The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition challenges PhD students to present their research clearly and concisely — in just three minutes and with only one slide.
The competition takes place on 4 March from 16:00 to 18:30 at Aarhus University and can be attended either in person or online.
Held annually at Aarhus University, 3MT celebrates the art of science communication and highlights the importance of making complex research accessible to a broad audience. The format encourages clarity, creativity, and engagement, offering a unique platform to showcase the impact of academic research beyond the university walls.
Join us for an inspiring event where complex ideas are brought to life for everyone.
Audience registration (in-person and online) is required. Register below.
Every year, Aarhus University invites its PhD students to participate in the 3 Minute Thesis competition (3MT). In 2026, the competition will be held in Stakladen at Aarhus University on 4 March.
In 3MT, PhD students present their research project in three minutes for an audience of non-specialists with only one static slide – and no other resources. To prepare the participating PhD students for this challenging exercise, the PhD students are taken through a communication workshop, feedback session and practice session before the competition.
A internal AU jury will announce the internal AU winner based on the judging criteria mentioned in the Coimbra Group Call below.
The video of the performance of the internal AU winner will be submitted to the international competition held by the Coimbra Group of more than 35 European universities. A Coimbra Group panel will then select the top three candidates, who will be invited to present at the Coimbra Group annual conference. In 2026, the 3MT international competition will be held on 18 June at the University of Granada.
The 3MT was founded at University of Queensland, Australia in 2008 and is held at over 900 universities across more than 85 countries.
Cecilie Ryberg
Natural Sciences, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center
"Making Robots soft and smart - A jump into the future"
Celine Meyhoff Crone
Technical Sciences, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
"Small Sugars, Big Impact: Boosting piglet Gut Healt from Day One"
Charlotte Steen Duholm
Health, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
"DON'T ASK DR. GOOGLE - Understanding Health Anxiety in Adolescence"
Dela Sawatzki
Aarhus BSS, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
"The Power of Your Story: Turning Challenges into Resilience"
Harika Bommisetty
Technical Sciences, Department of Agroecology
"The Invisible Leak: Is Farming, Warming the Planet?"
Jeremias Widmann
Natural Sciences, Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center
"Uncovering a Novel Function of Molecular Chaperones: the Prevention of Toxic Metabolite Self-assemblies"
Josefine Jul Jarbæk Nielsen
Health, Department of Neorology
"Myasthenia Gravis: When Muscle Weakness Becomes Life-Threatening"
Mads Schäfer Bak
Aarhus BSS, Department of Political Science
"The Research Inequality Machine? A conceptual and systemic analysis of inequality in the academic research ecosystem"
Mads S-F. Christensen
Aarhus BSS, Department os Business Development and Technology
"Green technologies and sustainable organizations: Utilizing data- driven systems and technologies for sustainability performance"
Magnus Schou Dybtved
Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry
"Targeted antibiotics to treat the untreatable"
Pavani Rekulapally
Health, Department of Biomedicine
"New players involved in the establishment of phagophore-endoplasmic reticulum membrane contact sites (peMCSs)"
Simon Fridolfsson
Technical Sciences, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering
"Upgrading of Biocrude Derived from Sewage Sludge Through Hydrothermal Liquefaction"
Vitus Juel Enemærke
Natural Sciences, Department of Nanoscience and Chemistry
"Safe, Fast, and Trackable: Isotope Labeling for Drug Development"
Uffe Kjærgaard, Ph.D. student at the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University, emerged as the overall winner of the 3MT Competition 2025, held on March 19. Competing against 16 other talented researchers, Uffe captivated the jury with his ability to distill complex scientific concepts into an engaging and accessible presentation. His outstanding performance earned him the prestigious title and a grant of 35,000 DKK to support his research through international collaborations and conference travels.
The 3MT Competition 2025 also recognized two exceptional participants with Special Mentioned Awards for their remarkable presentations.
Kerstin De Keukeleere, Ph.D. student at the Department of Biomedicine at Aarhus University, secured second place with a research presentation that combined scientific depth with humor, making her work both insightful and entertaining.
Marie Hélène van De Ven, Ph.D. student at the School of Culture and Society, earned third place with an engaging presentation that underscored the broader societal relevance of her research.
Meet Omeed Neghabat and Anne Lundahl Mauritsen - two former contestants in the 3MT Competition. Among other things, they for example learned how to structure and deliver a presentation in one coherent connection. Watch the two videos below and learn more!
