# 2023  Autumn Inside NIMH

## Welcome

Welcome to the latest edition of *Inside NIMH*! We publish *Inside NIMH* in conjunction with each meeting of the National Advisory Mental Health Council (NAMHC), which advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Director of NIMH on all policies and activities relating to the conduct and support of mental health research, research training, and other programs of the institute. I invite you to check out the NIMH website for regular updates on timely topics, and to follow me on X (@NIMH Director **). Sincerely, Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D. Director, National Institute of Mental Health

Please let us know if you have questions or comments on this edition. If you wish to subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your e-mail address, contact the NIMH Webmaster or visit the *Inside NIMH* subscription page **.

## Director’s Updates

NIMH staff have been busy this summer, hosting meetings and workshops and preparing to celebrate the institute’s 75th anniversary. In this edition of *Inside NIMH*, we share NIMH-supported funding opportunities, as well as key developments across NIH-wide initiatives.

### News to Know

- NIMH Begins its 75th Anniversary Celebrations:  Over the next year, NIMH will  celebrate 75 years  of transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. The commemoration kicks off on September 13, 2023, with an event on  The Evolution of Mental Health Research . This symposium—the first of several planned events—offers a unique opportunity to gain insights from distinguished thought leaders and learn about the exciting discoveries and therapeutics shaping the future of mental health research. Subscribe to  email updates  and follow NIMH on  social media  to stay up to date about NIMH’s 75th Anniversary.  
- Advancing Precision Medicine in Psychiatry:  Effective treatments for mental illnesses exist, yet tailoring treatments for individuals is often a trial-and-error process that can lead to unacceptable delays in receiving effective treatment. To address this pressing challenge, NIMH launched the Precision Psychiatry Initiative, an ambitious research program that will address two parallel areas of need: precision diagnostics and biomarker development. The  Individually Measured Phenotypes to Advance Computational Translation in Mental Health (IMPACT-MH)  initiative plans to support research that tests new ways of adding data, such as performance on computerized behavioral tasks or information about activity levels, to traditional clinical information in ways that could help mental health providers and their patients make informed decisions about future treatment options ( RFA-MH-23-105 ** ,  RFA-MH-23-106 ** ). To support biomarker development, NIMH launched a funding opportunity to create an “innovation pipeline” to develop accurate, fast, easy-to-use, and accessible biomarkers/tools integrating individual pre-treatment measures to predict response among multiple existing treatments for depression ( RFA-MH-24-120 ** ). Together, these efforts offer promise for paving the way to personalized, more effective interventions to treat mental illnesses.
- NIMH Announces its Third James Jackson Memorial Award:  On July 23, 2023, NIMH named  **Lisa Bowleg, Ph.D., M.A.** , the 2023  James Jackson Memorial Award  recipient. She is a professor of applied social psychology in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at The George Washington University and co-director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Core of the District of Columbia Center for AIDS Research. She is also the founder and president of the Intersectionality Training Institute. Dr. Bowleg’s work focuses on social-structural and behavioral factors that impact the mental and physical health of Black men in the United States at diverse intersections of socioeconomic status and sexuality. Dr. Bowleg will present her research at an NIMH virtual webinar on October 25, 2023. In 2021, NIMH launched the James Jackson Memorial Award, named in honor of the late Dr. James Jackson, a renowned social psychologist and member of the NAMHC. Dr. Jackson’s research on race, ethnicity, racism, health, and mental health had far-reaching impacts on the fields of disparities research and minority mental health.
- Outreach Spotlight:  Over the last few months, NIMH shared resources and hosted events supporting several mental health observances. For Clinical Trials Awareness Day on May 20, 2023, NIMH promoted its updated webpage on  clinical trials information for participants . In recognition of National Men’s Health Week from June 12–19, 2023, NIMH shared resources on the  signs and symptoms of depression in men   ** , as well as how to  support men experiencing depression   ** . In June, NIMH also observed National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month by promoting its digital sharables and an  updated brochure  on PTSD. For the institute's back to school campaign in August, NIMH promoted its  digital toolkit  to support the mental health of students, parents, and teachers. In recognition of National Suicide Prevention Month (September), NIMH promoted its  digital toolkit  with resources that help others recognize the warning signs for suicide and how to get help.

