National 

Institute of 

Mental Health 

CONGRESSIONAL JUSTIFICATION 

FY 2025

Department of Health and Human Services 

National Institutes of Health 
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NIMH-1 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 

FY 2025 Budget Table of Contents 

Director’s Overview.................................................................................................................... 3 

IC Fact Sheet ............................................................................................................................. 13 

Major Changes .......................................................................................................................... 15 

Budget Mechanism Table ......................................................................................................... 16 

Appropriations Language .......................................................................................................... 17 

Summary of Changes ................................................................................................................ 18 

Budget Graphs .......................................................................................................................... 19 

Organization Chart .................................................................................................................... 20 

Budget Authority by Activity Table ......................................................................................... 21 

Justification of Budget Request ................................................................................................ 22 

Appropriations History ............................................................................................................. 30 

Authorizing Legislation ............................................................................................................ 31 

Amounts Available for Obligation............................................................................................ 32 

Budget Authority by Object Class ............................................................................................ 33 

Salaries and Expenses ............................................................................................................... 34 

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE) ................................................................ 35 

Detail of Positions ..................................................................................................................... 36 

 

General Notes 

1. FY 2024 Enacted levels cited in this document are based on the Continuing 

Resolution in effect at the time of budget preparation (Public Law 118-35) and do 

not include HIV/AIDS transfer.

2. Detail in this document may not sum to the subtotals and totals due to rounding. 

 
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DIRECTOR’S OVERVIEW

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 57.8 million adults struggle with a 

mental illness, which may be significantly impairing and lifethreatening.1

 Mental illnesses are the fifth leading cause of disability in 

the United States, accounting for 6.6 percent of all disability-adjusted 

life years.2 One of the most tragic outcomes of untreated mental illness 

is suicide. Provisional data indicate that suicide accounted for the loss 

of over 49,000 American lives in 2022 alone.3 Suicide is the second 

leading cause of death in youth and young adults aged 10-34, and the eleventh leading cause of 

death overall.4 In alignment with the Administration’s Unity Agenda5 and the White House 

Report on Mental Health Research Priorities,6 NIMH continues to lead the research response to 

the country’s ongoing mental health crisis, which disproportionately impacts certain populations 

such as veterans, caregivers, medical professionals, youth, sexual and gender minoritized groups 

and racially and ethnically minoritized groups. NIMH is committed to confronting the mental 

health crisis by supporting and conducting research that aims to transform how mental health is 

understood and how mental health treatments and services are accessed – not only in healthcare 

settings, but also in communities, educational settings, and other contexts. 

NIMH is pursuing an ambitious and collaborative research agenda spanning basic, translational, 

and clinical research with the potential to improve clinical care over the short, medium, and long 

term. In May 2023, NIMH published an update to its Strategic Plan for Research.7 Most 

notably, the updated Plan emphasizes the institute’s commitment to funding research focused on 

reducing mental health disparities and promoting health equity. NIMH also published a new 

edition of the Strategic Plan Progress Report,8 which highlights significant accomplishments 

made during FY 2022 toward achieving the goals described in the Strategic Plan. These 

1

 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Key substance use and mental health 

indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication 

No. PEP22-07-01-005, NSDUH Series H-57). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse 

and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from samhsa.gov/data/report/2021-nsduh-annual-nationalreport 

2

 Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool accessed September 2023. 

3

 cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr034.pdf 

4

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System 

(WISQARS). Atlanta, GA: National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Retrieved from cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html 

5

 whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/07/fact-sheet-in-state-of-the-union-president-biden-tooutline-vision-to-advance-progress-on-unity-agenda-in-year-ahead/ 

6

 whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/White-House-Report-on-Mental-Health-Research-Priorities.pdf 

7

 nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports 

8

 nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports/2022-strategic-plan-progress-report 

Joshua A. 

Gordon, M.D., 

Ph.D. 

Director of NIMH
NIMH-4 

accomplishments reflect the institute’s sustained commitment to ensuring the relevance, 

timeliness, and real-world impact of the research that NIMH supports. 

Looking back: Advances in understanding and treating mental illnesses 

NIMH 75th Anniversary: Significant achievements and progress in improving the understanding 

and treatment of mental illnesses. In 1946, President Harry S. Truman signed the National 

Mental Health Act, which enabled the founding of NIMH. For 75 years, NIMH has remained 

committed to supporting research that transforms the understanding of mental illnesses and paves 

the way for prevention, recovery, and cure. NIMH-funded research has played a pivotal role in 

advancing basic science to decode the brain and behavior, developing groundbreaking treatments 

and therapies such as fast-acting antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy, and 

improving the quality and availability of evidence-based mental health care. NIMH is 

commemorating its 75th anniversary by reflecting on this research and what it has meant for 

people living with mental illnesses, their loved ones, their communities, and society at large. 

