Three Minute Thesis Competition registration nears

The challenge is to explain years of graduate-level research in three minutes. Even for $500, the task seems daunting, but Purdue graduate students of recent years have proven themselves up to it. Now comes the time to sign up for the 2018 Three Minute Thesis contest.

The registration for Purdue's competition is Monday (March 26). The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is a global research communication competition developed and trademarked by The University of Queensland in Australia. 

The competition equips graduate students with the academic, presentation, and communication skills necessary to explain their research to the general public in a clear and concise manner, while also providing them with the opportunity to put those skills to the test.

Prizes are:
* Winner: $500.
* Runner-up: $250.
* People's Choice Award: $250. This category will be chosen by a vote of the audience at the competition.

Graduate students will have three minutes to present a compelling discussion on their research topic, its significance and its relevance to the general public. The idea is not to engage in an exercise in trivializing or "dumbing down" research but to consolidate ideas and crystallize research discoveries. It is a celebration of the discoveries made by graduate students and will allow the broader community to learn about ongoing research at Purdue.

In the competition, which is free and open to the public, the 10 finalists summarize their three-plus years of research in only three minutes with only one slide. A panel of judges will select the first- and second-place winners.

Purdue's 2018 competition will take place at 7 p.m. April 17 in Wilmeth Active Learning Center's Hiler Theatre (Room 1055).

Interested person should go to http://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/gspd/3mt.html for registration and more information, or they can contact purdue3mt@purdue.edu.