### Updates and Announcements from HHS and NIH

- Social Media and Youth Mental Health:  On May 23, 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A.,  released **  a  Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health ** . The Advisory calls for swift, multi-sector action to maximize the benefits and reduce the risk of harm posed by social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. The Advisory is a part of HHS’ ongoing efforts to support President Joseph Biden’s government-wide strategy to transform mental health care for all Americans.
- National Autism Coordinator Appointed:  On May 18, 2023,  **Susan Daniels, Ph.D.** , was appointed as the HHS National Autism Coordinator and Director of the Office of National Autism Coordination at NIMH. Dr. Daniels had been serving as the Acting National Autism Coordinator since July 2021. Dr. Daniels will continue to play a vital role in ensuring the implementation of autism research, services, and support activities across federal agencies. These roles will complement Dr. Daniels’ continuing work as the Executive Secretary of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC).
- NIH-Wide Initiatives   - Input Requested on the NIH Mission Statement:  NIH has issued a  Request for Information **  inviting feedback on a proposed update to the  NIH mission statement ** . It stems from a report provided by the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director Working Group on Diversity,  Subgroup on Individuals with Disabilities ** , that included the recommendation to update the NIH mission statement, particularly the phrase “reduce [...] disability.” NIH is seeking input broadly from staff; researchers at NIH-funded institutions; and members of scientific and professional societies, the clinical practice community, advocacy organizations, and the public. Responses are due November 24, 2023.
  - Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Program - Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ):  Managed by the Foundation for NIH (FNIH), the  AMP SCZ program  is a public-private partnership between NIMH, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency, and multiple public and private organizations that addresses the critical need for more effective treatments for people with schizophrenia and related mental health conditions.     - On June 16, 2023, the AMP SCZ program held its  annual meeting   ** . Junior and senior AMP SCZ investigators presented their research and discussed new directions and opportunities for improvements to diagnosis and treatment.
    - The program issued a funding opportunity to support clinical trial networks to evaluate biological and clinical outcome measures in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis and/or schizophrenia in Proof of Principle trials using pharmacological interventions ( RFA-MH-24-150 ** ).
  - **All of Us**  Research Program:  The  *All of Us* Research Program **  seeks to collect health data from one million or more individuals in the United States to accelerate research that may improve health. On May 14, 2023, NIH  announced **  a landmark initiative to advance nutrition research,  Nutrition for Precision Health   **  (NPH), which is powered by  All of Us  and seeks to understand if personalized diets can help improve health and prevent chronic diseases. NPH plans to use artificial intelligence (AI)-based approaches to analyze information provided by participants to develop algorithms that predict responses to dietary patterns. The study’s findings may one day allow healthcare providers to offer more customized nutritional guidance to improve overall health, which aligns with increasing scientific interest in precision medicine.
  - **Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies®**  (BRAIN) Initiative:  The BRAIN Initiative® **  seeks to revolutionize the understanding of the human brain.     - On July 17–18, 2023, the BRAIN Neuroethics Working Group held a two-day hybrid workshop on  Ethics of Sharing Individual Level Human Brain Data Collected in Biomedical Research ** . Participants explored meaningful ways to categorize human brain data based on potential risks of sharing such data.
    - On June 12–13, 2023, NIH hosted the  9th Annual BRAIN Initiative Meeting: Open Science, New Tools ** . The purpose of this annual meeting is to provide a forum for discussing scientific developments, potential new directions, and areas for collaboration and research coordination. The event included plenary talks, poster sessions, networking opportunities, and attendee-organized symposia. Meeting facilitators presented 30 awards to trainees for their contributions to BRAIN Initiative projects. In addition, winners of the 2023  Show Us Your BRAINs! Photo and Video Contest **  were announced at the meeting.
    - On May 24, 2023, the BRAIN Initiative Multi-Council Working Group (MCWG) held a virtual  meeting **  to discuss the current state of the BRAIN Initiative. The MCWG coordinates efforts across NIH and provides input on the Brain Initiative’s long-term scientific vision.
  - NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative:  NIMH is proud to be a part of the Executive Committee of the  NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative ** , a cross-cutting NIH-wide effort to reduce health threats from climate change across the lifespan and build health resilience in individuals, communities, and nations around the world. The initiative recently  announced **  it has provided funding to establish four sites as part of the Alliance for Community Engagement on Climate and Health (ACE-CH). ACE-CH will work to promote sustainable strategies that address the impacts of climate change on disproportionately impacted communities, while emphasizing health equity.
- NIH Leadership News   - On July 30, 2023,  **Jane Simoni, Ph.D.** ** , began her roles as the NIH Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (BSSR) and Director of the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR). Dr. Simoni will lead OBSSR’s efforts to advance and coordinate behavioral and social sciences research at NIH. She succeeds  Christine Hunter, Ph.D. , who served as OBSSR Acting Director from January 2022 to May 2023, and  Wendy Smith, Ph.D. , who served as OBSSR Acting Director between May 2023 and July 2023.  **William Riley, Ph.D.** ** , retired from the roles of NIH Associate Director for BSSR and OBSSR Director in September 2021.
  - On August 2, 2023,  **Jeanne Marrazzo, M.D., M.P.H.** ** , was named Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and is expected to begin her role in Autumn 2023. Her research in discovery and implementation science has focused on the human microbiome, and the pathogenesis and management of sexually transmitted diseases. As NIAID Director, Dr. Marrazzo will oversee NIAID’s budget of $6.3 billion, which supports research to advance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.  Hugh Auchincloss, M.D. , began serving as Acting Director of NIAID in January 2023 after the retirement of  Anthony Fauci, M.D. , who served as NIAID Director for 38 years.

### Budget Overview

- Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Budget:  The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 ( Public Law No. 117-328 ** ) provides funds through September 30, 2023. The law provides $2.3 billion for NIMH, an increase of 5.5% over the FY22 appropriation. NIMH anticipates awarding more than 600 new and competing research project grants (RPGs) in FY23, with an estimated success rate of 23%, as shown in the figure below. In accordance with NIH Next Generation Research Initiative (NGRI) efforts, NIMH anticipates awarding grants to 86 unique early stage investigators (ESIs) and 172 unique at-risk investigators.      NIMH Applications, Awards, and Success Rates for Research Project GrantsFiscal YearApplicationsDirect AwardsCures AwardsSuccess Rate20172735571021201827015892323201926326381525202026945901723202129236425222022276965221242023 (estimated)26875891623