Visualise your thesis
The Visualise Your Thesis TM (VYT) is an international competition for graduate researchers developed by The University of Melbourne.
What is it?
VYT challenges graduate researchers to present their research to a non-specialist audience in just 60 seconds through an eye-catching and informative video. Using a pre-supplied template, entrants create a striking visual presentation that succinctly describes their research and its potential benefits.
Why enter VYT?
- Create a one-minute explainer that can be used to promote your research
- Develop your research communication skills
- Learn to pitch research impact to boost engagement and funding opportunities
- Benefit from a range of learning opportunities
- You may win a prize!
VYT provides graduate researchers with an opportunity to build and apply their digital literacy skills, ensuring they’re workplace-ready. By creating a 'visual elevator pitch' participants develop crucial employability skills like effective communication, digital literacy and visual storytelling. They also build their awareness of open access to information and copyright.
Participation in VYT can be included in your an Australian Higher Education Graduate Statement as an AHEGS-worthy training though your Individual Learning Plan. AHEGS is a standardised format for Australian Higher Education qualifications that enables the qualifications to be recognised and renowned throughout the world. (You’ll need your supervisor’s approval to add this competition to your ILP).
Prizes
There are prizes for the winner of the VYT competition, the first runner-up and the People's Choice winner awarded by the audience.
Winner: $1,000
First runner-up: $500
People's choice: $500
Who is eligible to enter?
The Visualise Your Thesis competition is open to currently-enrolled graduate researchers (including students enrolled in Master Philosophy, Masters by Research, PhD or Professional Doctorate programmes) at any stage of their candidature who are active and attending of registered VYT 2025 institutions.
You are not eligible to enter the competition if you are:
- an Honours student
- a Masters by coursework student (even if your program has a research/thesis component)
- a graduate researcher on a leave of absence (i.e. inactive and not attending)
- a lapsed candidate
- a graduate researcher employed by the university who may have, or may be perceived to have, influence over the competition outcome, research funding or related resourcing, or an otherwise unfair advantage over the other entrants from the university.
Research institutes affiliated with multiple universities may run their own VYT program. However, graduate researchers can only enter one local round per year.
Entries should be unique and original. The resubmission of previous entries is only permitted where substantial revision has occurred.
How to register
To participate in the 2025 VYT competition, log in to the CloudDeakin VYT site to download the VYT Entrant Pack and the mandatory presentation template. The site also includes the competition rules, judging criteria plus support and advice, training news and updates. It’s also where you submit your final presentation.
You can self-enrol right now! (Deakin only)
Need help registering in the site? View our further information (Deakin only)
Important dates
The 2025 VYT competition and program launch kicked-off on Wednesday 19 March.
Rules and judging criteria
Grand Final results
The Deakin University Three Minute Thesis (3MT) and Visualise Your Thesis (VYT) Grand Final was held on Wednesday 7 August in Geelong. It provided an entertaining afternoon that showcased our brilliant research students competing to be the best at research communication.
Watch the 2024 event on our Deakin Research YouTube channel.
Watch the 2023 event on our Deakin Research YouTube channel.
Deakin 2024 VYT winners
Winner
Julie Maree Wood (Deakin’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN))
‘Nourishment in the new home: food security issues among recently-arrived refugees in Australia’.
Julie won the VYT competition for her presentation, ‘Nourishment in the new home: food security issues among recently-arrived refugees in Australia’.
Julie is a healthcare professional and author. Her PhD research focuses on food security issues and developing sustainable food systems among recently-arrived refugees settling in high-income countries.
Her winning VYT presentation is now through to the international round of the competition.
Runner-up
Ankush Dehlia, (Deakin's Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment)
‘New approaches to drug discovery for ME/CFS’
People's choice
Kira Morgan Hughes (Deakin's Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment)
'Revolutionising pollen forecasts with real-time sensors’
Deakin 2024 VYT finalists
- Aritra Bhattacharya, Faculty of Business and Law: ‘Sales contests: should we reward results or process?’
- Joe Malibiran, SEBE: ‘What if we measure internship success by looking at how much it benefits the students, the industry and the university?’
- Muhammad Shaukat, IISRI: ‘Transforming gene sequencing with AI unlocking new possibilities’
- Rita Vo, Faculty of Business and Law: ‘Impact of product attributes on green product evaluation’
- Dulini Fernando, SEBE: ‘NanoGuard: for efficient CO2 capture’
- Echo Zhou, SEBE: ‘Developing robust methods to handle missing data in real-world applications effectively’
- Kumkum Ravish, Faculty of Health: ‘A colourful dilemma: understanding the bioavailability phytonutrients in whole foods vs extracts!’
- Bill Lam, Faculty of Health: ‘Developing an online healthy and sustainable nutrition program for young adults’
- Ahalya Suresh, SEBE: ‘Tourism in blue carbon ecosystems: yay or nay?’
- Annie Termaat, Faculty of Arts and Education: ‘Meaning in the middle years: how metacognition in curricula is translated in pedagogy and student perspectives’
- Sithara Wanni Arachchige Dona, Faculty of Health: ‘Economic burden of anxiety in children and adolescents in Australia’
- Chenjia Li, Faculty of Business and Law: 'The urgency of climate changes: can regulations bring about change?'
- Aritra Bhattacharya, Faculty of Business and Law: ‘Sales contests: should we reward results or process?’
- Joe Malibiran, SEBE: ‘What if we measure internship success by looking at how much it benefits the students, the industry and the university?’
- Muhammad Shaukat, IISRI: ‘Transforming gene sequencing with AI unlocking new possibilities’
- Rita Vo, Faculty of Business and Law: ‘Impact of product attributes on green product evaluation’
- Dulini Fernando, SEBE: ‘NanoGuard: for efficient CO2 capture’
- Echo Zhou, SEBE: ‘Developing robust methods to handle missing data in real-world applications effectively’
- Kumkum Ravish, Faculty of Health: ‘A colourful dilemma: understanding the bioavailability phytonutrients in whole foods vs extracts!’
- Bill Lam, Faculty of Health: ‘Developing an online healthy and sustainable nutrition program for young adults’
- Ahalya Suresh, SEBE: ‘Tourism in blue carbon ecosystems: yay or nay?’
- Annie Termaat, Faculty of Arts and Education: ‘Meaning in the middle years: how metacognition in curricula is translated in pedagogy and student perspectives’
- Sithara Wanni Arachchige Dona, Faculty of Health: ‘Economic burden of anxiety in children and adolescents in Australia’
- Chenjia Li, Faculty of Business and Law: 'The urgency of climate changes: can regulations bring about change?'