This entertaining event gives thesis students the chance to present their research to a large audience while competing for a number of generous prizes, with the overall University of Otago Doctoral winner going on to participate in the online Asia-Pacific 3MT ® final. There may also be an opportunity for the best master's contestant to represent the University at an online New Zealand Masters 3MT® National Inter-University Challenge. The overall Doctoral winner and runner up will be entered in the online Matariki Competition in October.
The competition is open to both thesis master's and doctoral students, who must communicate their research in no more than three minutes, with the help of only one static slide, with the presentation aimed at a non-specialist audience.
University of Otago Grand Final
Date: Tuesday, 1 September, 5:30pm
Venue: St David’s Lecture Theatre
- Best Doctoral presentation $750 grant to assist with research
- Best Master's presentation $500 grant to assist with research
Prizes will also be awarded for the Doctoral runner-up, and the people's choice.
Eligibility
Active PhD and Professional Doctorate candidates who have successfully passed their confirmation milestone (including candidates whose thesis is under examination, but not graduates) by the date of their first presentation are eligible to participate in all levels of the 3MT® competition.
Master's thesis (90 points of research or more) candidates who are active in a programme (including candidates whose thesis is under examination, but not graduates) are eligible to participate in all levels of the 3MT® competition.
Competition rules
The University of Otago 3MT® competition follows the official rules of the founder, the University of Queensland.
Read the full competition rules
Previous winners
2025 Final
The 2025 annual 3MT™ grand final was held on Thursday 28 August in Castle two lecture theatre.
Best Doctoral Presentation
Pham van Hau
Congratulations to Pham van Hau, a PhD candidate from Marketing whose talk was entitled: Milk, plastic… and the power of easy choices.
Pham won the Best Doctoral 3MT™ award comprising a prize of $750, provided by the Graduate Research School, and the opportunity to compete in the Asia-Pacific 3MT™ Competition and the Matariki Network of Universities 3MT™ Competition, both held virtually in September and October in 2025.
Pham was awarded the People’s choice award in the Matariki Network competition
Doctoral Runner-up Presentation
Katie Buschang
Congratulations to Katie Buschang from the Department of Zoology whose talk was entitled: Curiosity killed the cat…and the bird: An analysis of toxoplasma gondii in avian hosts.
Katie took away a prize of $250 from the Graduate Research School.
Best Master's Presentation
Brooke Morrison
Brooke, a master’s candidate from the Department of Biochemistry presented her research entitled: How to beat colorectal cancer – a new targeted therapy.
People’s Choice Winner
Sarah du Toit
From the Department of Pathology and Biomedical Sciences, Christchurch campus, Sarah won the People’s Choice award with her presentation: Microbial Smugglers: How a common pathogen outsmarts our immune response with glutathione