NIMH-1

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

FY 2017 Budget Page No.

Organization Chart...........................................................................................................................2

Appropriation Language ..................................................................................................................3

Amounts Available for Obligation...................................................................................................4

Budget Mechanism Table ................................................................................................................5

Major Changes in Budget Request ..................................................................................................6

Summary of Changes.......................................................................................................................7

Budget Graphs .................................................................................................................................9

Budget Authority by Activity ........................................................................................................10

Authorizing Legislation .................................................................................................................11

Appropriations History ..................................................................................................................12

Justification of Budget Request .....................................................................................................13

Budget Authority by Object Class.................................................................................................22

Salaries and Expenses....................................................................................................................23

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE) .....................................................................24

Detail of Positions..........................................................................................................................25

NOTE: The FY 2016 Enacted funding amounts cited throughout this chapter reflect the effects of OAR HIV/AIDS Transfers.
NIMH-2

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of Mental Health

Division of Services and

Intervention Research

Director

Robert Heinssen, Jr., Ph.D.

Division of Neuroscience 

and Basic Behavioral 

Science

Director

Linda S. Brady, Ph.D.

Division of AIDS

Research 

Director

Dianne M. Rausch, Ph.D.

Division of 

Translational

Research

Director

Sarah H. Lisanby, M.D.

Office of the Director

Acting Director

Bruce Cuthbert, Ph.D.

National Advisory

Mental Health

Council

Division of Extramural 

Activities

Acting Director

Jean Noronha, Ph.D.

Division of Intramural

Research Programs

Director

Susan G. Amara, Ph.D. 
NIMH-3

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

For carrying out section 301 and title IV of the PHS Act with respect to mental health,

[$1,548,390,000]$1,459,700,000.
NIMH-4

Source of Funding FY 2015 Actual FY 2016 Enacted FY 2017 President's 

Budget

Appropriation $1,463,036 $1,548,390 $1,518,673

Mandatory Appropriation: (non-add)

Type 1 Diabetes (0) (0) (0)

Other Mandatory financing (0) (0) (58,973)

Rescission 0 0 0

Sequestration 0 0 0

FY 2015 First Secretary's Transfer 0 0 0

FY 2015 Second Secretary's Transfer 0 0 0

Subtotal, adjusted appropriation $1,463,036 $1,548,390 $1,518,673

OAR HIV/AIDS Transfers -29,385 -29,717 0

National Children's Study Transfers 0 0 0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $1,433,651 $1,518,673 $1,518,673

Unobligated balance, start of year 0 0 0

Unobligated balance, end of year 0 0 0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $1,433,651 $1,518,673 $1,518,673

Unobligated balance lapsing -48 0 0

Total obligations $1,433,603 $1,518,673 $1,518,673

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Amounts Available for Obligation1

(Dollars in Thousands)

1 Excludes the following amounts for reimbursable activities carried out by this account:

 FY 2015 - $5,403 FY 2016 - $10,050 FY 2017 - $10,050 
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No. Amount No. Amount No. Amount No. Amount

1,407 $636,552 1,411 $686,634 1,358 $676,907 -53 -$9,727

(130) 20,375 (60) 10,000 (60) 10,000

74 38,554 77 40,360 84 39,904 7 -456

431 201,727 452 211,175 439 208,789 -13 -2,386

2 770 2 806 2 797 -9

507 $241,051 531 $252,341 525 $249,490 -6 -$2,851

1,914 $897,978 1,942 $948,975 1,883 $936,397 -59 -$12,578

77 38,974 83 43,744 84 44,404 1 660

1,991 $936,952 2,025 $992,719 1,967 $980,801 -58 -$11,918

39 $69,949 39 $72,839 39 $72,839

472

990

39 $71,411 39 $72,839 39 $72,839

319 $51,433 319 $52,462 319 $52,462

56 26,954 56 27,493 56 27,493

375 $78,387 375 $79,955 375 $79,955

2,405 $1,086,750 2,439 $1,145,513 2,381 $1,133,595 -58 -$11,918

FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs

228 $9,375 224 $9,630 224 $9,823 $193

482 24,603 501 27,831 501 28,166 335

710 $33,978 725 $37,461 725 $37,989 $528

156 $75,494 175 $87,558 175 $94,922 $7,364

(1) (328) (1) (327) (1) (327)

268 $164,438 268 $170,892 268 $172,601 $1,709

268 72,991 273 77,249 273 79,566 2,317

(150) (150) (150)

-58,973 -58,973

$1,433,651 $1,518,673 $1,459,700 -$58,973

$1,433,651 $1,518,673 $1,459,700 -$58,973

58,973 58,973

$1,433,651 $1,518,673 $1,518,673

$1,433,651 $1,518,673 $1,518,673

1

2

3

Total, Program Level

All Subtotal and Total numbers may not add due to rounding.

All numbers in italics and brackets are non-add.

Includes mandatory financing.

Type 1 Diabetes

Proposed Law Funding

Cancer Initiative Mandatory Financing

Other Mandatory Financing

Total, NIH Budget Authority

Program Evaluation Financing

Cancer Initiative Mandatory Financing

Other Mandatory Financing

Subtotal, Labor/HHS Budget Authority

Interior Appropriation for Superfund Res.

Total, NIH Discretionary B.A.

