Kirsty Kaiser

I have 5+ years’ experience  across roles in research, project management and fundraising.

Accustomed to engaging with various stakeholders across both developed and developing countries, I have become skilled at implementation, project management, consultations & collaborations with international partners, writing grants & obtaining funding for two international NGOs, webinar development & hosting, organisational administration, and public speaking and presentations at international conferences.

I have strong qualifications and international NGO experience, and am presently seeking to hone my skills in research project management. My interest is in moving from the NGO space to the corporate and market-related space, learning how to use data-driven insights to understand consumer behaviour and needs. 

1. Triggerise Stichting (Tiko Africa NPC)                                                        October 2022 – current
2. Grants Writer                                                                                 October 2022 - current 

Core Overview:

• Responsible for production of concept notes, proposals and presentations that articulate Triggerise’s unique contribution to international development efforts, impacts and alignment with donor priorities. This involved collaborating with a broad variety of colleagues in departments across the globe to ensure program objectives and activities are aligned with potential opportunities. 

Key Roles & Accountabilities:

Proposal development 

• Development of concept notes and proposals for program interventions, according to funders priorities and funding strategies. 
• Management of the proposal development process from concept development to submission
• Collaborated with colleagues across the organisation to develop budgets, objectives, targets and activities. 

Lead / opportunity identification, generation and outreach

• Desk research and outreach to donors to present Triggerise’s programs and identify potential opportunities to pursue funding 
• Management of NBD POT CRM on Salesforce – leads, current concept notes and proposals in development, wins and losses. 

Country Strategy Development 

• Desk research to understand donor landscapes for 2 of 5 key markets (Kenya and South Africa), and development of evidence-based country strategies for securing funding to continue operations. 

1. Council on Health Research for Development                                     January 2017 to September 2022
2. Director – Equitable Research Partnerships Initiative                              January 2021 to  September 2022 

Core Overview:

• Strategic leadership and guidance into global research partnership practices, whilst collaborating effectively across a global scale 

Key Roles & Accountabilities:

Strategic Leadership, Collaboration & Implementation (Project) Management;

• Spearheaded strategy, planning and objectives within the Equitable Research Partnerships Initiative. 
• Specifically drove the use of a Research Fairness Initiative (RFI) Tool with key research stakeholders. 
• Together with a colleague, co-directed the digital launch and marketing of the RFI Tool.

International Conferences & Webinar Development;

• Attended to public speaking, both virtual and in-person, at several international conferences.
• Worked with international partners (World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations Association of Commonwealth Universities) to host webinars on equity in research. 

Research, Funding & Reporting;

• Conducted research into pertinent areas as required and conveyed information to relevant parties. 
• Collaborative with colleagues worked to secure grants for the NGO.
• Attended to regular reporting as required. 

Fundraising

• Collaborated with the Business Development Manager to produce concept notes, proposals, budgets, workplans in line with program design and requirements

Implementation Manager – Research Fairness Initiative (RFI)                 January 2018 to December 2020

Core Overview:

• Offered project management expertise and stakeholder engagement for the RFI tool, implementing the use of the tool at academic and other research institutions across the globe, and marketing the tool to potential users. 

Key Roles & Accountabilities:

• Worked collaboratively to establish, enhance, and manage the Research Fairness Initiative (RFI) and its associated reporting and implementation guides. 
• Collaborated with stakeholders and ensured that goal achievement was aligned with overall strategy. 
• Developed project plans by prioritising tasks and offering assistance to support team members. 
• Identified and troubleshooted problems, assisting with conflict resolution to keep all efforts on track. 
• Worked towards always maintaining open lines of communication between all relevant parties.

Internship – Research Fairness Initiative (RFI)                                   January 2017 to December 2017

Core Overview:

• Provided key support to COHRED for the RFI, through research, writing, website content management, event coordination and general marketing activities. Participated in team meetings and offered support to senior management. 

Key Roles & Accountabilities:

• Management of web content for the RFI Wordpress site
• Provided support for events coordination and conference participation for senior level management
• Participated in article writing and marketing related activities

PRIOR TENURES 

1. Council on Health Research for Development                                January 2017 to September 2022
2. University of KwaZulu-Natal (Social Psychology Faculty)             January 2017 to December 2018

Research Study Manager & Undergraduate Lecturer                           January 2018 to December 2018

Research Internship in Psychology                                                        January 2017 to December 2017

Master of Social Science in Psychology (Research) | Cum Laude; University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2019

Coursework Subjects: Applied Research (78%) | Community Interventions in Professional Psychology (76%) | Quantitative Methods (75%) | Qualitative Methods (86%) | Coursework Dissertation (76%)

Achievements: Cum Laude 

Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) | Cum Laude; University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2015

Achievements: Cum Laude 

Bachelor of Arts (Health Sciences & Social Services) in Psychological Counselling | Cum Laude; University of South Africa, 2014

Achievements: Cum Laude