Continuing through September 2024, the institute is hosting a series of special events and sharing 

resources that highlight selected NIMH scientific accomplishments in mental health research and 

recognize those who have contributed to advancing the institute’s mission.9

Identification of genetic mechanisms of mental illnesses. Mental illnesses and other brain 

disorders are heritable and influenced by complex interactions among multiple genes and 

environmental factors. In recent decades, a data-rich research method, called genome-wide 

association, has emerged to try to identify specific genes involved in certain disorders. This and 

other technological advances have enabled tremendous progress in identifying genes that raise 

risk for mental illnesses. For example, NIMH-supported researchers studying individuals with 

bipolar disorder uncovered 64 risk loci – variations in the genome that raise risk for the 

disorder.10 The researchers then used a technique called fine mapping to identify 15 specific 

genes within these loci that most strongly predicted risk for bipolar disorder. In an NIMHsupported study focused on schizophrenia, researchers analyzed gene expression in post-mortem 

brain tissue to identify risk genes and gene networks – groups of genes that regulate each other’s 

expression or participate in the same biological functions.11 The researchers identified altered 

expression in 2,700 genes among subjects with schizophrenia, including changes specifically in 

the dopamine signaling system that could lead to a causal mechanism. The rapid growth of tools 

to identify risk genes has also led to significant advances in understanding other disorders of the 

brain, including malformations of cortical development and substance use disorders.12,13 

Looking forward, more work is needed to better understand the biological functions affected by 

risk genes and to include greater ancestral diversity in genetics research, so that these advances 

can be translated into novel treatments that benefit all people. 

9

 nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2023/celebrating-nimhs-75-years 

10 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2021/genomic-data-from-more-than-41000-people-shed-new-light-on-bipolardisorder 

11 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2022/researchers-map-the-genetic-landscape-of-schizophrenia-in-the-brain 

12 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2023/researchers-unlock-genetic-mutations-contributing-to-disorders-in-thebrain 

13 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2023/new-nih-study-reveals-shared-genetic-markers-underlying-substance-usedisorders 
NIMH-5 

Improving access to evidence-based treatment for postpartum depression (PPD): Zuranolone. 

In August 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the synthetic neuroactive 

steroid zuranolone for the treatment of PPD, a serious mental illness that impacts approximately 

1 in 9 people who give birth. Like its predecessor brexanolone,14 zuranolone represents a 

remarkable bench-to-bedside success story: it targets the same biological mechanism, which was 

gradually uncovered by multiple NIMH intramural scientists and NIMH-funded extramural 

investigators over several decades, and it acts rapidly to reduce the severity of depressive 

episodes in PPD. However, unlike brexanolone, which must be administered in specialized 

inpatient settings by health care providers as an intravenous infusion, zuranolone is taken orally 

as a pill, and this unique feature could significantly improve the accessibility of this treatment for 

people with PPD. Building on these advances, NIMH continues to support research focused on 

understanding the therapeutic mechanisms of neuroactive steroids,15 with the goal of developing 

even more effective and accessible treatments for mental illnesses. 

Global mental health: Reducing the mental health treatment gap in low- and middle-income 

countries (LMICs). Mental disorders are a global concern and present shared opportunities and 

challenges to advance science across international borders. The burden of disease associated 

with mental disorders in LMICs is rising, with a substantial treatment gap for individuals who 

need but do not receive mental health treatment.16 Access to long-term psychosocial 

interventions and pharmacological management continue to be pervasively unavailable and/or 

inaccessible in most LMICs.17 NIMH’s Center for Global Mental Health Research facilitates 

research on the implementation, scaling-up, sustainable availability, and accessibility of mental 

health care in LMICs. Through these efforts, NIMH aims to expand the reach of evidence-based 

mental health interventions, build and sustain in-country capacity for conducting implementation 

research, and apply scientific evidence to develop mental health policies and programs.18

To address both immediate and long-term needs, NIMH supports research across a wide range of 

global mental health priorities, including reducing the risk of suicidal behaviors,19 improving the 

long-term management of mental health conditions,20 developing and testing interventions aimed 

at addressing social determinants of mental health,21 integrating mental healthcare in primary 

care,22 and developing and implementing metrics to improve quality of health care delivery.23 

For instance, in efforts to close the mental health treatment gap in Sub-Saharan Africa, NIMHsupported researchers deployed a problem-solving therapy, locally termed the “Friendship 

Bench,” that is delivered by trained lay health workers and has been shown to be acceptable and 

effective in treating common mental illnesses.24,25 NIMH investments in effectiveness and 

14 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37132201/ 

15 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10662398 

16 who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549790 

17 who.int/publications/i/item/9789240036703 

18 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-16-350.html 

19 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-23-260.html 

20 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-23-140.html 

21 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-23-310.html 

22 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-22-130.html 

23 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-23-300.html 

24 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10417723 

25 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28027368/ 
NIMH-6 

implementation research in LMICs are producing innovative strategies for expanding access to 

mental health care and improving care quality and outcomes in a range of settings worldwide. 

