Australia 2025 summary
The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) provides robust, benchmark data to help institutions understand and enhance the postgraduate research (HDR) student experience.
Building on growing participation across Australasia, the latest results highlight how research students are experiencing key aspects of their programmes – from supervision and resources to research culture, community and skills development.
The summary below presents key insights from the Australia 2025 PRES results, alongside comparisons with the wider sector.
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More than 1,500 higher degree by research (HDR) students from four Australian institutions took part in the 2023 Postgraduate Research Experience Survey.
Why PRES matters
Postgraduate researchers are central to institutional research culture and performance. Their experience influences research quality, completion rates and future academic and professional pathways.
PRES helps institutions to:
- Capture the voice of postgraduate researchers
- Benchmark against Australasian and international peers
- Identify priorities for improvement
- Strengthen supervision, support and research culture
- Inform strategic decision-making with evidence
The experiences of ANU HDR candidates are not always reflected in national surveys. Since piloting PRES in 2015 and adopting it in 2021, ANU has used its insights to monitor research training and identify strengths and areas for improvement. PRES also enables global benchmarking, and wider participation across Australia would strengthen national comparisons and support the HDR journey.
Bo Liu, Manager, Institutional Research, Planning and Service Performance, The Australian National University
