The ‘3 Minute Fame’ competition is a unique opportunity for doctoral students from the nine EU GREEN partner universities to showcase their thesis work to a European audience. In a maximum of 3 minutes, be able to present your thesis project in a punchy and accessible way.
To apply, participants must send a video of themselves presenting their thesis in a maximum of 3 minutes. The top 3 candidates from each university will be selected to take part in the final of the event, which will be held during the Summer School in Parma, Italy, from 13 to 15 June 2025.
General Provisions
- The “3-minute fame” competition (hereinafter referred to as “the Competition”) is organized by the EU GREEN Alliance “Structuring research-based learning through Excellence Clusters”
- The Competition is an academic event aimed at promoting and enhancing the communication skills of PhD students.
- The Competition provides an opportunity for PhD students to present their research in a concise and engaging manner to a non-specialist audience.
- The Competition is governed by the following regulations. By participating in the Competition, participants agree to abide by these regulations.
- Any disputes or disagreements arising during the Competition will be managed by a committee appointed for this specific purpose.
Definitions
Whenever the regulations mention:
Universities – this should be understood as the Universities of the EU GREEN Alliance (University of Gävle, Sweden; Atlantic Technological University, Ireland; Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany; University of Extremadura, Spain; University of Évora, Portugal; University of Parma, Italy; University of Oradea, Romania; University of Angers, France; Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland).
Doctoral Schools – this should be understood as the Doctoral Schools of the Universities of the EU GREEN Alliance.
PhD students – this means a doctoral student at the Doctoral Schools of the Universities of the EU GREEN Alliance.
Purpose
The purposes of the Competition are:
- To encourage PhD students to present their research topic in a concise and engaging manner to a non-specialist audience, within a time limit of three minutes.
- To develop a PhD students network
- To foster the collaboration of young researchers within the EU GREEN researchers’ community.
Eligibility
The Competition is open to all PhD students currently enrolled at one of the 9 EU GREEN Universities. Researchers who have submitted their doctoral thesis and are preparing for their defense are also eligible.
Terms and Conditions
The Competition is articulated in two main phases:
First phase: a local selection is carried out at each single EU GREEN institution level. Each PhD candidate is required to prepare and submit a short presentation video respecting the requirements detailed in paragraph 6 below.
The deadline for the submission of the video presentation is fixed by 12:00 CET on 25th February 2025. The submission platform is available at the following link:
https://www.surveylegend.com/s/5rw2
Within the 15th March 2025, a local University Selection Committee (one per EU GREEN University) will select the best 3 videos of the competent University. The selected 3 (three) candidates will access the second phase of the Competition.
Second phase: the 3 (three) selected candidates of each EU GREEN University will be invited to attend the PhD Summer School hosted by the University of Parma in the period 9th – 13th June 2025. The costs for participation in the PhD Summer School will be borne by the PhD home University. During the PhD Summer School, a joint EU GREEN Awarding Committee will select the best 3 (three) presentations among the 27 selected at local level.
Guidelines for preparing the video presentation
- The video must have an overall length from a minimum of 2 up to 3 minutes. Video not respecting the allowed lengths will be considered as ineligible.
- The accepted video formats are the following: .avi, .mp4, .mpeg-4, .wmv, .mov, .flv, .mkv
- The video must be in English language.
- The video can bear the home university logo
- The video must present the PhD candidate’s thesis experience and his/her research project.
- The video must have one static slide illustrating the thesis/project during the whole or part of the vocal narrative
- No background music is allowed
- The leading voice must be in spoken words (no poems, raps or songs are allowed)
Presentation guidelines for applicants admitted to the second phase
Only PhD applicants admitted to the second phase of the Competition, during their stay at the University of Parma, will hold a presentation of their thesis/project in live mode. The presentation must respect the following guidelines:
- Each participant must prepare a presentation of his/her research topic lasting from a minimum of 2 minutes up to a maximum of 3 minutes.
- The presentation must be in English language.
- Only one static slide may be used to support the presentation. No slide transitions or animations are allowed.
- The slide must be visible from the beginning of the oration.
- No additional electronic media (e.g., sound and video files) are permitted.
- No additional props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
- Presentations are to be spoken words (e.g., no poems, raps, or songs).
- No notes may be used.
- Presentations are to commence from the designated place.
- Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts the presentation through either movement or speech.
