Competition gives PhD students 3 minutes to sum up research


9 Nov 2011

Twenty-four PhD students will get three minutes and three slides to explain their science, engineering or technology research as part of the Thesis in 3 competition tonight.

The students, who are from nine Science Foundation Ireland-funded Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology, will present their work in the Mansion House in Dublin at 7.30pm as part of Innovation Dublin.

The competition will ask the speakers to sum up their research in order to make it more accessible to the general public. Students will be judged on content and delivery.

The winner will get the chance to present at both the Science Foundation Ireland Annual Summit and the Irish Science Teachers’ Association Annual Conference.

Themes for the talks include ‘Making Sense of Sensor Data’ and ‘Nano-Bio Diagnostics Using Cantilevers.”

The event has been organised by CLARITY: Centre for Sensor Web Technologies, Systems Biology Ireland and nanoscience centre CRANN.

“One of the most important skills for any scientist is to be able to explain their research in clear and jargon-free language so the general public is able to understand the impact of their work on their everyday lives,” said Dr Bridget Kelly, communications and outreach manager at CLARITY.

“The format of Thesis in 3 puts participants on the spot as they will need to bring science to life in an informal and light-hearted manner,” she said.

“The challenge for participants will be to concentrate years of extensive research into just three minutes, which will make for a thrilling competition,” said Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, executive director of CRANN.

In advance of Dublin City of Science 2012, Siliconrepublic.com is hosting Science November, a month dedicated to news, reports, interviews and videos covering a range of Irish science, research and innovation.