Just think of savings in hours of productivity lost as a budding expert tries to explain the ideas inside their head to an increasingly bewildered layperson.

Well, that is exactly what the University of Wollongong's annual competition demands - a concise summary of a hugely complicated topic, with just one visual slide in support.

This year it was won by Stefania Peracchi, of the university's Centre for Medical Radiation Physics, for her presentation of her PhD research on wearable and affordable radiation detectors for astronauts, to measure their exposure to cosmic rays in real-time.

"For example, in a three-year space mission the level of radiation is 1000 times higher than back here in Australia and this increases the possibility of developing a cancer from 1 in 200 people, to 1 in 20 people," Ms Peracchi said.

Being able to communicate so clearly will be a major asset within and beyond the university.

Ms Peracchi receives $1500 and will represent UOW at the Asia Pacific 3MT final, against finalists from institutions across Oceania and Asia.

Ms Peracchi's winning presentation, "Moon to Mars and beyond", can be viewed on YouTube.