Kia ora , 

Welcome to the fourth edition of Doctoral News for 2026, filled with news, workshops, notices, opportunities, and resources for every stage of your doctoral journey.

We're excited to have had so many new doctoral candidates joining us this month, and we wish you all the best for your studies. If you're new to Auckland (and even if you aren't), we encourage you to explore ways to make new friends and find belonging on campus by visiting our Doctoral wellbeing and community web page.

Ngā mihi nui,
Te Kura Akoranga Tohu Paerua | The School of Graduate Studies (SGS)

News

Enter your 3MT faculty heat

Entries have opened for this year's Three Minute Thesis (3MT) faculty heats: Arts and Education, Business and Economics combined with Law, Engineering and Design, FMHS, and Science.

3MT takes place in more than 900 universities around the world, but it's not just a competition. It's an excellent opportunity for you to grow your research communication skills in a safe space, get your research noticed, and connect with the wider doctoral community, so don't miss out!

The closing date for entries is Thursday 30 April, and training takes place in May. Learn more about 3MT and how to enter your faculty heat.

What's on in March

Tuesday 10 to Thursday 19 March: Job Search Bootcamp (City Campus)

Tuesday 10 to Thursday 26 March: Get Recruitment Ready (City Campus)

Wednesday 11 March: Programming with Python (Zoom)

Wednesday 11 to Thursday 12 March: Asia-Pacific Futures: Seeding Transformative Change for People and Nature Workshop (City Campus)

Thursday 12 March: Risk Assessment (City Campus)

Friday 13 March: Word Thesis Formatting (Zoom)

Tuesday 17 March: Velocity Kick-Off (City Campus)

Tuesday 17 March: Writing a Data Management Plan (Zoom)

Tuesday 17 March: NVivo Core Skills (Zoom)

Tuesday 17 March: MedTech Connect - Tāmaki Makaurau (City Campus)

Wednesday 18 March: Presenting your Research (Zoom)

Wednesday 18 March: AI for Literature Reviews (Zoom)

Wednesday 18 March to Wednesday 6 May: Te Haerenga | Māori and Pacific Employability Programme (City Campus)

Thursday 19 March: SPSS Core Skills (Zoom)

Thursday 19 March: Kiwis in Climate Book Launch (City Campus)

Thursday 19 March: Doctoral Drop-In Session for Arts and Education (City Campus): 10am to 11am in Room 201-826 - no need to rsvp

Tuesday 24 March: Data Analysis and Visualisation in R (Zoom)

Wednesday 25 March: How to Plan your PhD, with Hugh Kearns (Zoom)

Thursday 26 March: Tips on Communicating your Research (Zoom)

Friday 27 March: Introductory Good Clinical Practice Training (Grafton Campus)

Monday 30 March: Abstract Writing (City Campus)
 

Scene around

Welcome to the new ACAP cohort

The 2026 Academic Career Advancement Programme (ACAP) cohort of 21 enthusiastic doctoral candidates met together for the first time on Wednesday 25 February. This year, the facilitator is Holly Wilson from the School of Pharmacy, who previously completed ACAP herself. 

ACAP is a sought-after annual programme that provides you with the opportunity to explore key aspects of academic life, build interdisciplinary relationships with academics across the University, and get a head start in the job market. Learn more about ACAP.

Notices

Te Papa Manaaki | Campus Care

A reminder that the University offers free counselling sessions through Te Papa Manaaki | Campus Care. We know that, right now, many of our candidates have friends and family in countries impacted by international conflict and are deeply concerned for their safety, and so we encourage you to sign up for counselling if you need someone to talk to. You can even refer a friend, and Campus Care will reach out to them. The Maclaurin Chaplaincy is also a helpful resource, as they can connect you with others from your faith community.  Learn more about Te Papa Manaaki | Campus Care and the Maclaurin Chaplaincy.

Learn about NZ's bicultural heritage

Te Akoranga Kairangi is an eight-week programme held regularly during the year for University of Auckland staff members by Te Puna Wānanga. Doctoral candidates can take part when there is availability. The programme, consisting of weekly two-hour sessions, introduces Māori language pronunciation, tikanga (customs), and a history of Māori-Pākehā relations. It is also an opportunity for a discussion about how the University’s commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi affects workplace practice. Express your interest.

Candidates in the spotlight

Patricia Pillay | Anthropology

University of Auckland PhD candidate Patricia Pillay and her transdisciplinary team have been using advanced lab technology to analyse the DNA of tiny, ancient bird bone fragments from Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia. As they've been piecing together how birds and humans interacted there hundreds of years ago, they have successfully identified two species of shearwater and one red-tailed tropicbird. Learn more about Patricia's research in Bird's eye view of ancient Pacific life.

Gene Tangtartharakul | Psychology

What if you took ChatGPT to an eye clinic? University of Auckland scientists have been doing just that: putting commercial AI systems – ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini – through clinical tests to investigate how close they are to achieving human-level vision. The research was led by PhD student Gene Tangtartharakul, and the senior author was his supervisor, Dr Katherine Storrs, who runs the Computational Perception Lab in the School of Psychology. Read about Gene's research in Blindspots in AI vision revealed in study.

Scholarships

Kate Edger Foundation First Year Doctoral Awards

Up to four awards available to assist women graduates currently enrolled in their first year of full-time study at an approved Institute in the Auckland area towards a PhD or named Doctorate. Value: $11,000. Closing date: Tuesday 14 April. Apply here.

Kate Edger Foundation – Dame Dorothy Winstone Doctoral Completion Awards

One award to assist a woman graduate who will have completed a minimum of three years full-time, or six years part-time study towards a PhD or named Doctorate to have one semester free of teaching or administrative duties to facilitate completion of her PhD or named Doctorate. Value: $16,000. Closing date: Tuesday 14 April. Apply here.