InstituteQ hosts annually the Three Minute Thesis competition during the Finnish Quantum Days.
Now it its third iteration, the 3MT 2026 competition will be held at the Finnish Quantum Days, hosted by the University of Jyväskylä on September 9-10, 2026.
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland, Australia.
InstituteQ 3MT 2026
How to participate
1. Record a 1-minute video
Explain your thesis topic in plain language, aimed at a non-specialist audience.
- No slides
- Maximum 1 minute
- File name format: FirstName_LastName_University_3MT_2026
2. Submit your video via this form by April 30, 2026
Note: You will NOT be judged on video or editing quality; only on your ability to clearly communicate your research to a non-specialist audience.
Next Steps
Preliminary Screening: All submissions will be reviewed by a panel. Semi-finalists will be announced by May 8, 2026.
3MT Workshop: May 19, 13:00-16:00, plus 30 min 1-to-1 feedback sessions on May 21-22 (scheduled individually)
InstituteQ will provide a pitching workshop for 3MT semifinalists by the Turku-based Science Pitchers. The company was founded by the winners of a 3MT competition in 2017. Since 2017, they’ve trained 1,800+ researchers and innovators across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
Semi-final: May 26, 2026
Final: September 10, 2026 at the Finnish Quantum Days, hosted by the University of Jyväskylä
Your final 3MT presentation will be judged by a jury panel based on the following criteria:
• Presentation provided clear motivation, background, and significance to the research question.
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research; and
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes, and impact of the research.
• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience.
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation.
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention.
Final Prizes (taxable):
• Winner: €1000
• Runner-up: €500
• People’s Choice: €500
This year all semi-finalists benefited from an expert workshop on science visualization and communication.
Previous InstituteQ 3MT Competitions
2025 3MT Competition
InstituteQ’s second 3MT competition was held at the Finnish Quantum Days 2025 in Helsinki. The winners were:
Christa Schauman (Overall winner)
Aalto University
Managing hype in quantum computing
Alina Helena Sánchez Gallardo (People’s choice award)
University of Oulu
NV- centres in diamond. The power of one missing atom.
2024 3MT Competition
InstituteQ’s first 3MT competition was held at the Finnish Quantum Days 2024 in Espoo. The winners were:
Rahinatou Yuh Njah epouse Nchiwo (Winner)
Aalto University
Cryptanalysis of polynomial learning with errors
Valter Uotila (Runner-up)
University of Helsinki
Should we optimize data management with quantum computing?
Tomas Fernández Bouvier (People’s choice award)
University of Helsinki
Heat, cannons and computers