No. Gridcoin does not use anything similar to PoW. Gridcoin secures the blockchain with PoS and distributes most of the money with PoR . Everyone could stop computing for Boinc and the blockchain would be still perfectly usable as computing with Boinc doesnt help secure the blockchain.
Girdcoin uses distributed Proof-of-Research (dPoR), a mechanism that combines Proof of Stake and the Proof of Work done towards BOINC.
No. Gridcoin does not use anything similar to PoW. Gridcoin secures the blockchain with PoS and distributes most of the money with PoR . Everyone could stop computing for Boinc and the blockchain would be still perfectly usable as computing with Boinc doesnt help secure the blockchain.