Evaluation of the Postgraduate Support Scheme Pilot
Widening Access to Postgraduate Study and the Professions was one of 20 HEFCE-funded Postgraduate Support Scheme pilot projects. The University of Sheffield led a consortium of research intensive universities (Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Warwick and York), which investigated and piloted a range of innovative ways of attracting under-represented groups into postgraduate taught study. The project comprised scholarships; information, advice and guidance; academic innovation and a programme of research to better understand barriers to postgraduate progression. CFE were commissioned to carry out a two-phase evaluation of the pilot. As part of this we carried out secondary data analysis of postgraduate recruitment, a survey of successful and unsuccessful scholarship applicants and qualitative interviews with staff and stakeholders.