UCD ThesisIn3

UCD ThesisIn3 competition supports graduate research students in their development as confident research communicators. Research students are challenged to present their research in three minutes, using only one slide, to a non-specialist audience. Entrants must distil their niche subjects and intensive research into bite-sized presentations that will inform and entertain the general public.

(From left to right) Prof Emma Sokell, Dean of Graduate Studies, Vigneshwari Karunakaran Annapoorani, PhD Student in the UCD School of Physics and runner up, Nicholas Carton, PhD Student in the UCD School of Physics, Saba Aghdam Tabar, PhD Student in UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, Aoife Joy Keogh, PhD Student in UCD School of Education, Rioko Iona Moscardini, PhD Student in UCD School of Earth Sciences and winner of the competition,  Kylie McCardel, UCD SU Graduate Officer (member of judging panel), Assoc Professor Clare Hayes-Brady, School of English, Drama and Film,  Associate Dean Graduate Studies in the College of Arts and Humanities (member of judging panel), Emma Caron, Communications Officer, UCD Registry (member of judging panel), Michael Connolly, PhD Student in UCD School of Mechanical and Material Engineering, runner up and winner of people’s choice award, Emma Loughney, Research Communications Officer, UCD Research (member of judging panel) and Phil Smyth, Experienced Broadcaster and Science Communicator and MC of the event.

Congratulations to all 2025 ThesisIn3 winners

Winner: Rioko Iona Moscardini, UCD School of Earth Sciences

Core blimey! The rocky road to clean energy

Runner up: Vigneshwari Karunakaran Annapoorani, UCD School of Physics

Stuck on You: How Proteins Stick to Nanoparticles (and Why It Matters)

Runner up and People's choice award: Michael Connolly, UCD School of Mechanical and Material Engineering

Saving Fuel, Extending Driving Range, and Reducing GHG Emissions: It All Starts with Air Resistance

Rioko, the winner of ThesisIn3 2025 will represent UCD:

• in the National Irish Universities Association (IUA) competition. Full details and a recording of last year's event and filming is available here: (opens in a new window)https://www.iua.ie/events/three-minute-thesis-iua-national-final-2024/ 
• and at the (opens in a new window)Universitas21 Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®), where they will compete with researchers from all over the globe.

See UCD ThesisIn3 2025 Participants list

For full terms and conditions, please see Terms and Conditions for the UCD ThesisIn3 competition.

For general enquiries, please contact us via the Graduate Studies Connector, selecting ThesisIn3 Competition from the drop-down menu.

2024 ThesisIn3 winners

Winner - Melissa Kinch, UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Science

Runner up - Sara Dada, UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Science

Runner up - Jenny Power, UCD School of Medicine

People's choice award - Colleen Lawless, School of Biology and Environmental Science

2023 ThesisIn3 Winners

Winner – Sergei Katsuba, UCD Sutherland School of Law

Decade of violence: How authoritarian regimes instigate violence and hate crimes against marginalised groups

Runner up – Mary Davis, UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science

COM and get it: Why weights for women with obesity is the way to go

Runner up – Laura Gunning, UCD Institute of Food and Health

Discovering a ‘whey’ towards healthy ageing

2022 ThesisIn3 Winners

Winner – Tara Brady, UCD School of Medicine

An apple a day may keep the respiratory doctor away

Runner up – Lorna O'Donoghue, UCD School of Medicine / Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research

Platelets Drive – WE survive

Runner up – Sophie du Bois de Dunilac, UCD School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Centre for Biomedical Engineering

Get a Grip! How partial slipping of our fingers informs us of grip safety

2021 ThesisIn3 Winner

UCD ThesisIn3 and U21 Three Minute Thesis® Competition Winner – Morgan Morris, UCD School of Chemistry/BiOrbic Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre

Lactose in 3: A Cash Cow for Targeting Tumours

See more ThesisIn3 videos on our (opens in a new window)YouTube Channel