 2025 EDITION February 10th, is a deadline to send your presentation to etudes.superieures@polymtl.ca Internal selection competition : March 27, 2025 at 10:45 a.m. in the Bernard-Lamarre Amphitheatre Come and defy the stopwatch to present their thesis in a 180 seconds – also known as the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. The Polytechnique community is invited to vote for their favourite presentation! > You can now see their presentations - and talents! |
"The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an internationally recognized competition for thesis-based graduate students in which participants present their scholarly and creative activity and its wider impact in 3 minutes or less."
The competition offers a unique opportunity for graduate students from all disciplines, pushing them to consolidate their ideas and crystallize their research discoveries while communicating across disciplines within the university and to the broader public. Presenting in a 3MT® competition increases the capacity of graduate students to effectively explain their scholarly and creative activity in a clear and concise manner, and in a language appropriate to a general audience.
Polytechnique hopes to repeat the feat this year by sending its best presenter to compete against those from other participating Canadian universities universities in the final, May 7, 2025, held by the Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas) during the 92st Acfas Congress at École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS).
Polytechnique is also taking part in the English-language Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition organized by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS). Therefore, there will be an internal competition in French and one in English at Polytechnique.
La Direction des affaires académiques et de l'expérience étudiante (DAAEE) and the Association des étudiants des cycles supérieurs de Polytechnique (AÉCSP), Polytechnique’s graduate student association, are organizing the internal selection competition for Polytechnique students. The competition winners will be determined by a jury composed of Polytechnique’s faculty members and Québec’s science media.
For each version of the competition (French/English), the prizes are:
- 1st prize: $500 and entrance into the finals at Acfas (French) and ACES (English)
- 2nd prize: $250
- 3rd prize: $150
- The audience choice award: $250 gift card from the AÉCSP
Dates to remember :
Registration Deadline : Monday, 10 February 2025.
Internal selection competition : Thursday, 27 March 2025 at 10:45 a.m. in the Bernard-Lamarre Amphitheatre.
Regional Final Competition : Thursday, 6 November 2025, National final organized by CAGS at Delta Ottawa City Centre Hotel.
Eastern Regional 3MT Competition (CAGS) : Wednesday, 4 June 2025, Memorial University of Newfoundland’s St. John’s campus.
For any questions or to sign up: etudes.superieures@polymtl.ca
Experience feedback
First prize 2024
Liliane-Caroline Demers
Music Generation with Long-Term Structure Using Constraint Programming and Transformer-Based Decoders
Computer Engineering
Why did you decide to take part in the "My thesis in 180 seconds" competition?
I believe that learning to present your project in layman's terms is essential for any researcher because it allows you to communicate effectively with people outside your field of study. This competition provided me with an excellent opportunity to practice that skill while also sparking my creativity. I especially appreciated how it encouraged participants to engage the audience with energy, enthusiasm, and a touch of performance, something I've loved since I was young.
What could you say to encourage the more "shy" to take part in the competition?
Don't hesitate to participate! It's completely normal to feel nervous about presenting, but this competition is both a fun and hugely rewarding way to step out of your comfort zone. Plus, you'll develop useful skills that will benefit you both in your professional and personal life. Best of all, you'll be able to explain your project more clearly to your family and friends, and they might finally understand what you've been pouring your heart and soul into all this time.
How was your research topic inspired?
I have a strong musical background both in piano and musical theory. When I learned that my supervisor, Professor Gilles Pesant, was working on applications in music, I jumped at the opportunity to combine my computer science skills with my musical knowledge!.
If you had to dedicate your research to someone from the past, present orfuture, who would it be and why?
Many people come to mind! But if I were to choose, it would be Ada Lovelace, a mathematician often considered the world's first computer programmer. She is best known for her work on Charles Babbage's first designs for a computer, named the Analytical Engine. What's even more extraordinary is that she predicted that the engine could go beyond calculations and eventually be used to compose music. This was a revolutionary idea that still feels ahead of its time!
3 key words to define your thesis
Artificial intelligence, music generation, long-term structure
>>> More Details
You don’t necessarily need to be at the end of your doctoral process to take part. Your doctoral project must simply be sufficiently advanced such that the problem is clearly defined. It is not necessary to present results.
You must introduce your research topic and explain the concepts of ideas in accessible language (your family should finally understand what you’re doing!). Demonstrate your passion for your research topic.
The Ma thèse en 180 secondes / Three-Minute Thesis competition provides you with a unique opportunity to polish your communication skills, while also giving you the chance to talk about your research in a public space. The presentations given at the university finals will be filmed and posted online. As well, it’s an excellent showcase for the media. For example, after winning in 2015, Odile Vekemans was interwied on the show L'invité on TV5MONDE+ and on the show Les années lumière on ICI Radio-Canada. After winning in 2014, Sami Hached was able to share his passion for his research work in Québec Science magazine, Le Journal de Montréal and on the show Les années lumière on ICI Radio-Canada.
- The presentation must be given in French.
- You must be enrolled or have been enrolled in a doctoral research program for the current school year or have earned your doctorate during this school year.
- You must not have won a jury prize or audience choice award at a preceding edition of the national finals Ma thèse en 180 secondes / Three-Minute Thesis.
- You must be available to compete in the national finals and the preparatory meeting, which will take place during the Acfas conference.
- Present a sufficiently defined PhD project.
- If you're one of the winners selected by the jury of the national finals to participate in the international final, you must be available and present at the international final and activities connected to it.
- Graduate students should conduct their presentation in English.
- Full-time Master’s or Ph.D. students registered in thesis-based programs and in good standing are eligible to participate (including thesis under submission).
- Graduate students in course-based programs, visiting students, exchange students, and students on leave are not eligible to participate.
- Graduate students at any stage of their program are eligible to participate.
- Graduate students who have convocated are not eligible to participate. Graduate students who have already defended their thesis but have not yet convocated are eligible to participate.
- Presentations must be based on the primary research the graduate student has conducted in their graduate program.
- Anyone undertaking a professional/named/higher doctorate is not eligible.
- Graduate students must present in person, agree to be photographed and digitally recorded, and allow any recordings to be made public.
- Twelve contestants from the three regional competitions will compete for the National 3MT title.
- Winners of Canada’s 3MT agree to be available for publicity and media interviews in the period following the announcement.
For ACFAS Competition:
National Finals : May 7, 2025 at Montreal.
International Finals : Fall 2025, Informations is coming soon.
For GACS Competition:
Informations is coming soon.
- Acfas Web Site: Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas)
- ACES Web Site: Association canadienne pour les études supérieures (ACES)
