The skill of describing complex research to an interested general public will be tested in a ‘Three Minute Thesis’ competition at this year’s Eisteddfod in Pontypridd.

Our Researcher Development team has been creating new opportunities for Welsh-speaking ECR Network members to share and discuss their research in Welsh, as part of our strategic aim to grow research talent in Wales. Our 2024 ECR Colloquium ‘A Connected Wales’, for example, included Welsh language flash-talks and poster presentations.

The Researcher Development team have now partnered with Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, to host a ‘Cystadleuaeth Traethawd Tri Munud’ (Three Minute Thesis Competition) at this year’s Eisteddfod on the 9^th August in Pontypridd. This is an opportunity for researchers to share their research through the medium of Welsh and to a general audience.

The event will include contributions from six researchers, speaking on a wide range of important and interesting topics:

Daniel Bryant (Aberystwyth University, International Politics) on developments in second-home public policy and the influence of social movements on shaping these developments in Wales and beyond.

Elin Williams (Cardiff University, Mathematics) on how mathematical models can help us understand the COVID pandemic’s influence on alcohol consumption and its impact on health, social care, and crime rates in Gwent.

Ellis Evan Jones (Cardiff University, Biosciences) on seeking new and novel treatments for a rare disorder caused by defective proteins in lysosomes leading to severe neurological and developmental symptoms and a shortened lifespan. 

Gosia Rutecka (Swansea University, Welsh) on Welsh language collocation patterns (words that frequently appear together) and how her research led her to develop a dictionary of Welsh collocations. 

Lynne Davies (Cardiff University, Social Sciences) on the role of Welsh medium education in the Welsh Government’s target to have a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and what can be learnt from exploring the experiences of those who came to the language later than others.

Megan Beth Sass (Cardiff University, Welsh) on the role of creativity in the Curriculum for Wales Framework and the challenges and opportunities of creativity for teachers.

Fellows of the Society will be supporting the event, including Elin Rhys FLSW, Professor Alan Shore FLSW and Dr Aled Eirug FLSW. The LSW is sponsoring the prize for the best presentation.

We invite you to join us at Coleg Cymraeg’s stand, Eisteddfod, 9^th August at 1pm for an exciting event to promote research through the medium of Welsh and to support the next generation of Welsh researchers. The event will also be an opportunity to meet with our speakers and panellists and to engage in conversations about research in Wales.

For further information, please contact researcherdevelopment@lsw.wales.ac.uk