Science 3 Minute Thesis Competition 2026

Faculty of Science – Three Minute Thesis Competition
$500 prize money

The Faculty of Science is hosting a Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition on Thursday 6th August 2026. This event will showcase the great research happening across the faculty and give graduate researchers the chance to prepare for the University’s 3MT® competition.

Three Minute Thesis competitions provide the opportunity to not only promote your research, but to demonstrate capacity as a capable and effective communicator.

Register here to attend the event in the audience.

2026 FACULTY OF SCIENCE FINALISTS

• Lukian Adams - BioSciences
• Elena Kaminskaia - BioSciences
• Georgia Bennett - BioSciences
• Yana Heyvaert - Chemistry
• Eoin Martyn Rando - Mathematics & Statistics
• Tilini De Silva - Melbourne Veterinary School
• Natasha Sharma - Melbourne Veterinary School
• Anand Kumar Sethukali - Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences
• Gouri Mondal - BioSciences
• Han Wang Han - Physics
• Meagan Ruppert - BioSciences
• Sarah Farrell   - BioSciences

HOW IT WORKS

Each participant will present their topic using a single, static PowerPoint slide. Each presentation is limited to three minutes maximum.

PRIZES

The Faculty of Science is offering a $500 prize to the winner and a $100 prize for the runner-up. There will also be a People’s Choice prize awarded to one participant.

COMPETITION RULES

• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through speech.
• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description). For video presentations, this can be visible continuously, or ‘cut to’ (as many times as you like) for a maximum of 1 minute.
• No props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment and animated backgrounds) are permitted.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs).

JUDGING CRITERIA

Each competitor will be assessed on the two sets of judging criteria listed below. Please note that each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on the audience’s comprehension and engagement with the presentation.

Comprehension and 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 and 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, captured and maintained the audience’s attention