Notably, some of these innovative strategies developed in LMICs – including the “Friendship 

Bench” strategy detailed above – are being adapted and deployed in the United States to address 

relevant domestic challenges. 

Suppression of HIV among people with mental illnesses. HIV attacks the immune system by 

infecting a type of white blood cell in the body that is vital to fighting off infection. 

Antiretroviral treatment (ART) reduces the amount of HIV in an individual’s body, helping 

people with HIV live longer, healthier lives and reducing the risk of HIV transmission. Yet 

persistent barriers, including stigma, can delay the start of ART and reduce adherence among 

people who face significant health and social challenges. Long-acting injectable medications, 

administered every four or eight weeks, could help people overcome adherence barriers of daily 

oral ART. Currently, in the United States, this treatment is approved only for patients who have 

achieved viral suppression. In a recent study supported by NIMH, researchers provided 

participants with HIV who have historically had decreased access to ART, including people with 

mental illnesses, housing insecurity, and substance use disorders, with long-acting ART and 

evaluated each person’s health status on a biweekly basis. Importantly, participants did not have 

to be virally suppressed to start long-acting ART. Almost all participants achieved viral 

suppression, including those who were previously not virologically suppressed. The study 

findings indicate that long-acting injectable ART can benefit people who face treatment barriers 

and have been historically underserved.26

Brain mechanisms of stress and reward. Exposure to adverse experiences in early childhood 

significantly increases the risk of mental illnesses arising in adulthood and can also disrupt the 

formation of typical reward behaviors. To better understand the biological basis for these effects 

of early-life adversity, NIMH-supported researchers are investigating specific connections in the 

mammalian brain that control reward behaviors. Recently, the researchers discovered a novel 

connection between the basolateral amygdala – a brain region critical for forming associations 

between experiences and outcomes – and the nucleus accumbens, which is important for 

processing rewarding experiences. The researchers were able to selectively activate or silence 

this connection using chemical (chemogenetic) and light-based (optogenetic) methods in mice. 

When they activated the connection, the researchers found that mice showed impairments in 

reward behaviors, similar to the impairments observed in mice exposed to early-life stress. 

Conversely, when the researchers silenced this connection in mice that were previously exposed 

to early-life stress, they were able to restore typical reward behaviors. 27 These findings are an 

important step toward understanding the biological mechanisms of stress-related mental illnesses 

such as post-traumatic stress disorder, potentially identifying novel targets for prevention and 

treatment. 

26 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2023/long-acting-antiretroviral-therapy-suppresses-hiv-among-people-withunstable-housing-mental-illnesses-substance-use-disorder 

27 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2023/newly-discovered-brain-connection-affects-reward-behavior-in-mice 
NIMH-7 

Current efforts: Translating evidence to benefit people 

Advancing learning health care: Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET). Research has 

shown that early treatment of mental disorders increases the chance of successful recovery. 

Launched in 2019, EPINET is a learning health care system for early psychosis, aimed at 

enhancing coordinated specialty care to improve early identification, diagnosis, clinical 

assessment, intervention effectiveness, service delivery, and health outcomes. EPINET now has 

8 regional scientific hubs and has enrolled approximately 4,000 participants from more than 100 

clinics across 17 states.28,29 EPINET’s National Data Coordinating Center supports efforts to 

standardize, collect, and aggregate data to study the fidelity to the intervention, as well as the 

quality and treatment effectiveness.30 The EPINET research system is pioneering a learning 

health care approach to early psychosis intervention, incorporating measurement-based treatment 

that promotes scientific discovery and improvements in practice, and feeding back knowledge 

gained to participating clinics and supporting continuous quality improvement. To foster 

knowledge sharing and promote accessible early psychosis care resources, the EPINET National 

Data Coordinating Center launched a web portal,31 making the EPINET Core Assessment 

Battery available to all early psychosis care clinicians to assess key domains of early psychosis, 

recovery, and treatment.32

Addressing youth mental health disparities: Systems-level interventions for youth at risk of 

suicide. Between 2018 and 2021, suicide rates increased across nearly all racial and ethnic 

groups, including notable increases among American Indian/Alaska Native (26 percent), nonHispanic Black (19 percent), and Hispanic (7 percent) individuals.33 Further, suicide remains a 

leading cause of death among youth. Provisional data from 2022 indicate an estimated 6,529 

youth ages 10 to 24 died by suicide.34 Consistent with the NIMH Strategic Framework for 

Addressing Youth Mental Health Disparities,35 the institute is supporting research to address 

these disparities in suicide outcomes among youth, in part through the Practice-Based Suicide 

