We are pleased to share an update on our work to design a model of the Postgraduate Research (PGR) Experience that accompanies our existing (taught) Student Learning Experience (SLE) model. This article provides a short update on the progress to-date on the development of a PGR Experience Model for Scotland.
Work undertaken to-date
Beginning in September 2025, sparqs and our sector co-lead, Sandro Eich (a PhD researcher, quality officer, and former PGR representative at the University of St Andrews) undertook desk-based research to inform the initial design of a draft model.
These early components were taken out to the sector for consultation, and in March and April 2026, we hosted three workshops with postgraduate researchers as well as staff and sector agency stakeholders to understand their views on the PGR experience. 67 postgraduate researchers and staff attended the workshops and a further 23 participants responded through our asynchronous participation option, for a total of 93 stakeholders consulted. This led to hundreds of data points about what makes a quality PGR experience – all of which fed into the design of the PGR Experience Model.
Over the summer, sparqs convened a working group consisting of current PGRs and relevant support staff from institutions, students’ associations, and sector agencies. Over the course of six meetings, the PGR Experience Model working group refined the 9 building blocks and 90 reflective questions that now make up a complete draft of the model. The full draft was completed in October 2026.
Future Work
The model is now going out to sector stakeholders for consultation and final refinements before a final version is designed and published. Just like the SLE Model, the final PGR Experience Model will serve as a key sector reference point in the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework and will be used as a tool to facilitate dialogue between PGRs and staff about the quality of the postgraduate research experience.
Queries
If you would like to explore an early draft of the model, or have questions about this work, you can contact Chase Greenfield, Development Consultant.