Common Fund (non-add) 2

Buildings and Facilities

Appropriation

Type 1 Diabetes

Program Evaluation Financing

Res. Management & Support

Res. Management & Support (SBIR Admin) (non-add) 2

Office of the Director - Appropriation 2

Office of the Director - Other

ORIP/SEPA (non-add) 2

Total Research Training

Research & Develop. Contracts

(SBIR/STTR) (non-add) 2

Intramural Research

Other

Other Research

Total Research Grants

Ruth L Kirchstein Training Awards:

Individual Awards

Institutional Awards

Other Research:

Research Careers

Cancer Education

Cooperative Clinical Research

Biomedical Research Support

Minority Biomedical Research Support

Specialized/Comprehensive

Clinical Research

Biotechnology

Comparative Medicine

Research Centers in Minority Institutions

Research Centers

Supplements

Subtotal, Competing

Subtotal, RPGs

SBIR/STTR

Research Project Grants

Research Centers:

Research Projects:

Noncompeting

Administrative Supplements 

Competing:

Renewal

New

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Mechanism - Total1

(Dollars in Thousands)

MECHANISM FY 2015 Actual FY 2016 Enacted FY 2017 President's 

Budget3

FY 2017

+/-

FY 2016
NIMH-6

Major Changes in the Fiscal Year 2017 President’s Budget Request

Major changes by budget mechanism and/or budget activity detail are briefly described below. 

Note that there may be overlap between budget mechanism and activity details and these 

highlights will not sum to the total change for FY 2017 President’s Budget request for NIMH, 

which is equal to the FY 2016 Enacted level, for a total of $1,518.673 million.

Early Psychosis Intervention Network 

In FY 2017, NIMH will build on previous work and launch the Early Psychosis Intervention 

Network (EPINET), with the goal of creating a learning health care system among early 

psychosis treatment clinics. With patients’ consent, EPINET clinics will create a common 

database with information gathered during routine clinical encounters. This database will allow 

clinicians and researchers to learn more about the effectiveness of early psychosis treatment. 

The budget request includes an additional $6.0 million for this Network.

NRSA Research Training

NIMH has provided an additional $0.528 million for NRSA Research Training to provide a 

stipend increase of 2.0 per cent for all trainees and maintain the same number full-time trainee 

positions as the FY 2016 Enacted level.

Research Project Grants

Non-competing Research Project Grants has decreased by 53 grants and $9.727 million. 

Competing Research Project Grants has decreased by 6 grants and $2.851 million. The funds 

will be used to fund other high priority areas.

Research Management and Support 

This budget activity has increased by $2.317 million to pay for mandatory pay and benefit 

increases as well as increases needed to support the enhanced oversight and management of new 

and highly complex scientific programs initiated over the past five years which are critical to the 

success of the Institute.

Research and Development Contracts

NIMH has provided an additional $7.364 million to this budget activity to support the EPINET 

program as well as increased costs of purchases from other government accounts.
NIMH-7

FTEs Budget Authority FTEs Budget Authority

$58,188 $266

58,188 749

58,188 -423

58,188 0

30,539 745

83,874 373

$1,709

$37,425 $175

37,425 486

37,425 -276

37,425 0

9,187 465

32,953 1,467

$2,317

$4,026

1

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Summary of Changes

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2016 Enacted $1,518,673

FY 2017 President's Budget $1,518,673

Net change $0

FY 2017 President's Budget1 Change from FY 2016

CHANGES

A. Built-in:

1. Intramural Research:

a. Annualization of January 2016 pay increase & benefits

b. January FY 2017 pay increase & benefits

c. Two less days of pay

d. Differences attributable to change in FTE

e. Payment for centrally furnished services

f. Increased cost of laboratory supplies, materials, other expenses, and nonrecurring costs

Subtotal

2. Research Management and Support:

a. Annualization of January 2016 pay increase & benefits

b. January FY 2017 pay increase & benefits

c. Two less days of pay

d. Differences attributable to change in FTE

e. Payment for centrally furnished services

f. Increased cost of laboratory supplies, materials, other expenses, and nonrecurring costs

Subtotal

Subtotal, Built-in

Includes mandatory financing.
NIMH-8

No. Amount No. Amount

1,358 $686,907 -53 -$9,727

525 249,490 -6 -2,851

84 44,404 1 660

1,967 $980,801 -58 -$11,918

39 $72,839 0 $0

375 79,955 0 0

725 37,989 0 528

175 94,922 0 7,364

$1,266,506 -$4,026

FTEs FTEs

268 $172,601 0 $0

273 79,566 0 0

0 0

0 0

541 $1,518,673 0 -$4,026

$0

1 Includes mandatory financing.

8. Construction

9. Buildings and Facilities

Subtotal, Program

Total changes

Subtotal, Extramural

6. Intramural Research

7. Research Management and Support

3. Other Research

4. Research Training

5. Research and development contracts

a. Noncompeting

b. Competing

c. SBIR/STTR

Subtotal, RPGs

2. Research Centers

FY 2017 President's Budget1 Change from FY 2016

CHANGES

B. Program:

1. Research Project Grants:

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Summary of Changes - Continued

(Dollars in Thousands)
NIMH-9

Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Graphs

History of Budget Authority and FTEs:

Distribution by Mechanism:

Change by Selected Mechanism:
NIMH-10

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

$523,098 $554,171 $552,181 -$1,990

138,048 147,097 146,568 -529

366,856 391,055 389,650 -1,405

145,602 149,769 149,769 0

22,618 28,440 28,338 -102

$1,196,222 $1,270,532 $1,266,506 -$4,026

268 $164,438 268 $170,892 268 $172,601 0 $1,709

268 $72,991 273 $77,249 273 $79,566 0 $2,317

536 $1,433,651 541 $1,518,673 541 $1,518,673 0 $0

1

2

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Authority by Activity1

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2015 Actual FY 2016 Enacted FY 2017 President's 

Budget2

FY 2017

+/-

FY2016

Extramural Research

Detail

Neuroscience & Basic Behavioral Science

Services & Intervention Research

Translational Research

AIDS Research

Includes mandatory financing.

