Professor Meredith Temple-Smith

Meredith Temple-Smith is Deputy Head of Department and Director of Research Training for the Department of General Practice, is a mixed methods researcher working in the areas of sexual and reproductive health and complex interventions delivered in the primary care setting.

She was nominated for the award for Outstanding Graduate Research Supervision by one of her PhD students.

With responsibility for the design and delivery of primary care research skills Meredith has oversight of all research students in the Department as well as supervising her own Doctorate, Masters and Honours students.

Meredith says that it is often easy to look out for and encourage others to apply for awards but can be hard to take the time to do it for yourself. However, she says to treat it like applying for promotion:

It allows you to take stock of your achievements, and when you see them all written down, it can be quite surprising and a boost to self-esteem, Professor Meredith Temple-Smith  

Meredith was overwhelmed by the responses from former RHD students in support of the nomination, the depth of sentiments expressed was very validating.

One student said: ‘Meredith is truly an inspiring supervisor, who constantly motivates students with her own exceptional personal research acumen, as well as her endless enthusiasm and positivity for students and their research. She encourages all students within the department to reach for the stars and makes them believe that they can and will get there.’

Meredith says the Faculty Award was the icing on the cake, as a public recognition of her work, and she was thrilled to receive congratulations from staff both within and outside the department.

Though the epidemic has deferred plans for her own professional development, the financial award was very welcome, and has enabled Meredith to assist some of her students with publication costs and conference registrations.

Since receiving the award, Meredith has received additional requests to contribute to seminars or presentations providing tips on supervision. She was prompted to submit the same application to the University Excellence Awards. The identical format made it very easy and she was lucky enough to win that award too.