Prevention Centers.36 These Centers are focused on developing, testing, and refining effective 

and scalable interventions at key points in the chain of care across diverse populations and 

settings. At one Center, investigators aim to expand the capacity of pediatric primary care to 

identify, refer, and manage youth at risk for suicide, particularly Black youth.37 Additionally, 

NIMH recently released a pair of funding opportunities that seek to support research to improve 

risk detection and intervention among youth and young adults from underserved populations who 

28 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-mh-19-150.html 

29 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-20-205.html 

30 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-19-151.html 

31 nationalepinet.org/ 

32 nationalepinet.org/core-assessment-battery-cab/ 

33 cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7206a4.htm?s_cid=mm7206a4_x 

34 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System 

(WISQARS). Atlanta, GA: National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. Retrieved from cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html 

35 nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/nimh-strategic-framework-for-addressing-youth-mental-health 

36 nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/practice-based-suicide-prevention-researchcenters-0 

37 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10435003 
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are at risk for suicide.38,39 This aligns with other NIMH efforts to meet the needs of underserved 

and high-risk populations, such as youth involved in the juvenile justice system. For instance, 

NIMH-supported researchers are working with community mental health providers to enhance 

the implementation of effective system-level interventions for juvenile justice-involved youth at 

risk for suicide.40

BRAIN Initiative Transformative Projects. The Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative 

Neurotechnologies® Initiative, or The BRAIN Initiative®, is revolutionizing our understanding 

of the human brain. This cross-cutting, multidisciplinary initiative encompasses 10 NIH 

institutes and centers, 4 additional federal agencies, and multiple private international 

organizations, going beyond the capability of any single institute or agency. The BRAIN 

Initiative announced three major transformative projects aimed at revolutionizing neuroscience 

research and how we treat brain disorders. The projects aim to characterize cell types in the 

human brain and uncover how the cells function in health, and ultimately, how they fail to 

function in disease. The three projects are: the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN), 

focused on developing a comprehensive atlas of cell types in the mammalian brain; the BRAIN 

Initiative Connectivity across Scales Network (BRAIN CONNECTS), focused on developing 

and scaling up the tools necessary to complete a “wiring diagram” of an entire mammalian brain; 

and the Armamentarium for Precision Brain Cell Access, focused on developing new molecular 

and gene therapy strategies to study and treat human neural circuit disorders.41,42,43 BICAN 

builds on findings from the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN), a collaboration of 

over 250 NIH-supported scientists at nearly 50 institutions across 3 continents.44 The 

coordinated efforts have resulted in foundational reference atlases for the mouse and, more 

recently, human and nonhuman primate brains.45,46 The BICCN findings have enabled advances 

in understanding the location and function of cell types, comparisons across species, and 

increasing the scale of technologies used to acquire these data. In addition, tools developed in 

the BICCN are already having an impact on clinical treatments today, as researchers utilize the 

technologies to gain insights into the cellular basis of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, 

and substance use disorders at unprecedented resolution.47,48

38 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-25-125.html 

39 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-25-126.html 

40 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10440040 

41 braininitiative.nih.gov/news-events/blog/brain-issues-suite-funding-opportunities-advance-brain-cell-atlasesthrough 

42 braininitiative.nih.gov/news-events/blog/brain-initiative-connectivity-across-scales-brain-connects-programinformation 

43 braininitiative.nih.gov/news-events/blog/nih-issues-funding-opportunity-support-armamentarium-relatedresource-production 

44 braininitiative.nih.gov/research/tools-and-technologies-brain-cells-and-circuits/brain-initiative-cell-censusnetwork 

45 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2023/scientists-unveil-detailed-cell-maps-of-the-human-brain-and-thenonhuman-primate-brain 

46 braininitiative.nih.gov/news-events/blog/nih-brain-initiative-cell-census-network-publishes-new-wavemomentous-research 

47 braininitiative.nih.gov/news-events/blog/brain-cell-census-tools-create-new-avenues-understand-braindysfunction 

48 alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/news-press/press-releases/scientists-map-brain-changes-alzheimersdisease-cell-cell 
NIMH-9 

Digital health interventions for suicide risk, PPD, and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Technology offers promise to transform mental health services, providing new ways to access 

help and monitor treatment, as well as increase understanding of mental health and wellbeing. 