Office of the Director

Subtotal, Extramural

Intramural Research

Research Management & Support

TOTAL

Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund.
NIMH-11

PHS Act/

Other Citation

U.S. Code

Citation

FY 2016 Enacted FY 2017 President's 

Budget1

Section 301

Section 401(a) 42§281

Total, Budget Authority $1,518,673,000 $1,459,700,000

Indefinite

$1,518,673,000 $1,459,700,000

Indefinite

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Authorizing Legislation

2016 Amount

Authorized

2017 Amount

Authorized

Research and Investigation 42§241 Indefinite

Indefinite

1Excludes mandatory financing.

National Institute of Mental Health
NIMH-12

Budget Estimate to 

Congress House Allowance Senate Allowance Appropriation

$1,394,806,000 $1,394,806,000 $1,403,551,000 $1,404,494,000

$0

$1,405,421,000 $1,425,531,000 $1,436,001,000 $1,429,446,000

$24,973,000

$7,475,000

$1,406,841,000 $1,455,145,000 $1,445,987,000 $1,450,491,000

$0

$1,474,676,000 $1,502,266,000 $1,475,190,000 $1,489,372,000

$0

$1,540,345,000 $1,537,942,000 $1,489,372,000

$13,078,800

$1,517,006,000 $1,517,006,000 $1,460,671,000 $1,483,068,000

$2,802,999

$1,479,204,000 $1,483,687,000 $1,480,265,001

$2,960,530

($74,299,124)

$1,465,782,000 $1,456,041,000 $1,446,172,000

$0

$1,440,076,000 $1,463,036,000

$0

$1,489,417,000 $1,512,401,000 $1,520,260,000 $1,548,390,000

$0

$1,518,673,000

1

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Appropriations History

Fiscal Year

2007

Rescission

2008

Rescission

Supplemental

2009

Rescission

2010

Rescission

2011

Rescission

2012

Rescission

2013

Rescission

Sequestration

2014

Rescission

2015

Rescission

2016

Rescission

20171

Includes mandatory financing.
NIMH-13

Justification of Budget Request

National Institute of Mental Health

Authorizing Legislation: Section 301 and title IV of the Public Health Service Act, as amended.

Budget Authority (BA):

FY 2015

Actual

FY 2016

Enacted

FY 2017

President’s

Budget

FY 2017 +/-

FY 2016

BA $1,433,651,000 $1,518,673,000 $1,518,673,000 +$0

FTE 536 541 541 0

Program funds are allocated as follows: Competitive Grants/Cooperative Agreements; 

Contracts; Direct Federal/Intramural and Other.

Director’s Overview

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the lead Federal agency for research on 

mental illnesses, with a mission to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses 

through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.

In the United States, an estimated 43.6 million adults suffer from a mental illness.1

 Mental 

illnesses are significantly impairing and can be life-threatening; they were the leading cause of 

disability in the United States in 2010, accounting for 18.7 percent of all years of life lost to 

illness, disability, or premature death.2 Suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth and 

young adults aged 15-34, accounting for the loss of more than 41,000 American lives each year, 

and is the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States.3 A cautious estimate places 

the direct and indirect financial costs associated with mental illness in the United States at well 

over $300 billion annually, and mental illnesses rank as the third most costly medical conditions 

in terms of overall health care expenditures, behind only heart conditions and traumatic injury.4,5

To ensure that NIMH optimizes its priorities and invests wisely in the most rigorous science, the 

Institute released an updated Strategic Plan for Research in March 2015.

6

 The plan provides a 

framework to accelerate the pace of scientific progress by generating research that will have the 

greatest public health impact and continue to fuel the transformation of mental health care. The

 1 SAMHSA, Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings, NSDUH 

Series H-47, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4805. Rockville, MD: SAMHSA, 2014. 2 US Burden of Disease Collaborators. The state of US health, 1990-2010: burden of diseases, injuries, and risk 

factors. JAMA, 310(6): 591-608, 2013. 3 CDC, NCIPC. WISQARS: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars accessed October 2015. 4 Insel TR. Assessing the economic cost of serious mental illness. Am J Psychiatry. 2008 Jun;165(6):663-5. 5 Soni A. The Five Most Costly Conditions, 1996 and 2006: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized 

Population. Statistical Brief #248. July 2009. AHRQ, Rockville, MD.

