About The NIH Climate Change Health Initiative
The NIH is uniquely positioned to lead this solutions-focused research initiative to reduce the health consequences associated with extreme weather events and evolving climate conditions. NIH has a strong history of creating innovative tools, technologies, and data-driven solutions to address global environmental problems.
Our Strategic Framework
The NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative (NIH CCHI) is based on a Strategic Framework developed with input from the scientific and stakeholder communities. The Framework provides the initial planning of how the NIH community will address climate change and health.
-
Objectives
The objectives of the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative are:
- Identify risks and optimize benefits to the health of individuals, communities, and populations with actions to mitigate or adapt to climate change.
- Develop the necessary research infrastructure and workforce to enable the generation of timely and relevant knowledge, drawing from the full spectrum of biomedical disciplines.
- Leverage partnerships with other scientific and social disciplines and organizations to achieve the most impactful results.
- Innovate across the research translation continuum to ensure findings are credible, accessible, and actionable for achieving these goals.
-
Annual Report
Over the past fiscal year, the NIH CCHI has grown scientifically and programmatically. In 2024, an emphasis was placed on transdisciplinary collaborations, while still prioritizing community engagement and health equity. The NIH CCHI 2024 Annual Report highlights the Initiative’s growth accomplishments.
- 16 newly funded exploratory grants for climate change and health research centers (P20s)
- 7 new NIH Climate and Health Scholars hosted across NIH institutes and centers
- An expanded portfolio of intramural and extramural climate and health research, with some funded in partnership with the National Science Foundation
Who We Are
-
The NIH CCHI Executive Committee
The NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative is led by an Executive Committee comprising the directors of several NIH Institutes and Centers. The NIEHS Director chairs the Executive Committee and NIEHS is the Initiative’s administrative home.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Rick Woychik, Ph.D. (Chair)Fogarty International Center (FIC)
Kathleen M. Neuzil, M.D.National Cancer Institute (NCI)
W. Kimryn Rathmell, M.D., Ph.D., M.M.H.C.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Helene Langevin, M.D.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Gary H. Gibbons, M.D.National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Richard Hodes, M.D.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Jeanne Marrazzo, M.D., M.P.H.National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Lindsey Criswell, M.D., M.P.H., D.Sc.Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Diana I. Bianchi, M.D.National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
TBDNational Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D.National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Shannon N. Zenk, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN
-
Partners
The challenges from climate change are multifaceted, complex, and multidisciplinary. The NIH CCHI understands the importance of collaborating and coordinating with other agencies and organizations in this space, across different disciplines, to have the most comprehensive approach to understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change on human health.
In addition to internal partners across NIH institutes, centers, and offices, the CCHI is building relationships with many organizations such as:
- U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program (US CLIVAR)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
-
NIH CCHI Working Group
The NIH Climate Change and Health Working Group was established to develop the priorities of the CCHI and support the growth of the program and its partnerships. Members meet regularly to identify evolving areas of science, discuss new research findings, and hear from internal and external partners.
The NIH-wide Climate Change and Health Initiative (CCHI) Working Group includes more than 200 members from over 25 institutes, centers, and offices and is co-chaired by Gila Neta, Ph.D., MPP, from the National Cancer Institute and Regina Bures, Ph.D., from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
There are several subcommittees of the CCHI Working Group. Each focuses on a specific topic area, including training and capacity building, intervention science, climate and health data, and more.
The work of this group supports the overall priorities detailed in the CCHI Strategic Framework.
Contact Us
For general questions about NIH CCHI, climateandhealth.nih.gov, or other inquiries, please contact climateandhealth@nih.gov.