Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2013
How to take part
If you are a postgraduate research student you will be sent an email from pres@surrey.ac.uk with a link and details of how to log in.
If you haven’t received this email, or if you have any questions about the survey, email pres@surrey.ac.uk.
A word from Professor Steve Williamson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research and Innovation)
It gives me great pleasure to announce that the University of Surrey will be participating again in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES).
PRES is run by the University of Surrey, together with the Higher Education Academy, to gather feedback from our postgraduate research student community. The survey asks questions about key aspects of a postgraduate research provision including: supervision, resources, research culture, assessment, skills, and professional development.
This year the survey will be open from Tuesday 5 March to Thursday 16 May 2013. The survey is completely confidential and helps us to identify what you think we do well and where you want us to make improvements so that the experience of every postgraduate research student is positive and rewarding.
When the survey last ran in 2011, 64% of PGR students took part and here are some of the things we did in response to their comments:
Researcher Development Programme (RDP)
Based in the Library, this provides an excellent service to you throughout your journey as a researcher, from induction to the final viva, as well as providing opportunities for you to think about career development throughout your Doctorate. Despite all Universities facing financial pressures, we have effectively doubled the size of this team in the past year to better support you.
PGR information on the University’s website
A brand new site for PGR students has been launched. The site has been tested with PGR students from across the four Faculties. It has been designed to contain all of the generic information you need throughout your studies.
Integrating careers training into PGR studies
We enjoy an excellent graduate employment record here at Surrey. Postgraduate Research Students have a dedicated advisor who understands that your needs are different to those with a first degree. There are now a series of RDP/careers events designed for all stages of your time at Surrey to get you thinking about how you tailor your Doctoral Studies to aim for your chosen career.
The PGR conference
The third PGR Conference, run by researchers for researchers, was an enormous success. I was particularly pleased to see that it was a genuinely multidisciplinary event with strong representation from across the diverse activities of the University. It was great to see the energy and investment from the organising team and to everyone who put together posters and presentations. PRES helps us to support initiatives such as the PGR Conference, which build a vibrant research community.
PRES provides us with valuable data and information which we use to enhance the experience of postgraduate research at the University. At a national level, results are also used to identify where improvements could be made and efforts targeted to further enhance research degree provision in the UK.
I urge all postgraduate research students to complete PRES so that we can continue to enhance the experience of postgraduate research at the University.
If you have any questions about PRES, please feel free to contact my colleagues on pres@surrey.ac.uk
I look forward to hearing your views.
With best wishes,
Professor Steve Williamson
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research and Innovation)
About the survey
PRES has received favourable ethical opinion from the University’s Ethics Committee.
The survey is a joint project between the University of Surrey and the Higher Education Academy.