Three Minutes for the Doctoral Thesis: Application Open for 3MT 2026
11/04/2025In the "Three Minute Thesis (3MT)" competition, doctoral students explain their dissertation to a lay audience - briefly, clearly and with just one presentation slide as support. If you want to take part, you can register now.
The University of Würzburg has been participating in the European 3MT competition of the Coimbra Network since 2018. It was founded by the University of Queensland. The aim is to convey scientific content in a clear, concise and exciting way - a skill that is becoming increasingly important in research, teaching and science communication.
Doctoral candidates from all disciplines who are at an advanced stage of their work and can already present initial results can now apply for the next preliminary round in Würzburg. Interested candidates should write an email to jmu-graduate-academy@uni-wuerzburg.de and briefly describe the subject area they are studying in, the working title of their thesis and the results they can already present. The application deadline is 1 December 2025.
"3MT is a great opportunity to make your own research visible and to learn how to explain it in simple terms," says Natalie Rauscher, Managing Director of the Graduate Academy and one of the organisers of the Würzburg edition of 3MT. "The participants become much more confident when giving presentations and gain their first practical experience in communicating their research to the public."
Two Workshops for Preparation
In order to provide doctoral students with the best possible support in preparing their presentation, the Graduate Academy organises two workshops in English together with the Human Resources Development department: they teach presentation techniques and help participants to develop their own presentation step by step. After the first session, participants hone their presentation, which is then practised at the second workshop and delivered in public in March - at the official competition - and recorded on camera.
An interdisciplinary jury selects the winner, whose video recording is then submitted to the Coimbra Network's 3MT competition. The first place winner from Würzburg will receive prize money of 300 euros (donated by the Universitätsbund Würzburg e. V.), the second and third place winners will receive book prizes. All participants will receive a certificate and the video of their presentation.
Save the Date: Competition in March
The 3MT Würzburg Edition 2026 will take place on Friday, 6 March 2026, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the lecture hall of the Graduate Schools building (Hubland Nord, Beatrice-Edgell-Weg 21). Interested listeners are very welcome.
Contact
Dr Natalie Rauscher, Managing Director Graduate Academy, Tel. +49 931 31-87767, natalie.rauscher@uni-wuerzburg.de
