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3
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Prosper Institutional case study
University of Edinburgh
This case study looks at University of Edinburgh's promotion of Prosper to its research staff. Many thanks to Eleanor Hennige, Research Staff Careers Consultant at the University of Edinburgh, who worked with us on this case study.
Case study conducted
March 2026
You can download a PDF version of this case study here.
Key stats
Mode of delivery
FTE resource
Research staff (approx.)
Sessions based on Prosper resources
Prosper portal session attendees
Background and context
The University of Edinburgh is a major, research‑intensive university known for its global rankings, historic campuses, and large, diverse student community.
The University has around 2140 research staff and employs two part-time Research Staff Career Consultants to support their career development. They provide 1:1 career development consultations and offer various career development workshops.
The University chose Prosper because it fits in with their existing careers provision and deemed it an excellent resource for researchers to be aware of, particularly for providing access to self-guided resources.
How was Prosper used?
The University of Edinburgh opted for Mode 1 Prosper delivery by promoting Prosper as an excellent career development resource to their research staff. See our Modes of Delivery page to learn more.
The University's Research Staff Career Consultants adopted a light-touch approach to raising awareness of the Prosper Portal through various channels. They promoted Prosper in 1:1 career development consultations, sent direct emails about specific Prosper resources, and promoted key events via University LinkedIn pages.
In June 2025, the University of Edinburgh delivered a programme for Careers Month which explored different career topics with a focus on alternative roles beyond academia. Researchers engaged with the programme online and in-person, and some of the activities on offer included:
- A panel talk on working in the Life Sciences sector
- Two, one-hour sessions on career anxiety and narrative CVs
- A morning of short Quick Query appointments
The University of Edinburgh asked the Prosper team to deliver an online session for their programme on how to get the most of the Prosper Portal. Facilitated by a Prosper team member, the session shared practical insights and tips on using the Portal's resources effectively. The session also highlighted key areas of the Portal for researchers to be aware of, including those that are not commonly known about.
Prosper resources were used as a basis for creating other sessions, including a briefing session on employment sectors - a new addition to the University's Career Development Programme in October 2025.
In March 2026, Prosper resources were used again to design and run a session on growing your entrepreneurial thinking.
Impact and evaluation
The How to Get the Most Out of the Prosper Portal session was well-received and attracted 20 researcher attendees. It also received top scores for feedback (5-star ratings) and participants "strongly agreed" that they would recommend the workshop to colleagues and peers.
The October 2025 briefing session on employment sectors was the highest attended session of the year with 35 participants.
Thanks in part to the frequent promotion of Prosper, usage of the Portal by those at the University of Edinburgh has significantly increased. Rising from 37 active users in June 2025 to 68 active users at the time of writing this case study.
Future plans
The University of Edinburgh plans to continue raising awareness of the Prosper Portal and its resources through 1:1 consultations and LinkedIn. They intend on maintaining engagement with the Portal due to its value as a key resource.
In addition to this, the University has plans to run another briefing session on employment sectors in the next academic year.
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