Dr. Heather Boynton

2021 VPR Catalyst Grant University of Calgary. $13,489. 

PI: Boynton, H.M. Co-investigators: Wang, D., Hoersting, R. Collaborator: Rutte, M. 

This catalyst grant examined the Project Heaven on Earth Model (PHE) (Rutte, 2018) as a potential new spiritual meaning centered approach for individuals. Objectives of the Project were to:

1) Examine the lived experiences and impacts of attending a group based on the PHE model.
2) Identify key constructs related to spirituality and meaning within the PHE model.
3) Develop PHE’s viability and best practices for future global research across mental health contexts and across mental health diagnoses (i.e., various mood disorders).
4) Conduct a scoping literature review of spiritual and meaning and social work.
5) Strengthen and build our transdisciplinary team through collaboration, networking and knowledge mobilization activities.

2022 Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning SoTL Grant, $40,000. 

PI Boynton, H.M., Co-PI Walsh, C. Co-Investigators: Drolet, J., Mann-Johnson, J., Edwards, F., Salim, S., Yassanah, N.

This mixed methods 3-year phased project addresses important strategic directions, accreditation standards, and curriculum gaps by answering the question "How does spiritual pedagogy enhance student knowledge, attitudes, and skills?" and subquestion "What are the promising and best practices in spiritual pedagogy?" The study objectives are to: 

Year 1: Conduct an updated literature review, evaluate a BSW elective spirituality course;

Year 2: Conduct focus groups and interviews with students, faculty, field educators, advisory groups, and elders; identify key individuals in various disciplines to be part of a series of National Interprofessional Forums, present preliminary findings 

Year 3: Implement and evaluate course curriculum, develop curriculum modules; host National interprofessional forums (quarterly); further disseminate innovative spiritual pedagogy and best practices nationally and globally.
 

2024 SSHRC Insight Development Grant, $63,120. 

PI: Boynton, H.M., Co-Investigators, Margolin, I., Vis. J., Dylan, A., Tufford, L., Tarshis, S., Godley, J., Johnston, P. 

This innovative project will elevate the voices of social workers regarding their experiences and educational needs concerning the spiritual dimension of treatment with children. The core question is “What are the perspectives and experiences of Canadian social workers when encountering and discussing spirituality with preadolescent children?” The project objectives are to: 

1) Understand the experiences of social work practitioners across Canada and the challenges of addressing spirituality in a clinical context; 

2) Identify the education, training needs, and spiritual competencies necessary for social workers; 

3) Contribute to the literature and theory on children’s spirituality and counselling to address gaps; 

4) Create a best practice guide for social workers and spirituality.

2023 University of Calgary Transdisciplinary Scholarship Connector Grant. $16, 913.30. 

PI: Boynton, H.M. Co-investigators: Donsky, A., Williams, A., Hanrahan, C., Margolin, I., Kaur, J., Coates, J., Graham, J.

This transdisciplinary initiative will assist with developing a strong and effective team for planning the creation of an Institute for Spirituality and facilitate innovative ideas for transdisciplinary collaboration, and to foster research, best practices, training and knowledge mobilization. It will share knowledge from the Ecospirituality Conference through a special edition of the International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work.

2021 SSHRC Explore Faculty Seed Grant, $15,000

PI: Boynton, H.M. Co-Investigator, Margolin, I.

The project had the objectives of: 

1) Gaining knowledge in the scant area of children’s spirituality for preadolescent children and contribute to greater substantive theory development. 

2) To explore similarities and differences related to gender for preadolescents. 

3) Conduct a comprehensive literature review and ground the results within the existing research. 

4) Use of data for a SSRHC Insight Development Grant for a larger study.  

5) Knowledge mobilization.  

This project resulted in a SSHRC IDG in 2024.