6 http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports/index.shtml
NIMH-14

four Objectives of the Plan describe the continuum of mental health research: defining the 

mechanisms of complex behavior; charting mental illness trajectories to determine when, where, 

and how to intervene; striving for prevention and cures; and, strengthening the public health 

impact of NIMH-supported research. These Objectives form a roadmap for NIMH’s priorities 

over the next five years. In addition, NIMH has taken steps to improve efficiency, increase 

transparency, and monitor human-subjects protection and privacy issues effectively in its clinical 

research portfolio.7 NIMH will continue to monitor carefully the initiation, recruitment, and 

completion of each clinical trial, with continued funding contingent upon meeting milestones.

Basic Research, the Foundation for Success: The Brain Research through Advancing 

Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is supporting the creation of new tools for 

decoding the language of the brain.8 Managed by 10 NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) and co-led 

by NIMH and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the BRAIN Initiative 

made great strides towards uncovering the causal mechanisms of brain circuit function in FY 

2015. NIMH-funded researchers published findings on a new technique for single-cell analysis, 

called Drop-Seq, that is faster and less expensive than current, more labor-intensive methods, 

and yet just as accurate. Other researchers have developed technology for targeting and 

precisely affecting a specific brain cell type (Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by 

Designer Drugs, or DREADDs). NIMH continues to prioritize research aimed at developing 

innovative tools and technologies dedicated to mapping aberrant brain activity associated with 

mental illnesses.

NIMH investments in basic neuroscience research have built a foundation for future BRAIN 

Initiative efforts. For example, NIMH-funded researchers took a technology, called induced 

pluripotent stem cells (in which they turned stem cells derived from patients’ skin cells into 

neurons), and streamlined the procedure to generate cortex-like structures of neurons and their 

support cells, called spheroids, that mimic the developing brain. These spheroids function so 

similarly to the developing brain that they will eventually enable researchers to evaluate 

proposed brain mechanisms underlying mental illnesses – the ‘disease-in-a-dish’ approach – and 

in turn, design more accurate treatments. This work illustrates how basic research provides the 

platform for successful treatment development. 

Improving Precision through Information Integration: Increased precision in mental health 

research requires a framework for integrating many levels of information to understand basic 

dimensions of functioning underlying the full range of human behavior. The NIMH Research 

Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative expands precision medicine to all areas of mental health 

research.9 RDoC enables clinical investigators to think outside the box of current diagnostic 

categories, and encourages basic scientists to identify mechanisms of specific domains of mental 

function. For example, the Bipolar Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (BSNIP) 

study used the RDoC approach to examine individuals across multiple diagnostic groups in the 

psychosis spectrum, employing statistical techniques to look for patterns in the data. This 

 7 See: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/opportunities-announcements/clinical-trials-foas/nimh-clinical-trialsportfolio-progress-to-date-and-the-road-forward.shtml 8 http://www.nih.gov/science/brain/index.htm

9 http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research-priorities/rdoc/index.shtml
NIMH-15

approach resulted in natural groupings of patients based on their biological information, rather 

than only observable symptoms.10 

Another ongoing NIMH-funded study is using the RDoC approach as it applies to the genetic 

basis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Specifically, investigators are working 

with existing genetic databases to differentiate gene pathways to ADHD, and are then using

these pathways to develop subgroups that can be validated with neurocognitive measures and 

structural connectivity analyses. Determining the biological basis of ADHD subgroups can lead 

the way towards future diagnostic and treatment development efforts, exemplifying the RDoC 

approach of integrating basic genetic findings into actionable translational science. 

Big Data and Technology: NIMH is committed to supporting data integration across studies 

and the broad sharing of data and the resources necessary to accelerate scientific progress. 

Moreover, data sharing is an expectation for all NIMH-funded clinical research. NIMH has 

federated a series of repositories for this purpose – referred to in aggregate as the NIMH Data 

Archive: the National Database for Autism Research, the NIH Pediatric MRI Data Repository, 

the RDoC Database, and the National Database for Clinical Trials Related to Mental Illness. The 

NIMH commitment to broad sharing of data is also evident in its ongoing support of the 

Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC), the largest ever genomic investigation of brain disorders, 

involving hundreds of thousands of samples from more than 80 institutions in over 30 

countries.11,12,13,14,15 Recently, PGC researchers identified overlapping genetic risk among 

schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression for pathways affecting the immune system and 

brain cell communication. These findings will help guide the development of treatments for 

mental illnesses, thereby enabling NIMH to continue onward in accomplishing its mission.

Budget Policy:

The FY 2017 President’s Budget estimate is $1,518.673 million, the same as the FY 2016 

Enacted level.

Program Descriptions

Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science

The Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science provides support for research in the 

areas of basic neuroscience, genetics, basic behavioral science, research training, resource 

development, and drug discovery. In cooperation with other NIMH programs and the wider 

research community, this program ensures that relevant basic scientific knowledge is generated 

and used in pursuit of improved methods to diagnose, treat, and prevent mental illnesses.

NIMH funds grants across a range of research topics to enhance our comprehension of the basic 

neurobiology underlying mental illnesses. In FY 2017, NIMH will continue to capitalize on data 

 10 See: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26462502 11 http://ndar.nih.gov/ 12 http://www.pediatricmri.nih.gov/ 13 http://rdocdb.nimh.nih.gov/ 14 http://ndct.nimh.nih.gov/ 15 http://www.med.unc.edu/pgc
NIMH-16

arising from large scale genomic studies to understand the genetic underpinnings of mental 

illnesses. In particular, studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia have 

yielded a large number of regions of the genome associated with disease. NIMH will work to 

fine tune these associations, using new statistical methods as well as biological studies.

