The SSA is looking for people with lived or living experience of addiction to join a new panel. If you would like to support the UK’s leading addiction science charity, apply below by 26 May.

About the SSA

The SSA promotes scientific research about addiction. It does this by:

  • running two academic journals
  • producing podcasts
  • publishing blogs and essays
  • supporting researchers through funding for master’s degrees, PhDs, and fellowships
  • hosting an annual conference to showcase the latest research

Founded 140 years ago as a membership organisation for medical professionals, the SSA is now a diverse community. Its members include treatment workers, neurobiologists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, and sociologists.

People with lived experience are already part of the addiction science community. However, the SSA recognises the need to provide more frequent and dedicated opportunities for people with lived and living experience to shape the future of addiction science.

Lived experience is vital to addiction science. It can:

  • Help researchers ask better questions
  • Highlight gaps, assumptions, and misunderstandings
  • Identify and challenge stigma

About the lived experience panel

What? The panel will provide feedback on the SSA’s policies, procedures, events, and funding schemes. It will also help create further opportunities for people with lived experience to contribute to the SSA’s work.

Who? We are looking for people with lived or living experience of addiction. This can include experience as a carer or relative. Applicants should be able to attend regular online meetings.

How? Panellists will meet online every four to six weeks. They will be asked to prepare for each meeting by reading documents.

How can I apply?

To apply, please complete the online application form below by 26 May. You will be asked for:

  • Name
  • Contact details
  • A bit about yourself
  • Areas of experience and interest (e.g. drugs, alcohol, gambling, caring)
  • Your reasons for applying
  • Any previous experience on panels or similar groups (this is not essential)
  • Any potential or existing conflicts of interest (see below)

When you complete the form, you will automatically be redirected to a diversity monitoring form. This collects anonymised information about people who are involved in the SSA.

Applications will be reviewed by a lived experience task and finish group made up of SSA staff, trustees, alumni, and people with lived experience.

To be eligible to join the panel, you must:

  • have lived or living experience of addiction (this can include as a carer or relative)
  • be able to attend regular online meetings
  • have no conflicts of interest
  • live in the UK

Is there anything that could prevent me joining?

You do not need to be abstinent or in recovery to join the panel. However, as with all SSA meetings, you must not attend while appearing intoxicated.

You should aim to attend all meetings. If you miss three or more meetings in a row, you will normally be taken off the panel.

The SSA has a ‘conflicts of interest’ policy to ensure independence from industries that may harm health (e.g. gambling, alcohol, recreational cannabis, tobacco, and non-pharmaceutical nicotine).

You will not be eligible if:

  • you are employed by, receive money from, or receive funding from a business that sells products that can harm people’s health
  • you currently sit on a panel funded by a business that sells products that can harm people’s health
  • you have been involved in a panel that receives indirect funding from businesses that sells products that can harm people’s health (e.g. GambleAware)

How will the SSA review applications?

Applications will be reviewed by the SSA’s lived experience subcommittee. They will consider your experiences and reasons for applying.

The decision to offer a place will be made alongside the other applications and we will do this in a way that makes sure the panel contains a broad range of experiences. The decision to offer (or not offer) a place will be based on our need to ensure a range of people are on the panel as well as the strengths of individual applications.

For further information, please read the lived experience handbook and policy. If you have any questions, would like to discuss this opportunity, or would like support with your application, please contact the SSA team via the enquiry form.