- Presentations exceeding 3 minutes will result in disqualification.
Evaluation
- With direct reference to the first phase, each University Commitee will select the best 3 (three) presentations that will be admitted to the second phase. Such internal selection will be carried out within March 15th, 2025, following the general criteria reported in the Appendix of this document and according to the rules of each University, by an internally selected jury.
- In relation to the second phase, the 3 selected candidates of each EU GREEN University will give their presentations live in front of the audience and the joint EUGREEN Awarding Committee during the WP3 Research Week that is planned at the University of Parma (ITALY) from June 9th to June 13th, 2025. The joint EUGREEN Awarding Committee will consist of 12 members (1 per university from WP3 and 3 members from WP2). The costs for participation to the Research Week (and the PhD Summer School) will be borne by the PhD home University.
- PhD speakers will be assessed by the joint EU GREEN Awarding Commission against the general criteria reported as Annex to this document.
Certificates & Awards
- The winners of the first phase will be granted free participation in the EUGREEN 2025 PhD Summer School that will take place at the University of Parma, Italy from 9th to 13th June 2025.
- The videos of the second phase winners (first three classified) will be shared on the EU GREEN communication and social channels, including the local Universities ones.
- All participants to the Competition, whose recordings will meet the conditions described in the present regulation, will receive a certificate of participation issued by the EUGREEN Committee.
Publication and Intellectual Property Rights
- The presentations will be video recorded.
- By participating in the competition, each participant consents to the filming of the presentation and its use on the EU GREEN institutions social media channels.
- Each participant retains the right to his/her presentation. However, by participating in the Competition, he/she grants the EU GREEN Alliance free of charge and territorially unlimited license right for an indefinite period to use their presentations and videos for promotional purposes by entering computer memory, publication on the EU GREEN Alliance and universities’ websites and social media, public displays, etc.
- Participants agree to the recording and dissemination of their image within the framework promotional activities of the EU GREEN Alliance and universities.
Committees
The Competition envisages the presence of two different Committees
- An internal local Committee will be appointed for the first phase selection by each University, at the initiative of the PhD council representatives. Each University Committee will select the top 3 presentations that will proceed to the second stage. Such internal selection will be carried out by March 15th, 2025, following the general criteria reported in the Appendix of this document and according to the rules of each University.
- An EUGREEN selection Committee will be appointed for the second phase selection that will take place during the Research Week in Parma. Such EUGREEN Committee will consist of 12 members, including 3 representatives of WP2 (education) and 9 representatives of WP3 (research).
Calendar of the 2024-2025 edition
Launch of the communication | 01/10/2024 |
First stage application deadline (internal) | 28/02/2025 |
First stage selection committee | 15/03/2025 |
Finale of the contest (27 selected PhDs) | 9-13 June 2025 |
Summer school | 9-13 June 2025 |
Research week | 9-13 June 2025 |
List of local contacts
- Atlantic Technology University: Ian O’ Connor (ian.oconnor@atu.ie); Michael Mccann (Michael.McCann@atu.ie);
- Richeal Burns (burns@atu.ie).
- University of Angers: Nathalie Leduc (leduc@univ-angers.fr); Nicolas Clere (nicolas.clere@univ-angers.fr).
- University of Extremadura: Juan Florencio Tejeda Sereno (dircenteid@unex.es.; jftejeda@unex.es); Francisco Javier Mesias Díaz (fjmesias@unex.es).
- University of Gävle: Gloria Macassa (Gloria.Macassa@hig.se); Kourosh Tatar (kourosh.tatar@hig.se).
- University of Parma: Chiara Dall’Asta (dallasta@unipr.it); Gaetano Donofrio (gaetano.donofrio@unipr.it).
- University of Oradea: Dana Carmen Zaha (danaczaha@gmail.com); Tarca Radu Catalin (rctarca@gmail.com).
- University of Evora: Claudia Marques (mcbm@uevora.pt); Rui Salgado (rsal@uevora.pt).
- Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences: Sebastian Opalinski (opalinski@upwr.edu.pl); Magdalena Szymura (magdalena.szymura@upwr.edu.pl).
- Otto-von-Guericke Magdeburg University: Barbara Witter (barbara.witter@ovgu.de); Mitaki Fani (fani.mitaki@ovgu.de); Christiane Hedtman (christiane.hedtmann@ovgu.de).
All the information and application details are available also HERE