Budget Policy:

The FY 2017 President’s Budget estimate is $552.181 million, a decrease of $1.990 million or 

0.4 percent compared to the FY 2016 Enacted level.

Program Portrait: Mapping the Brain’s Connections across the Lifespan

FY 2016 NIH Level: $21.3 million

FY 2017 NIH Level: $24.6 million

Change : +$3.3 million

Over the past decade, an explosion of interest in the patterns of connectivity underlying structural and functional 

brain networks has resulted in a shift to studying connectivity and networks, revolutionizing how we understand 

brain function and dysfunction. Echoing this shift, the NIH Human Connectome Project (HCP), funded since 2010 

by the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, is a large-scale effort to develop a comprehensive reference atlas 

of neuronal connectivity – that is, a connectome.

16 HCP is mapping brain connectivity in 1,200 healthy adults, and 

making this data freely available to the scientific community. This project aims to increase knowledge of what 

makes us uniquely human, and also sets the stage for studies of abnormal brain circuits that appear in many mental 

illnesses. 

Early findings from HCP show promise for improving our understanding of how brain connectivity is related to 

human behavior. A study published in September 2015 used HCP data to determine whether any specific patterns of 

brain connectivity are associated with specific sets of correlated demographics and behavior.17 The investigators 

discovered that the strongest correlation emerged between an individual’s connectome and “positive” measures, 

such as higher vocabulary, better memory, and higher life satisfaction. NIH has also funded a Connectome 

Coordination Facility that will maintain the existing data repository, support a help desk to facilitate community use 

of the resource, and serve as a harmonization center where data from multiple labs are made compatible. 

In FY 2015, NIMH extended its connectome efforts by releasing a new series of funding opportunity 

announcements to support the study of infants and youth, in order to capture the structural and functional changes 

that occur in the brain during typical development, as well as in clinical populations.18,19,20 The National Institute on 

Aging is coordinating a similar expansion to study older adults.21 These expansions across the lifespan will enhance 

the clinical relevance of the data and provide benchmarks for understanding the causes of human brain disorders. 

Review of applications is currently ongoing, with funding of meritorious proposals anticipated to begin in the 

summer of 2016. NIMH supports about 30 percent of this NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research project.

Translational Research

The Division of Translational Research (DTR) supports integrative, multidisciplinary research 

and training programs that translate findings from basic science in order to discover the causes, 

mechanisms, and trajectories of mental illnesses, and to develop effective interventions for 

 16 http://www.neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/connectome/ 17 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26414616 18 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-16-160.html

19 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-16-150.html 20 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-14-281.html 21 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AG-16-004.html
NIMH-17

children and adults. DTR supports research on the characteristics of and risk factors for 

psychiatric disorders; the neurobehavioral mechanisms of psychopathology; the trajectories of 

risk and resilience based on the interactive influences of genetics, brain development, 

environment, and experience; and the design and testing of innovative treatments and 

interventions.

In FY 2015, DTR launched the Autism Biomarkers Consortium project. The Autism Biomarkers 

Consortium is supported by the Biomarkers Consortium, a large public-private partnership that 

aims to facilitate precision medicine by supporting research to identify disease-specific 

biomarkers for targeted and individualized treatment. The project will receive a total of $28 

million from the Biomarkers Consortium over the next four years to test and refine clinical 

measures of social impairment in ASD, in order to evaluate potential behavioral and drug 

therapies as rigorously as possible. Autism Biomarkers Consortium researchers will collect 

electroencephalogram and eye-tracking measures in 325 children with ASD to identify reliable 

biomarkers for the objective selection of biologically similar subgroups of children with ASD for 

optimized treatment. In 2016 and beyond, the study will begin generating a scientific 

community resource by making the biomarker measures, laboratory tests of social impairment, 

extensive phenotypic information, and blood samples from the children and their parents 

available for use in future studies.

In FY 2016, DTR plans to launch a five-year, multi-site initiative, “Longitudinal Assessment of 

Post-traumatic Syndromes (LAPS),” to develop a new understanding of the neurobiological 

mechanisms responsible for mental illness following trauma, pending the receipt of meritorious 

grant applications. This effort will facilitate more accurate diagnosis, and more effective 

prevention and treatment of the spectrum of trauma symptoms traditionally characterized as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). LAPS will assess patients exposed to trauma to characterize 

post-traumatic changes in neurobiological factors, cognitive functioning, and other markers of 

risk over time; develop algorithms to predict different clinical trajectories following trauma 

exposure; and inform interventions that target the underlying causes of symptoms in subgroups 

of patients that are less heterogeneous than individuals with a traditional PTSD diagnosis. LAPS 

has the potential to improve care for individuals at high risk for post-traumatic stress conditions 

dramatically, across civilian, military, and veteran populations. LAPS is also responsive to 

White House calls to invest in research that will establish biomarkers, define the 

pathophysiology, and develop new treatments based on mechanisms for post-traumatic stress 

spectrum illnesses.22

Budget Policy:

The FY 2017 President’s Budget estimate is $389.650 million, a decrease of $1.405 million or 

0.4 percent compared to the FY 2016 Enacted level.

