UCalgary students, faculty and staff: Your innovative ideas are making this campus healthier

When you have a community as diverse and innovative as UCalgary’s, you’re bound to have some pretty brilliant ideas bouncing around. Or at least, that’s what the Campus Mental Health Strategy (CMHS) thought when they launched the grants program in 2017.

Less than two years later, that simple idea has paid off in spades. Following the close of the second cycle of applications in April, seven new projects were selected for funding, bringing the grand total up to more than $100,000 in grants distributed among 14 projects.

Grants program empowers community to lead charge in positive mental health

The CMHS Grants originated after recognizing that creating a community of caring is infinitely easier when the brainpower of thousands is set to the task.  

Taking a grassroots approach, the program aims to leverage the innovation and creativity of our students, faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars by encouraging them to think about ways to foster positive mental health and providing them with the means to accomplish their big ideas.

“With the support of the CMHS Grants program, my team hosted a keynote and workshop with acclaimed self-compassion researcher Dr. Kristin Neff in August,” says Dr. Leslie Reid, vice-provost (teaching and learning) and 2017 grant recipient.

“We were thrilled to see so much interest and are proud to have offered an opportunity for faculty and staff to build resiliency through compassion. The success of the event reaffirmed the value of empowering our community to take the lead on initiatives that make our campus a more supportive place.”

To be considered for funding, applicants had to show how their projects would advance at least one of the 28 recommendations set out in the strategy. In addition to meeting other criteria, applications were also adjudicated by a group of campus mental health stakeholders.

With a broad range of focus areas, the grants tackle everything from positive body image, to combating substance-related addiction and Indigenous approaches to mental health.

“I’m incredibly pleased by the enthusiasm our community has shown for the grants program,” says Dr. Andrew Szeto, PhD, director of the CMHS. “The thoughtful, innovative ideas we’ve seen in both cycles of applications have made it clear that the students, faculty and staff on this campus are committed to supporting well-being through their own initiatives.

“The first cycle of grants was a tremendous success and I’m excited to see how this year’s funded projects continue to support positive mental health.”

2018 funded grants

• "The Graduate Pan-Psychology Partnership: Creating Opportunity Through Community," led by Jessica Baraskewich (student)
• "Moving Towards Wellness: Combating Substance-Related Addiction Stigma Among Faculty Members," led by Dr. Victoria Burns, PhD (academic staff)
• "The Body Project – Peer Leader Program," led by Nanako Furuyama (staff)
• "Traditional Knowledge Keepers and Mental Health," led by Keeta Gladue (staff)    
• "Breakfast Series: Middle-Year Undergraduate International Students," led by Kirsty Gruber (staff)
• "Fearful to Fear Less: Giving and Receiving Feedback for Teaching Development," led by Dr. Cheryl Jeffs, EdD (academic staff)
• "To Flourish: Building Equality and Reducing Stigma Through Personal and Visual Narratives," led by Barbara Rose-Lovett (staff)

For more information about this year’s funded grants, visit the CMHS Grants page. Do you have an idea to make our community a more caring place? Applications for the next cycle of funding will open in spring 2019.

The University of Calgary’s Campus Mental Health Strategy is a bold commitment to the importance of mental health and well-being of our university family. Our vision is to be a community where we care for each other, learn and talk about mental health and well-being, receive support as needed, and individually and collectively realize our full potential. If you think you need help, please visit resources here. If you think someone you know needs help, find more information here.