Postgraduate Research Experience Survey results 2019

The results of the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2019 are now available. 35% of Warwick’s student postgraduate research community responded to the survey, providing us with valuable feedback to take forward.

We’d like to say a big thank you for all your efforts in encouraging participants to complete the survey.

Some top level results:

• Overall satisfaction is at 81%
• Supervision - 86% satisfaction. Warwick’s particular areas of strength include satisfaction with supervisor skills and subject knowledge (in the top quarter globally), and having regular contact with supervisors.
• Research skills - 85% satisfaction. Our particular areas of strength include satisfaction with developing students’ research skills and critical analysis skills during their programmes
• Resources - 83% satisfaction (top quarter globally). In particular, students were satisfied with library provision.

Increases in satisfaction:

• Students’ satisfaction with communicating their research to a non-academic audience was up +7% since 2017
• Satisfaction with managing their own professional development was up 5%
• Satisfaction with teaching support and guidance also increased by 5%

Areas to improve:

• We are now ranked in the top quarter globally for satisfaction with research culture, but have low satisfaction with creating a stimulating research community, opportunities for wider involvement in the research community and access to a good seminar programme
• Responding to feedback from students
• Agreeing a personal training or development plan
• Receiving advice on career options.

Based on the results of this survey and other student feedback, the Graduate School will be focusing its efforts in the next academic year on the following topics:

• Supervision - The supervisor-supervisee relationship is central to the experience, success, and wellbeing of PhD students. We’ll improve the experience of both PhD students and their supervisors by developing resources to facilitate productive supervisory relationships.
• Wellbeing - Building on recent findings on what contributes to the wellbeing of PhD students, we’ll raise awareness on issues such as isolation, work-life balance, etc.
• Professional development – We’ll review progressive training in line with academic needs and career goals to improve how PGRs and supervisors engage with professional development. We will consider training and activities for skills but also for health and wellbeing.

Departments have been invited to participate in an action planning activity alongside their students. Through this exercise, the Graduate School will facilitate the sharing of good practice between departments as well as the gathering of any cross-faculty matters that require institutional commitment. For more information, please contact graduateschool at warwick dot ac dot uk.