At many new universities, research is often seen as a fringe and/or niche activity, which falls well behind learning and teaching in the list of priorities of such institutions. This issue has major effects on the research experience of postgraduate researchers (PGRs), especially when the research community is small and fragmented across campuses. This problem further raises the necessity to create a university-wide research community that seeks to enhance PGRs' overall experience. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the influence of a PGR network on PhD candidates' experience at Birmingham City University (BCU), UK. Research was conducted across six faculties at BCU, to gather feedback from PGRs regarding their overall needs and common issues faced. Results were used to develop a framework that reflects research values for PGRs in alignment with the University's core values. This article provides a useful model for enhancing the overall experience of PGRs.