 22 http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/31/executive-order-improving-access-mental-health-services-veteransservice
NIMH-18

Services and Intervention Research

The Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) supports research that evaluates the 

effectiveness of psychosocial, pharmacological, somatic, rehabilitative, and combined 

interventions to prevent or treat mental and behavioral illnesses. DSIR evaluates interventions 

for children, adolescents, and adults, focusing on acute and long-term symptom reduction, 

remission, and improved community functioning. DSIR also supports mental health services 

research, including interventions to improve the quality and outcomes of care; organization and 

system-level interventions to enhance service delivery; and, strategies for widespread 

dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments into routine care settings.

In FY 2015, DSIR supported two large-scale initiatives to improve the effectiveness of mental 

health services delivered at critical periods of illness or across developmental life stages. One 

initiative concerns suicide prevention. Suicide risk is 10 times higher among persons recently 

released from jail or prison, compared to individuals from the general population.23 To reduce 

suicide risk during this critical period, NIMH, in partnership with the NIH Office of Behavioral 

and Social Sciences Research and the National Institute of Justice, funded the Suicide Prevention 

for at-Risk Individuals in Transition (SPIRIT) study.24 This randomized control trial will 

evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based Safety Planning Intervention for reducing suicide 

events in the year following incarceration. The second initiative concerns outcomes for people 

with ASD. ASD begins in early childhood, but impairments often endure through transitions 

to adolescence and adulthood. There are few studies to guide delivery of mental health 

services across these life stages. ASD services research initiative is supporting 12 studies that 

examine strategies for improving outcomes for people with ASD across the lifespan. Of note, 

five of the 12 studies are focused on early childhood. The investigators of these studies have 

formed the ASD Pediatric Early Detection and Engagement in Service (ASD PEDS) network, 

which will pool data across the projects to expand capacity significantly to address key services 

research questions for young children aged 0-2 years, a developmentally important time in the 

course of ASD.

Budget Policy:

The FY 2017 President’s Budget estimate is $146.568 million, a decrease of $0.529 million or 

0.4 percent compared to the FY 2016 Enacted level.

 23 See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579558/ 24 See http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2015/embracing-the-spirit-of-reducing-suicide.shtml
NIMH-19

Program Portrait: Addressing Psychosis through a Learning Health Care System Approach

FY 2016 Level: $ 9.5 million

FY 2017 Level: $15.5 million

Change: +$6.0 million

The ‘learning health care system’ approach allows clinicians and researchers to learn about the effectiveness of 

treatments in use and to develop new strategies based on a constant flow of data from patients in real-world settings. 

The realm of diagnosing and treating psychosis is primed to benefit from this approach. Many people experiencing 

a first episode of psychosis (FEP) experience significant delays in seeking and obtaining care, though treatment is 

most effective for people who receive care soon after psychotic symptoms begin. The Recovery After an Initial 

Schizophrenia Episode (RAISE) initiative, which NIMH launched in 2008, aims to change the downward spiral that 

can result from untreated psychosis, and help return people to a path toward productive, independent lives. RAISE 

is a large-scale research initiative that began with two studies examining different aspects of coordinated specialty 

care (CSC) treatments for people who were experiencing FEP. 

CSC is a recovery-oriented treatment program for people with FEP. CSC uses a team of specialists who work with 

the client to create a personal treatment plan. The specialists offer psychotherapy, medication management, family 

education, case management, and work or education support, depending on the individual’s needs and preferences. 

The goal is to link the client with a CSC team as soon as possible after psychotic symptoms begin. The client and the 

CSC team work together to make treatment decisions, involving family members as much as possible. RAISE 

investigators have shown that CSC is effective and can be implemented in community treatment settings nationwide.

Moving forward, increased funding will enable NIMH to build on the work accomplished thus far in the RAISE 

initiative by launching the Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET), with the goal of creating a learning 

health care system among early psychosis treatment clinics. With patients’ consent, EPINET clinics will create a 

common database with information gathered during routine clinical encounters. This database will allow clinicians 

and researchers to learn more about the effectiveness of early psychosis treatment. EPINET will also accelerate 

studies of psychosis risk factors, biomarkers of illness, and pre-emptive interventions through enhancements related 

to, for example, data capture, data processing, and the development of specialty toolkits. RAISE and EPINET 

exemplify NIMH’s determination to ensure that lessons learned from research and clinical experiences are 

systematically and rapidly put to use to improve the lives of individuals with psychosis and their families. 

AIDS Research 

The Division of AIDS Research (DAR) supports research and research training spanning the 

priority areas outlined in the NIH HIV/AIDS Research Priorities and Guidelines for Determining 

AIDS Funding.

25 DAR supports behavioral and social science research critical to the goal of 

reducing HIV/AIDS incidence through developing and testing new prevention strategies, such as 

vaccines, microbicides, and pre-exposure prophylaxis approaches. Behavioral and social science 

research is critical to understanding individual and communal acceptance of prevention 

strategies, so that the delivery of such strategies is fully optimized, widely disseminated, and 

successfully implemented. Moreover, DAR research places especial emphasis on health 

disparities, and in particular, on mental illnesses that may increase risk for HIV infection or have 

a negative impact on health outcomes.

