: Australian government performance indicators for research funding are continually changing. The Australian University Quality Assessment is an exercise by the Australian Federal Government to examine quality of processes in Australian universities and other education providers. One of the performance indicators that can measure the improvement in processes is a survey that measures the satisfaction of PhD students with their experience as a student. This improved outcome, among others, is shown as a result of grouping researchers into areas of research strengths based on common attributes. Improved processes which bring economies of scale for administrative activities, including assessment, are also briefly discussed.