Digital health interventions aim to deliver treatment as a standalone intervention or as an adjunct 

to face-to-face treatments via a digital health platform. Digital health interventions have the 

potential to bridge the treatment gap by providing evidence-based interventions to many 

individuals who currently are unable to access treatments.49 NIMH’s Laboratories to Optimize 

Digital Health is an initiative that is funding several projects to test strategies to increase the 

reach, efficiency, and quality of digital mental health interventions which may impact mental 

health outcomes, including suicidal behaviors.50 Other NIMH-supported researchers are piloting 

technology-enabled services designed to treat depression in three distinct care settings: family 

medicine, a specialty obstetrics care setting for PPD, and a geriatrics service.51 Additionally, 

NIMH is supporting efforts to explore the role and impact of digital health interventions to 

address secondary health effects of the social, behavioral, and economic changes during and 

following the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among health disparity groups and other 

vulnerable populations.52 Ongoing projects include evaluating text-based therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder and assessing the effectiveness of a digital platform to support health 

care workers’ mental health.53,54

Non-invasive brain stimulation to reduce auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. Auditory 

hallucinations (hearing voices or noises without an external source) associated with 

schizophrenia can be persistent, debilitating, and difficult to treat. Auditory hallucinations may 

be rooted in altered brain activity in regions that control auditory function. In one ongoing 

NIMH-funded study, researchers aim to further develop Auditory Control Enhancement (ACE), 

a novel combination therapeutic intervention that combines psychotherapeutic behavioral 

training with targeted, non-invasive brain stimulation.55 The research team plans to examine the 

effects of ACE on brain regions associated with cognitive control using a variety of magnetic 

resonance imaging (MRI) measures, including changes in the measured magnetic field, the blood 

oxygenation level dependent response, cerebral blood flow, and electrophysiological measures. 

This research may provide preliminary data that can support future effectiveness trials of ACE as 

a novel approach with the potential to improve outcomes for individuals with treatment-resistant 

auditory hallucinations. 

Biomarkers for early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a condition 

marked by unique behavioral, neural, and genetic signatures that may precede noticeable clinical 

symptoms. Researchers aim to identify potential biomarkers that could inform both research and 

clinical practice and help improve and expand early ASD screening efforts. Researchers 

supported by NIMH found that visual attention to dynamic geometric images may offer one such 

biomarker for a subset of toddlers with ASD.56 The researchers showed that, overall, toddlers 

49 nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/technology-and-the-future-of-mental-health-treatment 

50 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-23-096.html 

51 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10462746 

52 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-20-243.html 

53 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10362027 

54 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10309487 

55 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10593386 

56 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10532198 
NIMH-10 

with ASD spent more time looking at geometric images than social images (for example, images 

of other children). Toddlers with ASD who strongly preferred geometric images also had higher 

symptom scores, lower cognitive ability scores, and lower adaptive behavior scores than toddlers 

with ASD who strongly preferred images showing children.57 The fact that this geometric 

preference measure was accurate in a large, diverse, community-based sample that included 

toddlers with non-ASD developmental delays suggests the measure may have use in real-world 

clinical settings and in research as a biomarker for ASD. If validated in further studies, this 

measure may offer a low-cost, scalable tool for early screening and identification, as the task 

data can be obtained within 1 minute and is designed to be used prior to 24 months of age. This 

measure could therefore help some toddlers with ASD receive earlier diagnosis and access to 

services. 

Looking forward: Filling the gaps in understanding and treatment 

Precision Psychiatry Initiative: Innovation Funnel and Individually Measured Phenotypes to 

Advance Computational Translation in Mental Health (IMPACT-MH). Effective treatments for 

mental illnesses exist, yet tailoring treatment 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 has launched the Precision Psychiatry Initiative, an ambitious research 

program that will target two parallel areas of need: biomarker development and precision 

assessments. 

The biomarker development effort aims to deliver highly sensitive and specific biomarkers to 

guide treatment decisions for depression, as there is no current validated test (biological, 

physiological, or behavioral) that could inform treatment selection. This effort is divided into 

three phases, culminating in a large-scale prospective clinical trial with a focus on 

generalizability for underserved populations and populations experiencing health disparities. As 

part of this process, NIMH is applying the “innovation funnel” approach to support stage-gated, 

milestone-based projects to develop these highly sensitive and specific biomarkers to guide 

treatment decisions for depression. This innovation funnel involves a highly competitive, phased 

selection process that aims to accelerate the identification and development of a library of 

candidate tools. The long-term goal of this effort is to deliver validated clinical tools to enable 

patients to achieve rapid symptomatic relief and functional quality-of-life improvement.58

The precision assessment effort, IMPACT-MH, aims to support studies that use behavioral 

measures and computational methods to better predict patient prognosis and optimize treatment. 

These studies plan to combine data from behavioral tasks and measures with clinical records data 

to support individual-level prediction and clinical decision-making for mental disorders. 

Researchers plan to collect data from new clinical cohorts and/or existing data sets that have 

relevant measures, targeting specific clinical groupings (e.g., mood/anxiety disorders, disorders 

of behavioral regulation, or psychosis) and/or care delivery settings. IMPACT-MH aims to 

harness machine learning and other data-driven approaches to integrate data from behavioral 

57 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35277549/ 

58 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-24-120.html 
NIMH-11 

assessments with clinically available data, with the goal of generating more precise, objective 

clinical signatures and improving mental health outcomes.59,60

Transforming the digital ecosystem: Technology and digital media impacts on mental health. 

