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To make sure PhD Researchers have the best possible experience while studying at Ulster University we need to know what you think we are doing well and if we can do anything better.

The PRES runs every other year, from mid March to mid May, with the 2025 survey having just closed.  The outcomes of the 2025 survey will be published as soon as they are available.  Our postgraduate researchers will receive an invitation to participate in the survey containing a unique survey URL and we hope that everyone will take part.  As an incentive, we are offering two £100 Amazon vouchers as part of a prize draw.

PRES Infographic 2023

View PRES Results 2023

PRES 2023 results

We're proud to announce that the 2023 results for PRES are now available, and Ulster University had another great year.

Ulster ranked 4th in the UK for overall PhD researcher satisfaction , with a participation rate of 78% (compared to a national average of 30%).  Ulster also ranked 5th in the UK for research culture and were above average in every performance indicator.

Other highlights:

  • 4th in UK for Responsibilities
  • 5th in UK for Professional Development
  • 5th in UK for Community
  • 6th in UK for Support
  • 6th in UK for Research Skills
  • 6th in UK for Progression

(Source: Higher Education Academy, June 2023)

2023 reports

Learn more about PRES

What is PRES?

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) is a national survey conducted by institutions across the UK and globally, and it is the only way for Ulster to compare how we are doing with other institutions.

Why should I take part?

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey is your chance to share your thoughts and experiences about your research degree at Ulster.

The results help Ulster compare how we are doing with other institutions, to make changes that will improve what we do in the future and to keep doing the things that you value. This will help improve the experience of PhD Researchers like you.

What does PRES cover?

PRES concentrates on the following aspects of your research degree:

  • Supervision
  • Resources
  • Research culture
  • Progress and assessment
  • Responsibilities
  • Research skills and professional development
  • Opportunities
  • Overall experience
What happens to the results?

Your feedback is important. Over 100 universities and colleges take part in the UK and globally.

This means we can compare your experience against similar postgraduates at other institutions to see if we are supporting your learning as we should.

We use the findings to improve the learning experience for future PhD Researchers.

Is PRES anonymous?

Your survey response is confidential to the team processing the results and no reporting outside of this team will identify any individual.

Any results communicated to academic staff will be anonymised.

The survey asks that any comments you make should not identify yourself or any specific members of staff.

If you do have any issues that need resolved, please contact either your Research Director or the Doctoral College team at pgr@ulster.ac.uk outside the survey.

What do I need to do?

The survey runs from March to May every other year. The next survey period will be March to May 2025.

You will receive an email with a personalised link to the questionnaire when PRES launches.

Simply click on the link in the email and complete the online form. It takes around 15 minutes to complete.