2025 Arts, Education and Law Three Minute Thesis

Three Minute Thesis ( 3MT ) is an academic competition that challenges HDR candidates to describe their research in a language that can be understood by a non-specialist audience, within just three minutes. Throughout the competition, participants develop their presentation and communication skills, honing their ability to explain their research in a brief and engaging manner.

Visit the Griffith 3MT website to find out more about 3MT training opportunities and workshops, eligibility criteria, judging criteria and full competition rules.

Register to be involved

To register for your school heat, please contact your Higher Degree Research (HDR) Convenor.

Arts, Education and Law Group HDR convenors in each academic school:

Griffith Law School: Associate Professor Samuli Haataja

Education and Professional Studies: Associate Professor Sue Whatman

Queensland College of Art and Design (QCAD): Dr Chari Larsson

Queensland Conservatorium: Dr Chris Stover

Criminology and Criminal Justice: Dr Kirsten Besemer

Griffith Film School: Dr Ally Bisshop

Humanities, Languages and Social Science: Associate Professor Stuart Cooke

2025 important dates

  • Training: Tuesday 13 May (Online via Microsoft Teams); Thursday 15 May (Online via Microsoft Teams)
  • Schools/Elements are conducting their own competitions, with finalists for the Arts, Education and Law Group Heat to be finalised by Wednesday 16 July
  • AEL Group Heat: Thursday 24 July, Brisbane South (Nathan), 10:00am to 12:30pm
  • Finalist GGRS coaching sessions: TBC
  • Griffith final: Thursday 28 August (In person, Brisbane City (South Bank)
  • Asia-Pacific final: Wednesday 15 October

Eligibility

Students enrolled in any of the following programs may compete in a School/Element level competition, and are eligible to compete in the Group Heat, but are not eligible to compete in the University Heat, or Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition:

  • Honours and Masters (MPhil and coursework);
  • Professional Doctorate (less than 2/3 research)

* Graduates are not eligible.

Training

  • Creating you 3MT Slide:
    Tuesday 13 May (Online via Microsoft Teams)
  • Understanding and preparing for the 3MT Competition:
    Wednesday 15 May (Online via Microsoft Teams)

AEL Group Heat Prizes

  • AEL HDR Winner - $500
  • AEL HDR First runner up - $250
  • AEL HDR Second runner up - $150
  • AEL HDR People's choice - $150

Griffith Final prizes

  • Griffith 1st Prize - $1500
  • Griffith 2nd Prize - $750

2025 Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

Three Minute Thesis ( 3MT ) is an academic competition that challenges HDR candidates to describe their research in a language that can be understood by a non-specialist audience, within just three minutes.

Throughout the competition, participants develop their presentation and communication skills, honing their ability to explain their research in a brief and engaging manner.

Arts, Education and Law 2021 group heat winners

Award Winner School and Research Centre Topic

AEL HDR Winner

Elise Imray Papineau 

Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research

Radical Compassion and Doing-It-Together: Exploring grassroots activist cultures and praxes through feminist care ethics

AEL HDR Second place

Ida Stevia Diget  

Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research

Using Google Translate for COVID-19 messages: The ’tissue’ issue

AEL HDR Second Runner Up (tie)

Liz Englezos  

Griffith Law School, Law Futures Centre

#Hyperconnected - Digital space, influences over digital Identity and the law

AEL HDR Second Runner Up (tie)

Rafael Azeredo 

Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research

Temporary Migrants in Australia: a critical analysis

AEL Honours/Masters winner

Lisa Petersen  

Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research

Signs of language endangerment: Handshape Variation in Sinasina

AEL Honours/Masters Runner up

Jade McGarry  

Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research

Australian News Media Conflation of Islam and Islamism: A Content Analysis of The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and The Australian

People’s choice & Wildcard entry

Miffy King 

Griffith Film School, Creative Arts Research Institute

Building confidence of recent Mental Health First Aid trainees through serious games 

Second Wildcard entry

Lauren Chalk 

Humanities, Languages and Social Science, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research

Decolonising Heritage Through Hip-Hop: Representing Reggaeton in the Museum

AEL Research

Find out more about research events and HDR study within Arts, Education and Law