MUSEQ-R

In 2023, around 24% of students responded to the annual survey. The highlights below summarise responses across all four Faculties. To be considered ‘satisfied’ in a given domain, students responded with an average of ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ cumulatively across the questions in that domain.

You said…

When asked about their overall satisfaction, most research students (more than four out of five) were satisfied with their experience, consistent with previous years.

Notably, compared year on year, satisfaction levels are significantly higher than the COVID-19 impacted years (2020-2021) and also generally higher than 2019. The trend is one of steady improvement.

• Supervision: Supervisors are great! 9 out of 10 students are satisfied with their supervisory teams. But you would like more guidance on topic choice and literature reviews.
• Skills: You’re confident in your skill development – but leadership is an area where more can be offered – consistent with previous years.
• Intellectual climate: Moderately satisfied, in line with 2022. We’ve bounced back from the COVID-19 impact of 2020 and 2021, but you’d like to see more engagement in your schools and departments.
• Infrastructure: Workspaces are pretty good. But as always, funding can be improved.
• Library: Four out of five students are satisfied with the library. Different disciplines experience the library in different ways. You can always speak with a Research Librarian to help with tailored literature needs.
• GRA Support: Most students are satisfied with GRA Support for their studies, but you told us that our website needs work.

Our action plans

In considering the results from the 2023 survey, the GRA together with Faculties have developed the following actions (and more) to continue improving students’ experience during their degrees.

• Overall, to increase the sense of being part of a cohort throughout your degree we now have specific starting points across the year, and we have developed a new streamlined and guided orientation so that you start your PhD or Masters with what you need.
• A revised Supervision policy has now been released (effective Oct 1, 2024) to provide greater clarity on responsibilities for supervisors.
• In 2024, we launched the Graduate Researcher Development Program to support and guide skill development. You can now evaluate your skill levels and map out training development against a skill framework specifically designed for researchers.
• We’ve increased funding for the PGRF, raising it to an available $6000.
• We’re working on communicating more effectively, so that you can hear about opportunities more easily, and connect with your peers and research communities. The first piece of this is a refined website for Graduate Research, organised according to the journey through your degree from getting started to submission and beyond.
• We’re developing an industry strategy to bolster industry engagement and professional pathways.

These are just some of highlights emerging from the 2023 Graduate Research Annual Survey results. Each Faculty has their own set of individual results and following actions. Speak to your Research Training Director or Associate Dean, Research Training and Performance (AD, RTP) for information about your area.

If you would like to read more about the 2023 survey results, please write to gr.experience@mq.edu.au

Areas that require improvement were also identified:

• student integration into the research community
• administrative processes and support
• scholarship and research funding

• Increased scholarship stipends to assist students with the increases in the cost of living.
• Continued to deliver a range of workshops to support students with their skill development and milestone requirements.
• Launched a range of initiatives, including Covid leave and extension provisions, to support students during lockdown.
• Joined the iPREP Biodesign program to provide students with an exciting opportunity to collaborate with industry on design thinking.
• Established the Graduate Research Advisory Group (GRAG) to strengthen the communication between Graduate Research Leadership, management and students and to provide an effective mechanism for engaging with the GR cohort to inform decision making.
• Developed Guidelines for Graduate Research Internships and introduced new provisions to support students wishing to undertake an internship opportunity.
• Offered new supervision workshops focused on supervision practices and supporting students’ skill development and progression.
• Increased the amount of Postgraduate Research Funding (PGRF) to help students cover expenses relating to the conduct of their research or fieldwork.
• Introduced new mandatory training requirements for external supervisors, creating an awareness and understanding of the rules, policies, and codes that supervisors and students are expected to adhere to.
• Trained GRA staff in Mental Health First Aid and awareness, and provided all students with access to the Black Dog Institute’s Mental Health and Wellbeing eLearning module.
• Transitioned from paper-based forms to eForms for key processes such as variations to candidature.
• Launched the Graduate Research Peer Mentors program to improve peer level support within the research community, reduce the sense of isolation and create networking opportunities.
• Hosted a range of social events, including the annual GRAfest, providing an avenue for students to connect with the graduate research community.