While digital health technology is a growing platform that holds promise to expand and offer 

new ways to access mental health care, the potential harms of technology and digital media on 

health and development, particularly on youth mental health, must be considered and better 

understood. In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released an Advisory on Social Media and 

Youth Mental Health, calling 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.61 

Recognizing these risks, NIMH is supporting research on understanding bidirectional 

relationships between social media use and adolescent mental health, psychiatric symptoms, and 

risk or resilience for psychopathology.62,63 For example, NIMH-funded researchers are 

investigating several critical areas, including relationships between social media use and 

disorders such as anxiety64,65 and disordered eating,66 effects of early smartphone use,67,68 and 

social media use in minoritized youth.69,70 Despite the potential negative health outcomes, social 

media may still be a useful tool that can identify youth at risk and as an intervention tool to 

improve health. Looking forward, there is a need to identify risk and protective factors for 

technology and digital media use in youth that could inform potential targets for novel and 

improved interventions. 

Biology of complex brain disorders. Collectively, mental and neurodevelopmental disorders 

exact a high toll in care and lost productivity in the United States. Recently, there has been 

substantial progress in accurately identifying common and rare disease-associated genetic 

variants that confer substantial risk for mental and neurodevelopmental disorders. Recognizing 

the opportunity this progress presents, NIMH is seeking to support research focused on probing 

brain biology at high resolution and sensitivity across different molecular, cellular, and circuit 

scales to identify the neural processes that may be differentially affected in complex brain 

disorders.71 Studies funded under this effort aim to incorporate molecular, cellular, and/or 

behavioral approaches to facilitate the characterization of intracellular, transcellular, and circuit 

mechanisms underlying complex brain function. This work will lead to a better understanding of 

the biology underlying risk for complex brain disorders and the context in which these risk 

factors act at molecular, cellular, and circuit levels. This work also will broadly benefit the study 

of genetic contributions to disease by increasing the accuracy and reliability of gene and protein 

59 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-23-105.html 

60 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-23-106.html 

61 hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/23/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youthmental-health.html 

62 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-23-115.html 

63 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-23-116.html 

64 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10814547 

65 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10815222 

66 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10815182 

67 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10813917 

68 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10812927 

69 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10815147 

70 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10815348 

71 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-24-024.html 
NIMH-12 

network analyses for tissue- and cell-specific processes. Further, this effort aims to facilitate the 

identification of future targets of therapeutic intervention. 

New pharmacological approaches. Effective pharmacological treatments exist for many mental 

illnesses; however, treatment-resistant mental illnesses remain a serious challenge. There is a 

need to improve existing treatments and develop new ones. NIMH aims to address this need by 

supporting research on pharmacological approaches that engage novel biological targets. As an 

example: for decades, most existing antidepressant medications have targeted the monoamine 

neurotransmitter system, but not all patients with depression respond to monoamine 

antidepressants. Years of NIMH-supported research led to the discovery that ketamine – a drug 

targeting the glutamate neurotransmitter system – has a robust, rapid therapeutic effect on 

treatment-resistant depression when administered intravenously.72 More recently, this line of 

research led to the development and FDA approval of the ketamine derivative, esketamine. 

Esketamine is effective for rapid relief of treatment-resistant depression, and can be administered 

more easily than ketamine, as a nasal spray.73

Psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin represent another area of active interest in the search for 

novel pharmacological approaches. Early clinical trial data suggest that these drugs may hold 

promise for treating depression and other mental and behavioral disorders.74 More research is 

needed to definitively establish their efficacy and long-term safety, and NIMH is actively 

engaging with the research community to fulfill this need.75 An important component of all of 

this work is NIMH’s sustained emphasis on the experimental therapeutics approach, in which 

studies not only determine the safety and effectiveness of therapeutics, but also generate 

knowledge about how the therapeutics engage their biological target. 

 

72 nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2019/new-hope-for-treatment-resistant-depression-guessing-right-onketamine 

73 fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-nasal-spray-medication-treatment-resistantdepression-available-only-certified 

74 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33884324/ 

75 nimh.nih.gov/news/events/2022/psychedelics-as-therapeutics-gaps-challenges-and-opportunities 
NIMH Funding History

The graph above shows NIMH’s funding history in actual dollars and constant FY 2017 dollars. The FY 2025 President’s

Budget request is $2.5 billion. Figures include funding provided through the 21st Century Cures Act.

* Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the 

United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP22-07-01-005, NSDUH Series H-57).

** Awarded number of grants may be different than other tables due to the inclusion of Cures carryover funding in other tables.

NIMH annually supports more than 3,000 

research grants and contracts at universities, 

academic health centers, and other research 

institutions across the country and around the 

world.

NIMH Quick Facts

In FY 2023, NIMH awarded grants to 99 

unique early-stage investigators and 180 

investigators with no other National 

Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding.

