Your feedback is important to us
We're keen to make sure postgraduate research students have the best possible experience while studying with us. To do that we need to know what you think we are doing well and where we can do better.
The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2025 is your chance to tell us your thoughts about your research degree programme. The results help us compare how we are doing with other institutions, to make changes that improve what we do in the future and to keep doing the things that you value.
The PRES is open to all research degree students studying with us for more than one year, including research phase Professional Doctorate students, with a live registration, who started their studies before February 2025.
What will PRES 2025 ask?
The PRES 2025 should only take 15 minutes to complete and you will be asked to rate your overall satisfaction with the quality of your research degree programme, how well elements of it have met your expectations, and your satisfaction within the following themes:
- Supervision
- Resources
- Research culture
- Progress and assessment
- Responsibilities
- Support
- Research skills and professional development
- Opportunities
- Overall experience
- Motivations
It will also include a few extra questions about issues that are particularly relevant to us and to students at the University of Portsmouth such as the Doctoral College and wellbeing.
How do I take part?
The PRES 2025 survey launches on Tuesday 8 April 2025 and if eligible* you will be sent an email link to the survey in your student email account (i.e. your up123456@myport.ac.uk format email address). If you don’t normally use this account, please ensure you have set up an auto-forward to the email account you regularly use to ensure you receive the link to participate.
By taking part in PRES 2025 you will automatically be entered into our prize draw to win £1,000 towards supporting your studies** here at the University of Portsmouth. The winner will be contacted shortly after the survey has closed.
If you have any problems accessing or completing the survey, please contact Sue Soffe, PRES 2025 administrator: studentsurveys@port.ac.uk.
* All Research Students in their research phase, who registered before February 2025 and held a live registration on 22 March 2025.
**For example: Conference attendance, research equipment, study materials.
PRES 2024 Prize Winner | Kieran Graham
We asked the 2024 PRES Prize draw winner Kieran Graham about the win.
Kieran said “I honestly wasn't expecting to win, I just filled in the survey and got on with my life. When I found out that I had won the prize money, I was so surprised but very grateful for the opportunities it would give me. I am currently researching how various groups of stars can tell us more about galaxy evolution at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation. So far, I have really enjoyed my research because I get to analyse data collected from telescopes around the world. I plan to use the PRES money to attend a symposium on massive galaxies in Naples, Italy, and therefore learn more about these interesting structures in our universe. ”
What happens to the results?
Your feedback is important to us. Over one hundred universities and colleges take part in the PRES, both UK and globally. This means we can compare your experience against similar postgraduate research students at other institutions to see if we are supporting your learning as we should. We use the findings to improve our research degree programmes and the learning experience of future research degree students.
The PRES 2025 Briefing Note provides some details of key outcomes of the previous (2024) PRES survey, and summarises the actions taken since then.
Is it anonymous?
Whilst the survey is taking place the database will record user details to allow the survey software to send targeted reminder emails to students who have yet to complete the survey. Whilst the survey is open you have the right to withdraw consent for us to use or store your data. At the end of the survey period (9 May 2025) it will no longer be possible to withdraw your data as the linked email address will be deleted and the data will be held so that individuals are no longer identifiable. After the survey has ended your anonymised data will be held securely for up to 10 years and may be used in summary form by AdvanceHE and the University of Portsmouth in scientific, research or statistical reports to better understand the PGR student experience. No individual will ever be identified in any reports or publications. We will store your data securely and all students will receive a summary of the results later in the year.
Data protection
If you ever have any queries about how your data will be used or processed, please contact the doctoral-college@port.ac.uk or the University’s Disclosure and Complaints Manager, Samantha Hill at complaintsadvice@port.ac.uk. You also have the right to lodge a complaint about how your data has been used with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
If you do not wish to take part in the survey, please contact studentsurveys@port.ac.uk to be removed from the PRES 2025 mailing list.
Please note that because the survey data is anonymous, if you have a specific concern that requires action by the University, you should contact your supervisor, your Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research or your Head of Department.
For further information about the support available to you as a postgraduate research degree student at the University of Portsmouth, please contact the Doctoral College at doctoral-college@port.ac.uk.