Chaplaincy Research Summer Camp 2026 – Bryn Mawr, PA

Bryn Mawr, PA – July 27th – 31st 2026

July 27-31, 2026 – Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr – Pennsylvania 

Chaplains are invited to apply for the Chaplaincy Research Summer Institute (CRSI). First offered in 2017, the CRSI helps chaplains develop research literacy to understand and apply research critically and introduces them to skills to engage in research and quality improvement projects. The CRSI follows an intensive and interactive format that facilitates networking with faculty and chaplains involved in research. Several hands-on sessions include conducting literature searches, qualitative research activities, and mentored small-group discussions. Participation in CRSI counts toward research-related CE hours of professional chaplaincy organizations.

Location – Bryn Mawr College Campus, PA

Join Transforming Chaplaincy on the gorgeous, historic campus of Bryn Mawr College, located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. This is a gorgeous, welcoming campus with light-filled meeting spaces for coursework, and lovely paths for walking and enjoying the (likely hot!) Pennsylvania Summer. Participants will also have an opportunity to explore Old City Historic Philadelphia during one of our group dinners.
On-Campus Housing Available This Year Only! See Below.
Weather near Philadelphia is typically quite hot in July (often getting into the high 90’s). All meeting spaces will be air conditioned. Mornings and evenings are much cooler and beautiful to walk around.

Audience

CRSI is best suited for chaplains who wish to develop their ability to critically read and apply research findings to their spiritual care practice, collaborate on research projects with chaplain and non-chaplain investigators, and plan chaplaincy-related doctoral projects. It is also well-suited for chaplains who provide leadership to chaplaincy quality improvement projects, and also provides a useful background for CPE Educators to lead research literacy education in their centers.

Content

CRSI provides participants with an introduction to the research process, various methods relevant to chaplaincy research (e.g., case studies, qualitative and quantitative methods), important examples of existing chaplaincy-related research, and conducting targeted literature searches in PubMed. Participants will also work in mentored small groups to discuss individual or group research questions. Participants already working on or planning chaplaincy-related projects are welcome to bring those projects to work on through the week. Time will be dedicated for several participants to present their research to the whole group at the end of the week for consultation.

Element	Purpose	Typical Placement
Plenary lectures	Foundational content from core faculty & guest scholars	Each morning block – covering quantiative and qualitative methods
“Under the Hood” research spotlights	Transparent walk‑throughs of real chaplaincy studies by their authors—design decisions, pitfalls, lessons learned	Late‑morning or late‑afternoon
Skill‑builder breakfasts (optional)	Practical micro‑sessions (e.g., database searching, software tips) for early‑birds	7:45 – 8:45 a.m. certain mornings
Small consultation groups	6–8 participants with 1-2 faculty mentors workshop individual projects or QI ideas	Afternoons
Participant presentations	Slots for works‑in‑progress presentations by participants; constructive feedback from the full cohort	Friday morning
Networking dinners & social time	Community building, mentorship, and informal Q\&A	3 evenings during the week at local restaurants (included in tuition)
Evaluation & next‑steps session	Identify resources, set personal milestones, and connect to CRSI alumni network	Friday late morning

2026 Faculty

The 2025 CRSI faculty includes George Fitchett, DMin, PhD, BCC, Senior Advisor, Transforming Chaplaincy, Csaba Szilagyi, PhD, FACHE, ACPE-CE, Director of Research, Department of Religion, Health and Human Values, Rush University Medical Center and Director of Transforming Chaplaincy, Kelsey White, PhD, BCC, Assistant Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and Cate Beaulieu-Desjardins, MDiv, MPH, BCC, Assistant Director of Research Development, Transforming Chaplaincy.

Our Program Coordinator for this event is Nina Redl, local to Philadelphia.

While content and faculty varies most years, these are the core elements of CRSI – and both quantiative and qualitative methods, including case study writing, are always covered.

How to Apply

Participation is limited to 30 people. Participants must be working or otherwise engaged as chaplains or chaplain researchers, or providing consultation to chaplains, in a health-related setting (e.g., hospital, clinic, hospice, long-term care). Chaplains should minimally be BCC eligible and have completed their CPE residency before applying as we feel this program best serves experienced professional chaplains and chaplaincy leaders. An application process will assess readiness and enthusiasm for the CSRI. 

Please note that the CRSI program begins at 8 am Monday morning and ends on Frirday at 1 pm. There will be an optional Sunday evening reception beginning at 7 pm with light bites and soft drinks to meet faculty and your fellow students.

Details & Cost:

• Full Program Tuition Rate: $1,450.
• Early Bird Tuition Rate: $1350 for participants who have submitted a complete application before  June 1, 2026.
• The program tuition this year includes an opening reception Sunday evening, one breakfast, a catered coffee break daily, five lunches in a private restaurant with faculty, and two dinners out – one in Old City Philadelphia.
• Participants are responsible for their travel and remaining meals during the week. The Dining Hall at Bryn Mawr will be open for self-pay breakfasts, there is a café and coffee shop on site, and there are many nearby restaurants. 
  • Travel details: Travel details will be emailed to students once they are accepted. The nearest airport is Philadelphia International (PHL) – there is Regional Rail to Bryn Mawr (with one change), or rideshare. Nina and Cate (both local to Philadelphia) will help guide and coordinate travel to and from Bryn Mawr.
• On-campus housing is available at Bryn Mawr in single dormitories (newly built) with shared bathrooms/showers on each hall, all linens provided, for $250 (5 nights: Sunday night through Thursday night). The student athletic complex will be available for attendees who would like to exercise while on campus.
  • Adding on-campus housing will bring the total CRSI Tuition cost to $1,700 ($1,600 early-bird rate), billed to you by Transforming Chaplaincy. The same payment and cancellation policy applies as for general registrations.
• A non-refundable deposit of $300 is required for those who are accepted within one week of receiving the deposit invoice (which will come from “Authorize.net”). The registration fee balance, including housing costs if elected, is due no later than 45 days before CRSI. 
  • Refunds: Prior to 29 days before CRSI, we will refund 50% of the program tuition fee (minus the non-refundable deposit) and housing fee if elected. After 29 days before the event, we can no longer provide refunds in order to meet our program costs.
• Transforming Chaplaincy is pleased to offer a very limited number of partial tuition scholarships for participants from underrepresented communities, safety-net hospitals, under-resourced departments, or with serious financial hardships. Please kindly note: All of these scholarships cover no more than 50% of the tuition rate, and do not cover housing.
• Applicants should also check with their departments, institutions, and chaplaincy organizations about potential funding.