3MT competition

• It’s fun!
• Build transferable skills
• Receive invaluable feedback on your research communication
• Network with other researchers
• Win great prizes
• AUT winners will compete at national and/or international level.

PhD and professional doctorate students

You must have successfully passed your confirmation milestone (PGR9) or have your thesis under submission (for examination) by the date of your first 3MT presentation. Graduates are not eligible.

Master's research students

You must be enrolled in a research paper (dissertation or thesis) of 90 points (or more) or have your research under submission (for examination) by the date of your first 3MT presentation. Graduates are not eligible.

On 17 September AUT hosted the 2020 National Universities Masters 3MT Competition, the next level of competition for the 3MT for master’s research students. The master’s winners from universities across New Zealand had three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance. This event took place online, with presentations by video submission.

Missed watching the 2020 National Universities Masters 3MT Competition live? A recording of the event is available for a limited time.

Access the event recording

Finalists

Competitors in the 2020 National Universities Masters 3MT Competition represented universities across New Zealand. This year’s competitors were:

• Alana Thurston, Lincoln University
• Erin Thomas, University of Auckland
• Flynn Adcock, University of Canterbury
• Kaitlin Button, University of Waikato
• Marianne Carroll, Auckland University of Technology

Award Announcements

• Highly commended at the 2020 Virtual National Universities Masters 3MT Competition was awarded to Flynn Adcock, from the University of Canterbury.
• The winner of the 2020 Virtual National Universities Masters 3MT Competition was AUT's own Marianne Carroll, from the Faculty of Health & Environmental Sciences.
  • Read about Marianne's 3MT journey on Thesislink
  • Watch her winning video on YouTube

Judges

Dr Diana Siew

Dr Lyn Lavery

Dr Lyn Lavery is the Director of Academic Consulting Ltd, a company with a longstanding reputation for providing support to both academic staff and postgraduate students at New Zealand universities.
Previously a lecturer at both University of Auckland and Massey University, she specialises in teaching research methods, particularly data analysis techniques and the skills needed to effectively communicate research findings. Lyn’s PhD is in the area of educational psychology, but her recent research has seen her work across a diverse range of fields including health, business, sport and exercise science, and social policy.

Professor Juliet Gerrard

Professor Juliet Gerrard FRSNZ, FHonFRSC trained at Oxford University and moved to Aotearoa in 1993 where her career has included roles in both Crown Research Institutes and universities. Juliet’s research background is broad and interdisciplinary, with particular interests in fundamental and applied protein science. She has held an Industry and Outreach Fellowship with Callaghan Innovation, founded a start-up company, chaired the Marsden Council, and served on the Board of Directors of Plant and Food Research.

Since Juliet’s appointment in 2018 as the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Kaitohutohu Mātanga Pūtaiao Matua ki te Pirimia, she has worked from a base of four founding principles: rigour, inclusivity, transparency, and accessibility. She has supported the science and science advisor community to provide advice to the PM, ministers, and the public on a wide range of topics, including advice on the Christchurch mosque shootings, the response to the Whakaari | White Island eruption, and the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, the Office released a major report, Rethinking Plastics in Aotearoa New Zealand, which created a vision for a new relationship with plastic.

Prizes and sponsorship

Prizes included:

• Research awards
• A Microsoft Surface Pro 5 from ICT services and Cyclone

Sponsorship

This event was sponsored by ICT and supplier partner Cyclone.

For the first time the AUT 3MT Competition was virtual; master's and doctoral students gave their 3 minute research presentations by video submission. Finalists' videos had been selected from the pre-heats, with the finals event having taken place online on 4 September.

If you missed watching the 2020 Virtual AUT 3MT Competition live, don't worry, a recording of the event will be available for a limited time.

Access the event recording

Master's finalists

• Afiq Abdul Hamid
• Marianne Carroll

Doctoral finalists

• Alena Shannaq
• David Gadnyx
• Kaushalya Kumarasinghe
• Megan Burfoot
• Negin Ahmadi Saber Doust
• Smita Keshoor

L to R: Afiq Abdul Hamid, David Gadnyx, Marianne Carroll, Negin Ahmadi Saber Doust, Alena Shannaq, Kaushalya Kumarasinghe, Megan Burfoot, Smita Keshoor

Winners

See all the AUT 3MT winners

Judges

Members of the judging panel were:

• Associate Professor Jennie Billot, Head of Researcher Development
• Ngaire Rix, Manager of Learning Success
• Peter Jean-Paul, Winner of the 2019 AUT 3MT Competition

Prizes included

• Research awards
• A Microsoft Surface Pro 5 from ICT services and Cyclone
• $50 of vouchers for Counter / Newsfeed / Refuel / Kaife / K101

Sponsorship

This event was sponsored by ICT and supplier partner Cyclone and AUT Cafes.

Finalists from the 2019 pre-heats competed in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition finals, explaining their research and its significance in a captivating and inspiring way. The finals took place on Friday 16 August, at the end of the 2019 Postgraduate Research Symposium day.

Read more information about the 2019 Postgraduate Research Symposium here.

2019 AUT 3MT Competition Finalists

Master's:

• Saba Tavakolinejad: ;On the danger of Artificial Intelligence
• Livvy Mitchell: Home Detention: Couch surfing or job preserving?
• Devika Gopi: Executive functioning in Stroke

Doctoral:

• Dwayne Woolliams: Impacting sport leadership one relationship at a time
• Najmah Usman: "My baby deserves LOVE, not HIV"
• William Caicedo: ISeeU: Visually Interpretable Deep Learning for Mortality Prediction Inside the ICU
• Peter Jean-Paul: ;Investigating the value proposition of Energy Saving Devices
• Mahesh Babu Purushothaman: Shed bias, astute work stress
• Alena Shannaq: What makes students effective in their studies
• Isaac Amoah: Bread with vegetables: for that feel full feeling and regulation of blood sugar

Access videos of the 2019 AUT 3MT Competition finalists' performances on the Thesislink YouTube channel.

Check out photos from the event on the Thesislink Facebook page.

Saba Tavakolinejad took out the 2019 AUT 3MT Master's Competition Audience Vote. And, Livvy Mitchell, with her presentation, 'Home Detention: Couch surfing or job preserving?' won the 2019 AUT 3MT Master's Competition. It is with great excitement that we announce that Livvy went on to win the 2019 Three Minute Thesis New Zealand Inter-University Master's Final, hosted by the University of Otago in Dunedin.

Alena Shannaq, with her presentation 'What makes students effective in their studies' was the Runner-Up of the 2019 AUT 3MT Doctoral Competition. The winner of the 2019 doctoral competition was Peter Jean-Paul, with his presentation, 'Investigating the value proposition of Energy Saving Devices'. Peter also took out the Audience Vote for the 2019 Doctoral Competition. Peter went on to represent AUT at the Asia-Pacific Competition in Brisbane, Australia on 4 October, 2019.

The 2019 Postgraduate Research Symposium, inclusive of the AUT 3MT Competition finals, was sponsored by: