Kathryn E. L. Grimes

Kathryn Grimes (she/her) is a research public health analyst at RTI. She has nearly 15 years of experience leading and supporting public health research and program implementation in global and domestic settings. Ms. Grimes is highly skilled in qualitative and quantitative research, with an extensive background developing theory-formed data collection instruments, psychometrics, interviewing, leading data collection trainings, implementing large-scale surveys, supervising research teams, and disseminating findings. She is also an expert in adaption, modifying implementation strategies to improve program effectiveness in diverse contexts. As a manager, Ms. Grimes is proficient at facilitating communication and coordination among a diverse array of stakeholders to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure timely deliverable submissions. Her diverse portfolio of expertise includes the topics of sexual assault prevention; infectious disease detection, prevention, and response; health system strengthening; reproductive health; and LGBTQIA+ workplace equity. She is professionally fluent in French and has extensive experience supporting public health projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

Additionally, Ms. Grimes is a cofounder of the LGBTQIA+ Rising working group within RTI’s Global Gender Center. She served as chairperson of the +Rising group from 2016-2021, coordinating activities to identify and increase staff capacity and networking to support LGBTQIA+ research and programming at RTI. In addition, she spearheaded collaborations across multiple North Carolina organizations to develop an open-source LGBTQIA+ workplace equity training and accompanying evaluation instruments; she is currently a co-facilitator and evaluator of the tailored LGBTQIA+ workplace equity training at RTI. 

Ms. Grimes is currently a PhD candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the department of Health Policy and Management minoring in implementation science (expected completion 2025).