NIOSH Faces Uncertain Future as AIHA Pushes for Funding Restoration — Occupational Health & Safety
NIOSH Faces Uncertain Future as AIHA Pushes for Funding Restoration
NIOSH faces deep funding cuts that threaten critical worker safety programs as AIHA ramps up a nationwide advocacy campaign to restore support and preserve the occupational health ecosystem.
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is ramping up efforts to restore funding for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) after the agency’s 2026 budget request from the administration slashed core funding to just $73 million—a dramatic drop from its typical $360 million annual budget.
The cuts leave only three programs funded: mining research ($66.5 million), the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer ($5.5 million), and the National Mesothelioma Registry and Tissue Bank ($1.2 million). Major NIOSH initiatives—ranging from respirator approvals to workplace hazard evaluations—remain unfunded.
“This has been quite the journey since April 1,” AIHA CEO Larry Sloan said. “The cuts jeopardize the health and safety of workers and leave huge gaps in occupational safety and health protections across the country.”
The proposed integration of NIOSH into the newly formed Advanced Health Agency (AHA) has further complicated the agency’s outlook. According to AIHA, this structural shift—part of a broader realignment within the Department of Health and Human Services—is raising concerns about whether occupational safety and health research will remain a priority. Critics warn that embedding NIOSH within a larger, more generalized agency could dilute its mission and reduce visibility for its critical worker safety programs.
Critical Programs in Jeopardy
NIOSH’s baseline staffing as of January 1, 2025, was approximately 1,060 employees (including the World Trade Center Health Program). Subtracting that program leaves about 980 employees pre-Trump. Since April 1st, approximately 425 employees remain on administrative leave (RIF-Reduction in Force), leaving only about 555 currently working. This spans multiple divisions and departments.
While some mission-critical programs were reinstated in May, such as the Respirator Approval Program, and some academic Education and Research Centers (ERCs), Training Project Grants (TPGs), and other grants received one-year funding extensions from FY 2025 appropriations, many key programs remain unfunded.
Among the programs not currently supported by the FY 2026 budget are:
- The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, home of the Respirator Approval Program that ensures respirator effectiveness worldwide
- The Health Hazard Evaluation Program, which conducts workplace investigations to identify unexplained illnesses and evaluates the safety of new chemicals or processes
- The Emergency Preparedness and Response Office, which coordinates NIOSH’s assistance during disasters
- The Division of Field Studies and Engineering, overseeing engineering controls, physical hazard mitigation, occupational surveillance, and cancer and reproductive epidemiology programs
- The Health Effects Laboratory Division, which includes the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods and validates new methods to meet environmental and occupational health standards
- The Division of Science Integration, which manages NIOSH policy recommendations, the NIOSH Pocket Guide, and occupational exposure banding resources
- The Office of Extramural Programs, which funds ERCs, TPGs, 10 Centers for Total Worker Health (TWH), 12 Centers for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF), and the National Construction Center administered by CPWR
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