Robyn Scharte - 3MT 2026 Winner
Natalia James - 3MT 2026 Second Place
3MT 2026 Finalists
Hestin Kezia Octalina Klaas - 3MT 2026 People's Choice Winner
On Friday 26 June 2026, the Sussex Researcher School was delighted to host the University of Sussex Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Final, bringing together postgraduate researchers, colleagues, supporters and guests from across the University for an inspiring afternoon of research communication and celebration.
The event attracted more than 60 attendees, who gathered to hear nine outstanding finalists present their doctoral research in just three minutes. As always, the challenge of the 3MT competition is not only to explain complex research clearly, concisely and engagingly, but also to communicate its wider significance to a non-specialist audience. This year's finalists rose to that challenge with confidence, creativity and exceptional skill.
Representing a wide range of disciplines, from Psychology and Sociology to Economics, Philosophy, Neuroscience and Development Studies, the finalists demonstrated the breadth and quality of postgraduate research taking place at Sussex. The standard of presentations was exceptionally high, making the task of selecting the winners particularly challenging.
Following careful deliberation by the judging panel, first place was awarded to Robyn Scharte from Psychology for her compelling presentation, Cannabis and the self: Investigating interoception as a process linking cannabis use and unusual experiences in the general population. As the winner, Robyn receives £500 towards her research and will go on to represent Sussex in the Vitae UK 3MT semifinals.
Natalia James from Sociology earned second place for her engaging presentation on classroom behaviour tracking platforms and the experiences often overlooked by the data they generate.
The audience also had the opportunity to vote for the People's Choice Award. Hestin Kezia Octalina Klaas from the Institute of Development Studies, whose thought-provoking presentation, When Help Doesn't Arrive, captured the imagination of attendees and secured the People's Choice title.
A key part of the success of the event was our distinguished judging panel. We were particularly honoured to welcome Andrés Vidal Itriago, Human Health and Life Sciences Information Specialist at our partner institution, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, who joined us online. His international perspective, alongside the expertise of Susanna Broom, Katy Stoddard and Seyi Ugochukwu (2025 3MT winner), added great value to the competition and the feedback provided to participants.
The afternoon also featured the Adam Weiler Impact Award Panel and an Emerging Researchers Image Competition, creating further opportunities to showcase the talent, creativity and impact of our postgraduate research community.
The Three Minute Thesis competition continues to be a highlight of the Sussex Researcher Development calendar, celebrating not only excellent research but also the vital skill of communicating that research effectively to diverse audiences. This year's final was a wonderful reminder of the passion, dedication and talent of our postgraduate researchers.
Congratulations to all of our finalists for their hard work and outstanding presentations, and thank you to everyone who attended, supported and helped make the event such a success.