SDS Virtual 3MT® Winners
Meet the winners of the SDS Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition 2024
Marianne Wilson
Edinburgh Napier University
When creating your 3MT presentation, what was the biggest challenge and what did you enjoy the most?
My biggest challenge was actually sticking to the script when I was recording - ended up needing quite a few takes because of my tendency to add changes as I go. But actually, in the end that was also what I enjoyed the most - because the 3MT requires quite a lot of scripting and editing, it is quite satisfying when you get to a finished product that meets the time limit.
What have you learned from taking part in the 3MT?
Preparing the 3MT was really useful for me at this stage in my research. I am just about to move onto a new phase of my research, so the 3MT really helped remind me of the 'golden thread' running through my PhD.
What’s next in your PhD research?
I am just about to start exploring conversation design with young people, which I am really excited about.
What will you spend your vouchers on?
My vouchers are going towards some new camping gear, so I am hoping we get some good weather this summer.
Hannah Glover
University of Edinburgh
When creating your 3MT presentation, what was the biggest challenge and what did you enjoy the most?
The biggest challenge for me was definitely figuring out how to articulate my research plans. Competing in the SDS 3MT competition really helped me focus my Master’s research down to its key components. I most enjoyed getting to view all the submissions to the SDS 3MT - it’s always wonderful to hear about the research that other students are conducting, and it was great to network with some of them at the SDS event. The 3MT competition acted as both a fantastic icebreaker and way of quickly understanding what my colleagues are working on, and I really value the connections that SDS events such as this facilitate.
What have you learned from taking part in the 3MT?
I have learned how tricky it is to explain my research accessibly and in a short space of time - but it’s worth the challenge! I have had lots of fruitful conversations with non-academic friends and family who now know what I’m doing thanks to my 3MT video, and their insight on my research is invaluable.
What’s next in your PhD research?
Right now I’m working on finishing writing my Master’s dissertation on the relationship between parental occupation and aspiration for their child and their child’s aspirations when they’re in S3. Once I’ve finished that, I look forward to getting stuck into my PhD.
What will you spend your vouchers on?
I didn’t waste much time in spending my vouchers! I treated myself to a nice new pair of noise-cancelling headphones so I can bear to work in the centre of Edinburgh when the Fringe festival starts without having to hear too much of the fun I’m missing out on during work hours!
Rachel Allen
University of West of Scotland
When creating your 3MT presentation, what was the biggest challenge and what did you enjoy the most?
I think my biggest challenge was when I was thinking about to say, partly because of the stage I was at with the research; and partly because when summarising nearly three years into three minutes you can't say everything you want to! I was also frustrated with myself because I repeatedly messed up my words and had to re-record. I enjoyed creating the slide to support the video. I like making stuff, and as I constructed the slide it inspired my thinking about the research.
What have you learned from taking part in the 3MT?
Other than I don't like filming myself, I learned how much work goes into a relatively short video. It's not only important to draft what to say and say it well, but have the right set up and preparation for filming. Both the audio and visual elements work together and communicate your message.
What’s next in your PhD research?
My focus is currently on analysing my data, and I hope to then complete a draft of my thesis and submit this for examination at the end of 2024.
What will you spend your vouchers on?
Well, firstly I am very grateful for the vouchers, thank you very much! I haven't decided yet what I will spend them on, but I will try and use them to treat myself and this is highly likely to involve at least one pizza.
Velia Manyonga
University of Strathclyde
When creating your 3MT presentation, what was the biggest challenge and what did you enjoy the most?
My biggest challenge was ensuring that the three-minute presentation provided clear motivation, background, significance to the research question, research methods, results, and conclusions. It was an uphill task to include all of these in just three minutes. I enjoyed the process of summarizing my study while making sure all-important information was conveyed. I had to practice repeatedly before recording. Then I had to record and re-record multiple times on my own. It was exciting to listen to my recordings and note that I sometimes missed critical information, prompting me to redo it repeatedly. Overall, it was an interesting journey.
What have you learned from taking part in the 3MT?
Watching samples of three-minute winners taught me that anyone can explain complex ideas clearly and concisely. Every complex idea can be simplified and conveyed in just a few minutes. This is exactly what policymakers seek from researchers. The passion and creativity I observed in the previous winners demonstrated that any topic can attract an audience, as long as the presenters are excited and creative about their subject.
What’s next in your PhD research?
Since I am finishing my first year of my PhD in Social Policy, I am in the process of applying for ethics approval for my data collection from both my university and my home country’s Ethics Committee. As I continue on my academic journey, I wish we could have these competitions for each major section of the PhD thesis. This would help PhD students learn to unpack their academic and scientific work clearly and concisely for the average person to understand while emphasising the study's contribution.
What will you spend your vouchers on?
Thank you very much for the voucher. I used it to buy a mobile phone, as I previously did not have one with a reliable battery. The voucher was a great help in this regard. As the People’s Choice vote, my new phone will serve as a constant reminder to communicate comprehensive information clearly, concisely, and passionately in just a few minutes.
Comments from the judges
Head judge, Dr Emma Bolger. Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader of the MSc in Career Guidance and Development, University of the West of Scotland
When you're at any stage in your PhD study, just being a doctoral student means that you've got so much going on, so many plates spinning at once and so much to think about and doing a 3-minute thesis can really help you focus in not necessarily on the whole piece of work, but an aspect of it that you feel you can cover well in 3 minutes. That conveys something that you've gained from your study, something that is valuable to other people. It's a really good opportunity to pause and think about where you're at in your research.
Professor Graeme Nixon, Director of Scottish Graduate School of Social Science
The standard of submissions was very high indeed and all 3MT videos were engaging and insightful. It was, therefore, a real pleasure to be involved in the judging of the competition and support from SDS helped greatly to facilitate the judging process. The high standard meant that this was a difficult decision. The judging panel discussions were detailed, transparent and reasoned which gave confidence in the competition outcomes.
Lorna Stalker, National Operations Executive, SDS
I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the 3MT judging panel this year and was impressed by the quality of all entries. The diverse knowledge exhibited by PhD students across a range of topics made judging challenging. Each student exhibited commitment and passion for their research and were able to highlight important key features. I watched each 3MT several times. This served to increase my curiosity about the research topics and respect for each student. Although the judging panel decided on winners, we agreed that every student delivered an excellent 3MT presentation.
Dr Patrick Watt, Head of Evaluation and Research, SDS
It was a pleasure to be on the judging panel for the three-minute thesis competition. The standard of entries was exceptional. The breadth and depth of research underway is incredible. These short videos give us a flavour of the research findings we can expect to see emerge.