DAR is also actively participating in cure efforts with the support of research on methods to 

eliminate HIV in infected individuals by eradicating or silencing the virus from biological 

reservoirs in the central nervous system (CNS). As many drugs designed to eradicate the virus 

 25 See https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-15-137.html
NIMH-20

are unable to penetrate the protected environment of the CNS, the CNS can act as an unwitting

reservoir for HIV. Therefore, HIV latency is critically important to consider in studies of 

eradication and reactivation, and DAR supports research on viral latency and persistence in the 

CNS. This work may also inform methods to prevent or treat the neurological comorbidities of 

HIV, with a particular emphasis on the premature aging associated with long-term HIV disease 

and antiretroviral therapy. Through its commitment to bringing multidisciplinary expertise to 

agency-wide strategic planning efforts, DAR is working to ensure that effective integration of 

biomedical and behavioral approaches is accomplished, bringing us ever closer to an AIDS-free 

generation.

Budget Policy:

The FY 2017 President’s Budget estimate is $149.769 million, the same as the FY 2016 Enacted

level.

Intramural Research Programs 

The Division of Intramural Research Programs (DIRP) is the internal research component of 

NIMH, complementing the Institute’s extramural grant funding program. DIRP scientists 

investigate basic, translational, and clinical aspects of brain function and behavior, conducting 

state-of-the-art research through the use of unique NIH resources. In addition, DIRP provides an 

excellent environment for training the next generation of clinical and basic scientists. 

DIRP researchers continue to examine the relationship between genes, the brain, and behavior 

both in healthy development and in adult and childhood-onset mental illnesses. In FY 2015, 

many important basic science advances came out of the Division, including insight into the 

molecular mechanisms of how amphetamine stimulates brain cells; linking specific patterns of 

brain activity, called ‘neuronal avalanches,’ to changes in physiological state; and demonstrating 

how the immune system interacts with the brain to affect mood. DIRP scientists use brain

imaging to study disruptive behavior disorders in youth, which confer increased risk of substance 

abuse and criminal behavior, and they investigate innovative behavioral treatments for children 

with severe mood dysregulation or anxiety. DIRP researchers are also exploring novel 

medications for treatment-resistant depression in adults, including ketamine and other 

experimental fast-acting antidepressant medications, and working to identify biomarkers for 

predicting how well an individual with depression will respond to such rapid-acting 

antidepressants. In FY 2015, DIRP recruited three new tenure-track scientists who will study 

how stress affects memory and behavior, investigate brain mechanisms that underlie cognitive 

behavior, and use neuroimaging and genomic approaches to examine human brain development.

Budget Policy:

The FY 2017 President’s Budget estimate is $172.601 million, an increase of $1.709 million or 

1.0 percent compared to the FY 2016 Enacted level.

Research Management and Support (RMS)

RMS provides leadership to NIMH, as well as administrative, budgetary, logistical, and scientific 

support in the review, award, and monitoring of research grants, training grants, and research and 

development contracts. RMS functions include strategic planning, coordination, and evaluation 

of NIMH’s programs; regulatory compliance; coordinating global mental health efforts; and,
NIMH-21

liaising with other Federal agencies, Congress, and the public. In FY 2015, NIMH managed 

2,405 research grants, 324 training grants that supported 710 full-time trainee positions, and 156 

research and development contracts.

Budget Policy:

The FY 2017 President’s Budget estimate is $79.566 million, an increase of $2.317 million or 

3.0 percent compared to the FY 2016 Enacted level. The funds are needed because of additional 

personnel and operating expenses related to the scale up of the EPINET and HCP Initiatives. 
NIMH-22

FY 2016 

Enacted

FY 2017 

President's 

Budget2

FY 2017

+/-

FY 2016

Full-time employment 541 541 0

Full-time equivalent of overtime and holiday hours 0 0 0

Average ES salary $155 $158 $2

Average GM/GS grade 12.7 12.7 0.0

Average GM/GS salary $106 $108 $2

Average salary, grade established by act of July 1, 

1944 (42 U.S.C. 207) $135 $136 $1

Average salary of ungraded positions $133 $137 $4

FY 2016 

Enacted

FY 2017 

President's 

Budget2

FY 2017

+/-

FY 2016

Personnel Compensation

Full-Time Permanent $40,049 $40,356 $307

Other Than Full-Time Permanent 23,020 23,196 176

Other Personnel Compensation 1,413 1,423 11

Military Personnel 270 272 2

Special Personnel Services Payments 9,035 9,104 69

Subtotal Personnel Compensation $73,787 $74,352 $565

Civilian Personnel Benefits $20,744 $21,155 $411

Military Personnel Benefits 106 106 1

Benefits to Former Personnel 0 0 0

Subtotal Pay Costs $94,636 $95,613 $977

Travel & Transportation of Persons $2,622 $2,668 $46

Transportation of Things 93 95 2

Rental Payments to GSA 1 1 0

Rental Payments to Others 0 0 0

Communications, Utilities & Misc. Charges 1,182 1,206 23

Printing & Reproduction 51 52 2

Consulting Services $1,678 $1,751 $73

Other Services 29,663 30,019 356

Purchase of goods and services from government 

accounts 152,735 159,594 6,859

Operation & Maintenance of Facilities $4,484 $4,485 $0

R&D Contracts 34,446 37,326 2,880

Medical Care 275 276 2

Operation & Maintenance of Equipment 2,918 2,941 22

Subsistence & Support of Persons 0 0 0

Subtotal Other Contractual Services $226,200 $236,391 $10,191

Supplies & Materials $4,240 $4,294 $54

Equipment 6,673 6,769 95

Land and Structures 0 0 0

Investments & Loans 0 0 0

Grants, Subsidies & Contributions 1,182,974 1,171,584 -11,390

Insurance Claims & Indemnities 0 0 0

Interest & Dividends 0 0 0

Refunds 0 0 0

Subtotal Non-Pay Costs $1,424,037 $1,423,060 -$977

Total Budget Authority by Object Class $1,518,673 $1,518,673 $0

1

2

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Authority by Object Class1

(Dollars in Thousands)

