Date and time: Tuesday 29 April 2025, 4.00- 5.00pm ACST
Topic: Lived Experience in Research and Evaluation
Location: online via zoom, details will be shared just prior to the event
Presenters: Tessa Zirnsak & Alisa Rayner | LaTrobe University
Register online by: 28 April 2025

Event overview:

Lived experience involvement in all forms of research and evaluation is becoming the norm. Major funders like the NHMRC and MRFF have funding streams that require lived experience involvement in applications, and some journals now require authors to justify the exclusion of lived experience experts within study design and analysis.
In this presentation, lived experience researchers Dr. Tessa Zirnsak and Ailsa Rayner will give an overview of different models of lived experience involvement that can be adapted and discuss the values and practicalities associated with this emerging norm in research and evaluation.

Presenter details:

Dr. Tessa Zirnsak is a lived experience mental health researcher at La Trobe University. Her areas of expertise are lived experience involvement in research and evaluation, compulsion in mental health, and disability and mental health advocacy.

Ailsa Rayner is a lived experience researcher, author, and peer workforce leader dedicated to transforming mental health systems through rights-based, consumer-led approaches. Her extensive work includes co-authoring "Shining a Light," serving on the Lived Experience Leadership and Transformation team, contributing to UN submissions and evaluation of mental health reform projects. Currently, Ailsa focuses on building mechanisms for accountability, access, and action to ensure lived experience leadership is properly represented, resourced, and respected, while maintaining her characteristic dry sense of humour.

This is a free event organised & hosted by the South Australian Regional Network of the AES. Our seminar series provides an opportunity for you to meet with AES members and others in the evaluation community and to share and learn from the experiences of fellow evaluators.

Please ensure you have access to your email address to receive the zoom details. Please also check your email address is correct on your registration form before submitting.

This seminar will be available on the AES YouTube channel approximately four weeks after the date. We suggest you subscribe to the AES YouTube channel to be notified when new recordings are added. 

Seminar start times

• SA, NT: 4.00pm

• VIC, NSW, ACT, TAS, QLD: 4.30pm

• WA: 2.30pm

• New Zealand: 6.30pm

For other time zones please go to https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html