Updated: Sun, 10/06/2024 - 10:30

From Saturday, Oct. 5 through Monday, Oct. 7, the Downtown and Macdonald Campuses will be open only to McGill students, employees and essential visitors. Many classes will be held online. Remote work required where possible. See Campus Public Safety website for details.


Du samedi 5 octobre au lundi 7 octobre, le campus du centre-ville et le campus Macdonald ne seront accessibles qu’aux étudiants et aux membres du personnel de l’Université McGill, ainsi qu’aux visiteurs essentiels. De nombreux cours auront lieu en ligne. Le personnel devra travailler à distance, si possible. Voir le site Web de la Direction de la protection et de la prévention pour plus de détails.

Lister Family Engaged Science Three Minute Thesis Competition Rules

The Lister Family Engaged Science Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition is open to all Master’s and Doctoral students from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Competitors present in English only. 

The following are rules and regulations established by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies.

Rules

  • 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 must commence from and remain on the stage.
  • Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
  • 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.
  • The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Judging

Judges should be selected from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. They evaluate each competitor on the following categories:

​​Communication

  • Did the presenter use non-verbal communication (i.e. eye contact, voice modulation, body language) effectively?
  • Did the presenter use language and terminology that was clear, jargon-free, and understandable to a general audience?
  • Did the presentation follow a logical sequence?
  • Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation? Did they elaborate for too long on one aspect, or did the presentation feel rushed?

Comprehension

  • Did the talk help you to understand the scholarly research being undertaken?
  • Did the presenter clearly outline the nature and purpose of their research?
  • Did the presenter clearly indicate the fascinating or compelling aspects of their research?
  • Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background and significance to the research question being addressed?
  • Did the presentation clearly describe the impact and/or results of the research, including conclusions and outcomes

Engagement

  • Was the talk engaging?
  • Did the presenter capture and maintain the audience's attention?
  • Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their work?
  • Was the presenter careful not to trivialise or generalise their research?
  • Did the talk inspire you to want to know more?
  • Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation - was it clear, legible, and concise?

    Prizes

    The judges determine the winners for 1rst place, 2nd place, and 3rd place. The audience selects their favourite by casting a vote for the People’s Choice Award during the live event. Thanks to the generous support of the Lister Family Engaged Science Initiative, their will be a cash prize for each of the 4 winners.

    Schedule

    September - October: Call for applicants
    October - November: Training for all competitors
    November: 3MT Competition

    Training Program

    The training program includes a 3-part workshop series, a group coaching session, as well as optional individual coaching sessions to help students prepare for the competition. All the training is provided through the Office of Student Academic Services.

    McGill's 3MT/MT180

    In the Winter Semester, McGill University holds the 3-Minute Thesis Competion (English) and Ma thèse en 180 secondes (French). This McGill competition is open to all Master’s and Doctoral students. Winners in the final competition represent McGill at the CAGS (Canadian Association of Graduate Studies) 3MT Eastern regional finals and concours Acfas (Association francophone pour le savoir) Ma thèse en 180 secondes. Learn more about McGill's 3MT/MT180

    History of the 3MT

    Created by Professor Alan Lawson at the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2008, the 3MT celebrates exciting and innovative graduate student research while promoting communication, public speaking, and storytelling skills. The competition offers an exciting and thought-provoking opportunity for graduate students, forcing them to consolidate their ideas and crystalize their research discoveries. Presenting in a 3MT competition increases the capacity of graduate students to effectively explain their research in a clear and concise manner, and in a language appropriate to a general audience. The competitions are open to the public and advertised within the community, which enables students to showcase their research across disciplines within the university and to the broader public. 

    This program is automatically recognized on your McGill co-curricular record (CCR),  a document recognizing students' learning outside the classroom. Learn more about the CCR

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