Red ÁTICA - Three Minute Thesis Contest

Three Minute Thesis Contest (T3M) prizes

You will win a cash prize if you can explain your PhD thesis to a non-specialist audience in three minutes. The main prize is 1,000 EUR, plus a certificate and funding for a one-month research placement with a Red ÁTICA group or a sponsor company. Second place receives 300 euros and third place 150 euros, each also accompanied by a certificate and a research placement. The competition is organised by Red ÁTICA, a Spanish research network for applied computer intelligence. The amount of the prize money has varied from year to year.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a PhD student and are currently writing your thesis. This must not have been defended by the end of the selection phase.
• Field: Your thesis uses or describes computational intelligence (models, methods or applications), and it plays a central role in your research.
• University: You are doing a PhD at a Spanish university.
• Nationality: Open to all nationalities.
• Supervisor's consent: Your supervisor has approved your contribution, and your presentation does not breach any confidentiality regulations.
• Language: You will deliver your presentation in Spanish in such a way that even people with no prior knowledge of the subject can follow it. You will use just one static slide, with no sound, animations or props.

How to apply

You must submit a video lasting no more than three minutes via the competition’s online platform by the deadline. A panel of experts will select up to 10 videos for the final. The final will take place as a live in-person event, at which you will deliver your presentation again in three minutes. Exceeding the time limit will result in automatic disqualification.

How realistic are your chances?

The field of participants is narrow: only PhD students at Spanish universities working in the field of computational intelligence are eligible to take part, and no more than 10 will reach the final. If you are working in this field and can explain your work clearly to a non-specialist audience, your prospects are good. The jury places greater emphasis on clear, engaging communication than on technical depth; therefore, a well-prepared presentation free of technical jargon will win the day.