2020 SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant, $24,980.

PI: Boynton, H.M. Co-Investigators: Nicholas,D., Ngo, H., Davis, L. (AHS); Collaborator: Avveduti, C. (CASA)

CASA Child, Adolescent and Family Services recognized a need for culturally relevant focus across policies, procedures, and services in their organization and has identified cultural competence as a strategic priority. Through Participatory Action Research the research team examined the strengths, gaps, and barriers in meeting the cultural, spiritual, and traditional needs of service recipients, and the areas of need for professional development related to cultural competence for staff. Recommendations for policy, service delivery, practice, and training were identified. 

2020 SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant: COVID-19, $24,865.

PI: Boynton, H.M. Co-investigators: Samson, P., Mann-Johnson, J., Nicholas, D., Dimitropolous, G.

This study aimed to garner an understanding of the responses and impacts of practices, processes, and policies in the era of COVID-19 through careful examination of the lived experiences of child protection workers in Alberta. The research assisted with understanding the realities for frontline workers, and to revise and refine policies, protocols, it also identified successes as well as needed resources and supports.

2021 BMO Endowed Research Award in Healthy Living-Child Health and Wellness Grand Challenge Catalyst, $199,708.97

PI: Hagel, B., Co-investigators: Dr. J.D. Zwicker, Dr. H.M. Boynton, Dr. L.F.J. Crowshoe, Dr. G. Dimitropoulos, Dr. D. Exner-Cortens, Dr. A. Metcalfe, Dr. S. Russell-Mayhew, Dr. K.D. Schwartz, Dr. K. Thomas, Dr, S. Tough 

Objectives were: 

1: To conduct a rapid review of existing child health and well-being indicators in Canada.

2: Stakeholder recruitment for Delphi.

3: Conduct a policy review and mapping of Indicators.

2020 D2L Innovation Guild Funding, $24,999.

PI: Dr. C. McMillan, Co-Investigators: Dr. A. Hanbidge, Dr. H.M., Boynton, Dr. B. Archer-Khun, Dr. J. Hughes 

Objectives were to:

1) Establish a Canada wide baseline of trauma informed pedagogical practices by teaching faculty

2) Inform the research literature on student experiences of trauma informed pedagogies in social work education that can be generalized across other professions

3) Examine emerging research to better understand the relationship between online pedagogy and mental health

4) Transfer the findings into a trauma informed pedagogical model

2016 Women’s Xchange $15K Challenge.

PI: Dr. K. Maranzan, Co-Investigators: Dr. H.M. Boynton, R. Scofich, R, Dr. M. Teatero.

2015 Women’s Xchange $15K Challenge.

PI: Dr. K. Maranzan Co-investigators: Dr. H.M. Boynton, Dr. M Teatero, R. Scofich.

2020 Faculty Seed Grant, $2500

PI: Boynton, H.M.

Resulted in an Explore Grant and a SSHRC IDG.

Doing Evaluation Grant Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health, $35,000.

PI: Boynton, H.M. Co-investigators: Dr. F. Schmidt, A. Tarjan, C. Loud, O. Lehto

University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grant, $39,710.

PI: Cari Galbrudsen, Co-Investigators. Dr. H. M. Boynton, Angela Judge-Stasiak, Jacqueline Warrell, Dr. A. Jenney, Julie Mann-Johnson, Nathan Pronshyn

SSHRC Partnership Grant, $1,980,640

PI: Dr. J. Drolet 40 co-investigators and collaborators, Collaborator: Boynton, H.M.

University of Calgary Transdisciplinary Scholarship Connector Grant $8500.

PI: Drolet, J. Co-Investigators:Burdett, S.,  Eirikson, A., Elford, L., Kareemi, K., 
Penn, H., Kotikalapudi, S., Wallace, E., Taylor, D., Boynton, H.M., Butters, A., Clark, M., Eggermont, M., Kapoyannis, T., Kendrick, A., Kloetzel, M., Mann-Johnson, J., Monteyne, D., Nicholas, D., 
Nowell, L., Wicklum, S., Windeyer, C., &, Buckley, K.