, means he will represent Concordia at the master level at the 2012 Congres de l’Acfas alongside Biot-Pelletier. “It wasn't really important for me but it is interesting to know that you did make it understandable and interesting for other people.”

“Winning the award was so cool and such a gratifying experience,” says Carole El Ayoubi, whose presentation Now Leaving at Gate 6! won her the People’s Choice Award and a $250 gift card for the Concordia Bookstores. “It mostly helped me gain more confidence in my communication and presentation skills, something I'm not usually confident about.”

The other winners took home a $750 conference travel support award from the School of Graduate Studies which will allow them to present their research at a conference of their choice, related to their field of study.

“I definitely needed this financial support,” says Mona Tajali, who won for the doctoral and postdoctoral group with The Rise of Women in “Malestream” Politics in the Muslim World. “For August I have put together a panel in Istanbul, Turkey, at an international conference. Needless to say, I was very worried about financing it, but now this award helps.”

So will this competition become an annual event at Concordia?

“Yes,” says Carr. “In fact, we will likely expand the format to first have Faculty or research-area specific competitions with the winners being chosen to participate in a campus-wide event such as the one we held on Thursday.”

See the full list of Concordia winners.

Related links:
•  “Bridging the Skills Gaps” – NOW, February 1, 2012
•  “Ready, set, present!” – NOW, April 11, 2012 
•  “Q and A with a Contender” – NOW, April 12, 2012 
•  “A year's research in three minutes or less” – NOW, February 14, 2012
•  GradProSkills