Health Effects Institute
Health Effects Institute (HEI) is a public charity based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1980, it is an independent research organization that funds and oversees research on the health effects of air pollution and communicates scientific findings to inform decisions.
Health Effects Institute at a glance
In short: Health Effects Institute gave $5.7M across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $319K), top state Texas. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,746,190
- +19.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- -5.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $319,233
- +26.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $252,641
- Total assets
- $10,167,337
- -27.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (4 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (22% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Health Effects Institute
- How to Apply
For HEI RFAs, preliminary applications use HEI’s form and must include a project title, plain-language summary, study description, project plan, applicable community-engagement plan, investigator qualifications, and…
For HEI RFAs, preliminary applications use HEI’s form and must include a project title, plain-language summary, study description, project plan, applicable community-engagement plan, investigator qualifications, and biosketches. The preliminary application is limited to five pages, excluding references, biosketches, and supporting letters where applicable; materials must be combined into one PDF of no more than 10 MB. Full applications are submitted by email. HEI says preliminary applications are generally reviewed by its Research Committee and full applications are sent to two or three external peer reviewers before discussion by an RFA review panel. Applicants should also review HEI’s requirements concerning project negotiations, research agreements, quality assurance, progress reports, site visits, and reporting and publication.
- Review Cycle
- The Rosenblith New Investigator Award lists a deadline of December 31, 2026.
- Deadline
- The Rosenblith New Investigator Award lists a deadline of December 31, 2026.
- Next open deadline
- December 31, 2026 (Rosenblith New Investigator Award)
- Contact
Mailing address: One Beacon Street 21300, Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 488-2300
Website: https://healtheffects.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Health Effects Institute
Who Health Effects Institute funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Texas at Austin ($1.1M). Together the top 10 received $4.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 36 grants of 85 (42%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
HEI’s research includes work in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, according to its website. Its 2025 grants went to recipients in multiple U.S. states; the largest shares of grant dollars went to Texas (22%), Massachusetts (19%), Pennsylvania (11%), Connecticut (8%), and California (8%). The currently listed RFA on traffic-related emissions focuses on the United States. The Rosenblith Award describes its geographic scope as international.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Health Effects Institute open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 18 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $615K; repeat grants $235K. How we count
Medians: $550K first-time, $204K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2020) to $5.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $5.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Scientific Research | $1,122,489 |
| Penn State University University Park, PA | Scientific Research | $620,207 |
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Scientific Research | $598,327 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Scientific Research | $480,617 |
| Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO | Scientific Research | $440,630 |
| George Mason University Fairfax, VA | Scientific Research | $437,199 |
| Boston University Boston, MA | Scientific Research | $344,034 |
| University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | Scientific Research | $314,885 |
| University of Washington Seattle, WA | Scientific Research | $258,121 |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA | Scientific Research | $247,160 |
Ready to take the next step with Health Effects Institute?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,167,337 | $13,252,068 | $15,743,082 | $5,746,190 | 18 | $61,747 |
| 2024 | $14,012,589 | $12,968,951 | $15,153,427 | $4,810,549 | 19 | $41,745 |
| 2023 | $16,750,262 | $14,983,818 | $15,412,705 | $4,384,768 | 17 | $11,235 |
| 2022 | $15,781,007 | $15,080,985 | $13,116,125 | $3,187,383 | 17 | $550 |
| 2021 | $12,526,721 | $12,481,645 | $10,772,915 | $1,966,950 | 14 | $186 |
| 2020 | $9,826,459 | $9,559,245 | $9,340,156 | $1,120,183 | 9 | $942 |
| 2019 | $10,836,918 | $12,543,176 | $10,143,123 | $1,816,124 | 10 | $1,458 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
HEI’s stated mission is to conduct independent research and provide high-quality, impartial, relevant science on the health effects of air pollution. Its work includes identifying research priorities, funding and overseeing studies, independently reviewing research, collaborating with other institutions, and communicating results to public- and private-sector decision-makers.
The organization describes three program areas. Its Environmental and Health Program studies air pollution from sources to health impacts, as well as effects associated with air and water quality, noise, other non-chemical factors, and new fuels and technologies. Its Energy Program supports policy-relevant research on potential impacts of onshore oil and gas development from shale and other unconventional resources in the United States. Its Global Initiatives Program works with local and regional partners on air-pollution health impacts and policy, with particular attention to areas in Africa and Asia.
HEI funds research through requests for applications and describes its research portfolio as addressing the effects of air pollution on individuals and populations. Its website says funded projects are overseen by its Research Committee and completed projects are published as Research Reports, with evaluations by the Review Committee.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, HEI reported 18 grants totaling $5,746,190. Grant amounts ranged from $27,099 to $1,122,489, with a median of $252,640. The listed grants were for scientific research.
The largest awards included $1,122,489 to the University of Texas at Austin, $620,207 to Penn State University, $598,327 to Harvard University, $480,617 to Yale University, and $440,630 to Colorado State University. Other listed recipients included George Mason University ($437,199), Boston University ($344,034), the University of Southern California ($314,885), the University of Washington ($258,121), Emory University ($247,160), Northwestern University ($235,634), and the Regents of the University of California ($161,075).
