Chaplains are invited to apply for the Chaplaincy Research Summer Institute (CRSI). First offered in July of 2017, the CRSI prepares chaplains to develop the skills necessary to conduct simple but important research and quality improvement projects. The CRSI follows a short-term, intensive format with ample opportunities for follow-up. Furthermore, participants will begin building a network of both early-career and established chaplains for future collaborations. The Institute includes a number of hands-on activities, including using PubMed to conduct a literature search and working in small groups to develop research questions and proposals which are presented at the end of the conference.

Chaplains have embraced the importance of a research-informed approach to chaplaincy practice, including the importance of research literacy. The Transforming Chaplaincy project and other activities such as the APC Webinar Journal Club are helping chaplains to develop research literacy. Through the Chaplain Research Fellowships, Transforming Chaplaincy is also helping to develop a cohort of chaplains with the training to contribute to chaplaincy research. The audience for the CRSI includes chaplains who wish to develop modest projects to advance their understanding of chaplaincy-related issues and practices (e.g. religious and/or spiritual needs and resources of patients and families being served in a specific clinical context; pilot testing a new approach to screening for religious/spiritual need in a new clinical area) and chaplains who are providing leadership to chaplaincy quality improvement projects. The CRSI will also be useful for chaplains who plan to collaborate on research projects with other non-chaplain investigators as well as those planning chaplaincy-related DMin projects.

The content of the CRSI will provide participants with an introduction to the research process, to various methods relevant for chaplaincy research (e.g. case studies, qualitative and quantitative methods), and to important examples of existing chaplaincy-related research. The CRSI will include a number of hands-on activities, including using PubMed to conduct a literature search. Participants will also work in small groups to develop research questions and proposals which will be presented at the end of the conference. Participants in the midst of chaplaincy-related projects are welcome to bring those projects to work on through the week. In 2017, 25 chaplains participated in the Institute, which took place in Chicago (schedule available here). In 2018 the Institute will take place in Boston; specific dates and other will be announced as they are finalized. Participants must be working or otherwise engaged as a chaplain, or providing consultation to chaplains, in a health-related setting (e.g., hospitals, clinics, hospices, or long-term care facilities). Questions about the Institute may be addressed to Kathryn Lyndes, PhD, Transforming Chaplaincy Project Coordinator (Kathryn_Lyndes@Rush.edu; 312-942-0247). You can find the 2017 CRSI Schedule and Sessions program here.