NIMH awarded 579 new and competing 

research project grants in FY 2023, with an 

estimated application success rate of 22 

percent.**

The NIMH Intramural Research Program 

supports approximately 600 scientists, the 

majority of whom work on the NIH campus in 

Bethesda, Maryland. 

In 2021, there were an estimated 14.1 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with serious mental 

illness. This number represented 5.5% of all U.S. adults.*

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the lead federal agency for 

research on mental disorders. NIMH’s mission is to transform the understanding and 

treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for 

prevention, recovery, and cure. 

NIMH conducts and supports biomedical and behavioral research, health services 

research, research training, and health information dissemination with respect to the 

causes, diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of mental illnesses. 

NIMH is guided by its Strategic Plan for Research, a roadmap for the Institute’s 

research priorities, spanning fundamental science to public health impact. Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D. 

Director of NIMH

FY 2025 Budget Fact Sheet
Contact Us

Toll-free: 1-866-615-6464

nimhinfo@nih.gov

www.nimh.nih.gov

NIH Publication No. 24-MH-8199

Follow Us on

Social Media

@NIMHgov

The information in this publication is in the 

public domain and may be reused or copied 

without permission. However, you may not reuse or copy images. Please cite the National 

Institute of Mental Health as the source. Read 

our copyright policy to learn more about our 

guidelines for reusing NIMH content at www.

nimh.nih.gov/copyright.

Reprints

Launched in 2019, EPINET is a learning health care system 

for early psychosis, aimed at enhancing coordinated specialty 

care to improve early identification, diagnosis, clinical assessment, intervention effectiveness, service delivery, and health 

outcomes. EPINET now has 8 regional scientific hubs and has 

enrolled approximately 4,000 participants from more than 

100 clinics across 17 states. To foster knowledge sharing and 

promote accessible early psychosis care resources, the EPINET 

National Data Coordinating Center launched a web portal, 

making the EPINET Core Assessment Battery available to all 

early psychosis care clinicians to assess key domains of early 

psychosis, recovery, and treatment.

In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released an 

Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, calling 

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. Recognizing 

these risks, NIMH is supporting research on understanding 

bidirectional relationships between social media use and 

adolescent mental health, psychiatric symptoms, and risk or 

resilience for psychopathology. For example, NIMH-funded 

researchers are investigating: connections between social 

media use and disordered eating; effects of early 

smartphone use; and, social media use in minoritized youth. 

Looking forward, there is a need to identify risk and 

protective factors for technology and digital media use in 

youth that could inform potential targets for novel and 

improved interventions.

Exposure to adverse experiences in early childhood 

significantly increases the risk of mental illnesses arising 

in adulthood and can also disrupt the formation of typical 

reward behaviors. Recently, NIMH-supported 

researchers discovered a novel connection between the 

basolateral amygdala–a brain region critical for forming 

associations between experiences and outcomes–and 

the nucleus accumbens, which is important for 

processing rewarding experiences. The researchers 

found that selectively activating this connection caused 

impairments in reward behavior, mimicking the effects of 

early-life stress. These findings are an important step 

toward better understanding the biological mechanisms 

of stress-related mental illnesses such as post-traumatic 

stress disorder, potentially identifying novel targets for 

prevention and treatment.

Brain mechanisms of stress and reward Transforming the digital ecosystem

Advancing learning health care: Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET)
NIMH-15 

MAJOR CHANGES

Major Changes in the 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 the FY 2025 President’s Budget request for the 

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The FY 2025 President’s Budget request is 

$2,548.7 million, an increase of $207.0 million compared to the FY 2023 Final level. The 

overall increase will help advance priorities such as the development of biomarkers and the 

development of methods to better predict patient prognosis and optimize treatment. The request 

includes $45.5 million in authorized funding provided through the 21st Century Cures Act for the 

Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative. 

Research Project Grants (RPGs) (+$158.3 million; total $1,757.4 million) 

NIMH expects to increase funding for non-competing RPGs by $57.7 million, to fund projects 

receiving competing awards in prior years. Competing RPGs are expected to increase by 239 

grants or $96.9 million. This increase is distributed across all programmatic areas and basic, 

translational, or clinical research. 

Research Centers (+$22.8 million; total $117.3 million) 

NIMH expects to increase funding for Research Centers by $22.8 million to support additional 

ALACRITY Centers, Practice Based Suicide Prevention Research Centers, and additional 

Centers supporting therapeutic and service delivery interventions. 

Other Research (-$2.8 million; total $128.7 million) 

NIMH expects to decrease funding for Other Research by $2.8 million due to shifting funding 

from the Shared Instrumentation grants to other priorities. 

Intramural Research Program (+$7.1 million; total $245.1 million) 

NIMH expects to increase funding for Intramural Research by $7.1 million and will accelerate 

innovative research studies conducted by the Institute’s intramural scientists. 