HEI’s website lists an active RFA seeking studies that assess the effects of strategies, policies, or actions intended to reduce traffic-related emissions and related air pollution concentrations in the United States. It also lists the Rosenblith New Investigator Award, which offers up to $450,000 over three years for a small project and typically supports one or two studies per year, depending on available funding and application quality. The award is intended for new investigators at the assistant professor or equivalent level; applicants are asked to verify eligibility with HEI. Principal investigators may not be graduate students or postdoctoral researchers. Co-investigators are not allowed, though junior personnel are allowed, and mentors should be listed on the application.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists these board members: Alan Leshner, Ana Diez Roux, Catherine Ross, Homer Boushey, Jared Cohon, Karen Seto, Martha Crawford, Martha Rudolph, Melville Boufford, and Michael Klag.
Health Effects Institute is led by Elena Craft, President since 2025 (on filings since 2024); all 23 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elena Craft
President
President & CEO → President, 2025
On filings since 2024
35 hrs/week
$136K (2024) → $359K (2025)
Richard Meserve
Board Chairman
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$16K (2022) → $25K (2025)
Donna Vorhees
Director of Hei Energy
Director of Energy Research → Director of Hei Energy, 2025
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$167K (2019) → $288K (2025)
Jacqueline Rutledge
Director of F & A
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$200K (2019) → $246K (2025)
Ellen Mantus
Director of Science
On filings since 2022
35 hrs/week
$176K (2022) → $285K (2025)
Thomas Champoux
Director of Science Communications
On filings since 2023
35 hrs/week
$133K (2023) → $163K (2025)
Jared Cohon
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$8K (2019) → $4K (2025)
Melville E. Boufford
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$8K (2019) → $8K (2025)
Philip Demarco
Controller
Compliance Manager → Controller, 2025
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$113K (2019) → $170K (2025)
Robert O'Keefe
Former Vice President
Vice President & Treasurer → Former Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$286K (2019) → $382K (2025)
Stephen Corman
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
$10K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Alan Leshner
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$8K (2020) → $10K (2025)
Homer Boushey
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$8K (2020) → $8K (2025)
Martha Crawford
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$8K (2021) → $8K (2025)
Michael Klag
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$4K (2021) → $8K (2025)
Karen Seto
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$8K (2022) → $8K (2025)
Pallavi Pant
Head of Global Initiatives
Program Director → Head of Global Initiatives, 2025
On filings since 2022
35 hrs/week
$120K (2022) → $162K (2025)
Daniel Crouse
Senior Scientist
On filings since 2023
35 hrs/week
$153K (2023) → $132K (2025)
Jason Desmond
Deputy Director of F & A
Deputy Director of Finanace → Deputy Director of F & A, 2025
On filings since 2023
35 hrs/week
$116K (2023) → $167K (2025)
Ana Diez Roux
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$4K (2024) → $8K (2025)
Catherine Ross
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$8K (2024) → $8K (2025)
Martha Rudolph
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$8K (2024) → $8K (2025)
Cloelle Danforth
Senior Scientist
New on the 2025 filing
35 hrs/week
$128K (2025)
Former officers (13)
- Former: Daniel Greenbaum (2019–2024) — President & CEO
- Former: Allison Patton (2023–2024) — Senior Scientist
- Former: Enriqueta Bond (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Michael Clegg (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Annemoon Van Erp (2019–2022) — Managing Scientist
- Former: Richard Celeste (2019–2022) — Board Chairman
- Former: Eleanne Van Vliet (2022) — Senior Scientist
- Former: Hilary Polk (2019–2021) — Managing Editor
- Former: Katherine Walker (2019–2021) — Senior Scientist
- Former: Rashid Shaikh (2019–2021) — Director of Science
- Former: Linda Rosenstock (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Sherwood Boehlert (2019–2020) — Board Memeber
- Former: Henry Schacht (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $382K, to Robert O'Keefe (Former Vice President). 23 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Health Effects Institute
How much does Health Effects Institute give each year?
Health Effects Institute gave $5.7M across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $4.8M across 19 grants.
What is Health Effects Institute's typical grant size?
Health Effects Institute's median grant in 2025 was $252,641, and its average grant was $319,233, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Health Effects Institute that year got $615K on average.
Where does Health Effects Institute give grants?
Health Effects Institute's top state is Texas, with 22% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Massachusetts (19%) and Pennsylvania (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (2 grants) and Atlanta, GA (2 grants).
Does Health Effects Institute give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Health Effects Institute's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scientific Research" (18 grants).
Who are Health Effects Institute's largest grantees?
Health Effects Institute's largest 2025 grantees include University of Texas at Austin ($1,122,489), Penn State University ($620,207) and Harvard University ($598,327), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Health Effects Institute?
Health Effects Institute reported $10.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $13.3M.
What does Health Effects Institute fund?
HEI’s stated mission is to conduct independent research and provide high-quality, impartial, relevant science on the health effects of air pollution. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Health Effects Institute?
For HEI RFAs, preliminary applications use HEI’s form and must include a project title, plain-language summary, study description, project plan, applicable community-engagement plan, investigator qualifications, and… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Health Effects Institute's EIN?
Health Effects Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2708045. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 2, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Health Effects Institute's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Health Effects Institute funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/health-effects-institute-morg_2641d249bbdb4353bd319bfc9b0769e4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_042708045_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Health Effects Institute funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/health-effects-institute-morg_2641d249bbdb4353bd319bfc9b0769e4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Health Effects Institute's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Health Effects Institute down — hundreds of funders to go?