3-Minute Thesis

3MT develops research communication skills, especially the ability to effectively explain research in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. This is a very critical skill for effective communication during job interviews.

The 3 Minute Thesis Challenge invites the IEEE Graduate Students at universities throughout IEEE Region 5 to compete. The teams must submit their Intent to Compete form to be eligible to compete.

• Team Size: 1 student
• Maximum number of teams: 50

Teams are selected from the submitted pool on a first come first served basis. Selected teams will be notified to register for the R5 conference and participate in the competition. Team substitutions are at the discretion of the competition chair.

The first team from a school to submit an Intent to Compete form will be given preference and subsequent teams from that school submitting an Intent to Compete form will be waitlisted.

There will be 3 rounds held in the competition:

1. Preliminaries: Students will submit a recorded video of their presentation. Up to 32 students will be selected for the semifinals.
2. Semifinals: Students will make their presentation in person at the 2026 R5 3MT Student Competition. 3-4 Students will be selected for the finals.
3. Finals: Students will make their presentation in person at the R5 Banquet.

Details on the schedule for each of these rounds will be provided at a later date.

• 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 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) and 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.

At every level of the competition each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience.

Comprehension & content

• Presentation provided clear motivation, background and significance to the research question
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research

Engagement & communication

• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention

If you are interested in competing as a Team:

• You must complete the Intent to Compete form to declare your intention to participate by the Intent to Compete Deadline.
• If you are notified that your team has been accepted to attend the R5 Student Competitions in person, your team members must Register for the conference by the Student Competition Registration Deadline or your team may be removed from the competition and any waitlisted teams will be given the opportunity to compete in your place.

See Registration for information on the registration fees.

We use Discord as our primary means of communicating updates about individual competitions. Click on the button below to join the R5 Discord Server. Inside the server you can find channels for all the competitions. The competition chairs and volunteers are members of the channel, and will respond to any questions you might have.

We strongly recommend the participants to be part of the Discord server, as all the updates regarding individual competitions will be communicated via their corresponding channels (including during the day of the event).