Summer Foundation researcher, Dr. Megan Topping, recently received her doctoral thesis examiners’ reports for her PhD thesis, “Treat You Like a Person, Ask You What You Want”: A Grounded Theory Study of the Quality of Paid Disability Support for Adults with Acquired Neurological Disability.
Highlighting the excellent quality of her research, Megan has been awarded the Nancy Millis Medal. The Nancy Millis medal is a prestigious award presented to outstanding PhD candidates for the exceptional high quality of their thesis. Megan’s thesis has potential for significant real-world impact given the scope of the work already done and the likelihood of the project leading to important follow-up work.
Of her research, examiners said “This thesis is based on research conducted in a sensitive context and in COVID conditions. The candidate has not only adapted to the context, but published seven high quality academic publications which form the core of the thesis. These are already being cited in the field. The publications are used in the thesis to develop a model for support which the candidate can progress through further publication and industry-relevant research to high impact publication and research in real world contexts. The work is ethically conducted, thoughtful and rigorous.”
Megan said, “I’m really proud of this research project exploring the factors that influence the quality of disability support from the lived experience perspective. I hope that it shows the importance of platforming and listening to people with lived experience and goes some way to improving the quality of disability support for individuals in Australia and beyond. Still lots of work to be done and I look forward to continuing to work in this space to create a more inclusive and supportive world for people with disability.”
Congratulations Megan on your outstanding achievement!