Health Effects Institute

Name

Health Effects Institute

Legal name

Health Effects Institute

Website

https://healtheffects.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Health Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Administration of Public Health Programs (923120)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Real-World Evidence (RWE), HEOR & Epidemiology CROs (HLAGAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Systems Strengthening & Global Health Technical Assistance (BPADAEAH), NEPA/EA/EIS & Public Consultation (EUAHAAAB), Economic Evaluation & Health Technology Assessment (Public Programs) (HLAJANAL)

Keywords

• Air pollution research
• Environmental health science
• Epidemiological studies
• Public health policy
• Exposure assessment research

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Industry and Government Sponsorship: HEI receives core funding from industry sponsors and government agencies that support its research programs and operations. This partnership model has been in place since the organization's founding in 1980.
2. Foundation and International Organization Grants: HEI attracts supplemental financial support from foundations and international organizations for international research work, including programs in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
3. Donations and Fellowship Support: Individual and organizational donations support HEI's Summer Fellowship Program and Future Leaders Fellowship. Donation tiers include $20, $50, $100 and other amounts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Health Effects Institute (HEI) is a nonprofit research organization that conducts and funds impartial, peer-reviewed scientific research on the health effects of air pollution. Its offerings center on Research Reports, Special Reports (including the annual State of Global Air report), and three regional interactive bibliographic databases covering South Asia, East Africa, and Southeast Europe. HEI also funds external research through Requests for Applications (RFAs), supports early-career researchers via fellowships and awards, and runs an Annual Conference plus webinars to translate findings into evidence-based air quality policy.

Product overview

Health Effects Institute (HEI) is a research organization that provides impartial science on air pollution and health through a portfolio of products and programs. The core offerings include Research Reports and Special Reports (including the annual State of Global Air report) that publish peer-reviewed studies on air pollution's health effects; interactive databases including DoSAAH (South Asia), LiNDA HEWA (East Africa), and Spatial Bibliography (Southeast Europe) that aggregate literature on air pollution and health; and funding programs including RFAs, the Rosenblith Award, and Summer Fellowship. Additional programs cover Global Research Initiatives, Accountability Research, Energy Program, and the Annual Conference. HEI also conducts low-level exposure studies and develops statistical methods for multipollutant research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• State of Global Air (SoGA): Comprehensive annual report and database tracking air quality and health impacts globally
• DoSAAH
• LiNDA HEWA
• CHERI
• HEI Energy
• Rosenblith Award
• Jane Warren Award
• Summer Fellowship

Products and services

• State of Global Air (SoGA)
• Database of South Asia – Air Pollution and Health (DoSAAH)
• Literature Database for Air Pollution and Health Work in East Africa (LiNDA HEWA)
• Spatial Bibliography – Southeast Europe
• Summer Fellowship Program
• HEI Research Funding Programs (Requests for Applications)

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.1 million deaths globally attributed to air pollution in 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Africa Clean Air NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026HEI and Africa Clean Air Network partnered to launch the Future Leaders Fellowship 2026, which aims to equip early-career researchers with practical research experience, mentorship, and professional networks in air quality and environmental science across Africa.
• ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2025HEI and ICIMOD signed a letter of intent to collaborate on health effects of air pollution in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) and South Asia. The partnership aims to build and disseminate knowledge that can drive policy action, focusing on better data and actionable science, enhanced research capacity, and ensuring scientific evidence informs policy throughout the region.
• World Health Organization (WHO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEI worked in partnership with WHO on Air Quality Guidelines, contributing scientific expertise to international health standards.
• European UnionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEI collaborated with the European Union on multi-investigator studies of air pollution and health in North America and Europe (APHENA project).
• European CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEI's ELAPSE study findings were used by the European Commission in their impact assessment for new air quality standards, demonstrating the direct policy influence of HEI research.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT): Mission-driven research organization producing rigorous, independent science on transportation-related air pollution and health impacts. Overlaps directly with HEI's traffic-related, diesel and ELAPSE-style exposure assessment work, with a similar funder mix of foundations and government grants.
• Clean Air Task Force: NGO that produces and commissions technical and scientific research on air pollution, especially fine particulate and methane. Overlaps with HEI on accountability research, exposure science, and direct engagement with EPA and state regulators.
• Clean Air Asia: Regional air quality and health research network focused on Asia. Closely comparable to HEI's role in South and Southeast Asia, with shared methods in exposure assessment, policy analysis and capacity building for emerging researchers.
• Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL): European non-profit that brings together health professionals, patients and NGOs to address environmental causes of disease, including air pollution. Shares HEI's health-and-air-quality framing and EU policy engagement.

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization producing datasets and analysis on environment and development, including air quality. Overlaps with HEI on global indicator work (e.g. comparable to State of Global Air) but is broader in scope, with a much larger headcount and funder base.
• Environmental Defense Fund (EDF): Large US environmental organization that combines science, economics and advocacy. Comparable to HEI on air pollution science and standards-setting, but is broader (climate, oceans, health) and operates a much larger budget and staff.
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA): International research institute that runs the GAINS model and other air pollution and health impact assessments for the WHO, UNECE and EU. Closely comparable to HEI's integrated exposure-mortality modeling work, especially in Europe and Asia.
• American Lung Association: US non-profit that funds air pollution and health research, publishes the State of the Air report, and engages on EPA standards. Comparable to HEI on translating air-pollution science into US regulatory advocacy, though it is a member-driven advocacy organization rather than a research funder.

Emerging players

• Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal): Research center with a strong air pollution, climate and health program, producing cohort studies and multi-country exposure assessments. Comparable to HEI in scientific scope (e.g. similar to HEI's Catalonia COVID-19 study) and policy translation work in Europe.
• Union of Concerned Scientists: US-based nonprofit that mobilizes scientists to influence policy on environment, energy and health. Shares HEI's science-to-policy mission and emphasis on independent expertise, but covers a broader set of issues (climate, nuclear, agriculture).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HEIresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/health-effects-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Health Effects Institute