Total compensable workyears:

OBJECT CLASSES

11.1

11.3

11.5

11.7

11.8

11.9

12.1

12.2

13.0

21.0

22.0

23.1

23.2

23.3

24.0

25.1

25.2

25.3

25.4

25.5

25.6

25.7

25.8

25.0

26.0

31.0

32.0

33.0

41.0

Includes mandatory financing.

42.0

43.0

44.0

Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund.
NIMH-23

OBJECT CLASSES FY 2016 Enacted FY 2017 President's 

Budget

FY 2017

+/-

FY 2016

Personnel Compensation

Full-Time Permanent (11.1) $40,049 $40,356 $307

Other Than Full-Time Permanent (11.3) 23,020 23,196 176

Other Personnel Compensation (11.5) 1,413 1,423 11

Military Personnel (11.7) 270 272 2

Special Personnel Services Payments (11.8) 9,035 9,104 69

Subtotal Personnel Compensation (11.9) $73,787 $74,352 $565

Civilian Personnel Benefits (12.1) $20,744 $21,155 $411

Military Personnel Benefits (12.2) 106 106 1

Benefits to Former Personnel (13.0) 0 0 0

Subtotal Pay Costs $94,636 $95,613 $977

Travel & Transportation of Persons (21.0) $2,622 $2,668 $46

Transportation of Things (22.0) 93 95 2

Rental Payments to Others (23.2) 0 0 0

Communications, Utilities & Misc. Charges (23.3) 1,182 1,206 23

Printing & Reproduction (24.0) 51 52 2

Other Contractual Services:

Consultant Services (25.1) 1,609 1,676 67

Other Services (25.2) 29,663 30,019 356

Purchases from government accounts (25.3) 89,164 92,194 3,031

Operation & Maintenance of Facilities (25.4) 4,484 4,485 0

Operation & Maintenance of Equipment (25.7) 2,918 2,941 22

Subsistence & Support of Persons (25.8) 0 0 0

Subtotal Other Contractual Services $127,838 $131,314 $3,476

Supplies & Materials (26.0) $4,240 $4,294 $54

Subtotal Non-Pay Costs $136,027 $139,629 $3,603

Total Administrative Costs $230,662 $235,242 $4,580

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Salaries and Expenses

(Dollars in Thousands)
NIMH-24

Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total

Division of AIDS Research

Direct: 12 - 12 13 - 13 13 - 13

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 12 - 12 13 - 13 13 - 13

Division of Extramural Activities

Direct: 46 - 46 47 - 47 47 - 47

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 46 - 46 47 - 47 47 - 47

Division of Intramural Research Programs

Direct: 267 1 268 267 1 268 267 1 268

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 267 1 268 267 1 268 267 1 268

Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science

Direct: 26 - 26 27 - 27 27 - 27

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 26 - 26 27 - 27 27 - 27

Division of Services and Intervention Research

Direct: 16 1 17 16 1 17 16 1 17

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 16 1 17 16 1 17 16 1 17

Division of Translational Research

Direct: 29 - 29 31 - 31 31 - 31

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 29 - 29 31 - 31 31 - 31

Office of the Director

Direct: 138 - 138 138 - 138 138 - 138

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 138 - 138 138 - 138 138 - 138

Total 534 2 536 539 2 541 539 2 541

FTEs supported by funds from Cooperative Research and 

Development Agreements. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

FISCAL YEAR

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE)

OFFICE/DIVISION

FY 2015 Actual FY 2016 Est. FY 2017 Est.

12.7

Average GS Grade

12.3

12.3

12.7

12.7
NIMH-25

FY 2015 Actual FY 2016 Enacted FY 2017 President's 

Budget

1 1 1

152,758 155,215 156,397

51 51 51

69 69 69

93 95 95

64 66 66

50 51 51

0 0 0

29 29 29

11 11 11

13 13 13

1 1 1

0 0 0

0 0 0

2 2 2

0 0 0

0 0 0

383 388 388

0 0 0

2 2 2

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

2 2 2

168 168 168

386 391 391

554 559 559

536 541 541

152,758 155,215 156,397

12.7 12.7 12.7

104,512 106,193 107,901

1

GM/GS-14

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Detail of Positions1

GRADE

Total, ES Positions

Total, ES Salary

GM/GS-15

GS-2

GM/GS-13

GS-12

GS-11

GS-10

GS-9

GS-8

GS-7

GS-6

GS-5

GS-4

GS-3

Ungraded

GS-1

Subtotal

Grades established by Act of July 1, 1944 (42 U.S.C. 207)

Assistant Surgeon General

Director Grade

Senior Grade

Full Grade

Senior Assistant Grade

Assistant Grade

Subtotal

Average ES salary

Average GM/GS grade

Average GM/GS salary

Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund.

Total permanent positions

Total positions, end of year

Total full-time equivalent (FTE) employment, end of year