Research Management and Support (RMS) (+$8.9 million; total $116.2 million) 

NIMH expects to increase funding for RMS by $8.9 million and will continue to support the 

oversight and management of scientific programs critical to fulfilling the Institute’s mission. 

 
NIMH-16 

BUDGET MECHANISM TABLE

Number Amount Number Amount Number Amount Number Amount

Research Projects:

Noncompeting 1,729 $1,019,745 1,599 $1,040,589 1,565 $1,077,451 -164 $57,707

Administrative Supplements (165) $22,120 (136) $18,492 (136) $18,540 -(29) -$3,580

Competing:

Renewal 47 $34,602 42 $26,198 70 $48,860 23 $14,258

New 551 $450,366 457 $285,817 767 $533,047 216 $82,681

Supplements 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0

Subtotal, Competing 598 $484,969 499 $312,015 837 $581,907 239 $96,939

Subtotal, RPGs 2,327 $1,526,833 2,098 $1,371,095 2,402 $1,677,898 75 $151,065

SBIR/STTR 103 $72,226 97 $66,825 117 $79,488 14 $7,262

Research Project Grants 2,430 $1,599,059 2,195 $1,437,920 2,519 $1,757,386 89 $158,327

Research Centers

Specialized/Comprehensive 40 $94,523 45 $108,095 45 $117,329 5 $22,805

Clinical Research 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0

Biotechnology 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0

Comparative Medicine 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0

Research Centers in Minority Institutions 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0

Research Centers 40 $94,523 45 $108,095 45 $117,329 5 $22,805

Other Research:

Research Careers 381 $66,386 384 $66,560 388 $67,125 7 $738

Cancer Education 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0

Cooperative Clinical Research 0 $300 0 $300 0 $300 0 $0

Biomedical Research Support 5 $3,392 0 $0 0 $0 -5 -$3,392

Minority Biomedical Research Support 0 $701 0 $701 0 $701 0 $0

Other 72 $60,718 64 $62,691 64 $60,565 -8 -$153

Other Research 458 $131,497 448 $130,252 452 $128,690 -6 -$2,807

Total Research Grants 2,928 $1,825,080 2,688 $1,676,267 3,016 $2,003,405 88 $178,325

Ruth L Kirschstein Training Awards: FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs

Individual Awards 282 $13,491 283 $13,727 280 $13,765 -2 $274

Institutional Awards 458 $30,328 460 $30,828 455 $30,907 -3 $580

Total Research Training 740 $43,819 743 $44,555 735 $44,673 -5 $854

Research & Develop. Contracts 136 $127,475 137 $129,321 137 $139,278 1 $11,803

SBIR/STTR (non-add) (2) ($783) (0) ($727) (0) ($713) -(2) -($70)

Intramural Research 296 $238,024 300 $238,665 300 $245,113 4 $7,090

Res. Management & Support 309 $107,256 323 $110,035 335 $116,193 26 $8,937

SBIR Admin. (non-add) ($6) ($150) ($150) ($144)

Construction $0 $0 $0 $0

Buildings and Facilities $0 $0 $0 $0

Total, NIMH 605 $2,341,653 623 $2,198,843 635 $2,548,662 30 $207,009

 * All items in italics and brackets are non-add entries.

 1 Of which $225.0 million in FY 2023, $86.0 million in FY 2024, and $45.5 million in FY 2025 is derived by transfer from the NIH Innovation Account under the 21st Center Cures Act.

 2 Includes FY 2023 21st Century Cures Act funding not obligated in FY 2023 and carried into FY 2024

Mechanism FY 2023 Final 2 FY 2024 CR FY 2025 President's Budget FY 2025 +/- FY 2023

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Mechanism *,1

(Dollars in Thousands)
NIMH-17 

APPROPRIATIONS LANGUAGE

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, 

$2,503,162,000. 

NIH INNOVATION ACCOUNT, CURES ACT 

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS) 

For necessary expenses to carry out the purposes described in section 1001(b)(4) of the 21st 

Century Cures Act, in addition to amounts available for such purposes in the appropriations 

provided to the NIH in this Act, $127,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, 

That such amounts are appropriated pursuant to section 1001(b)(3) of such Act, are to be 

derived from amounts transferred under section 1001(b)(2)(A) of such Act, and may be 

transferred by the Director of the National Institutes of Health to other accounts of the National 

Institutes of Health solely for the purposes provided in such Act: Provided further, That upon a 

determination by the Director that funds transferred pursuant to the previous proviso are not 

necessary for the purposes provided, such amounts may be transferred back to the Account: 

Provided further, That the transfer authority provided under this heading is in addition to any 

other transfer authority provided by law. 
NIMH-18 

SUMMARY OF CHANGES
NIMH-19 

BUDGET GRAPHS

History of Budget Authority and FTEs: 

Distribution by Mechanism: 

Change by Selected Mechanisms: 

 

Research Project 

Grants

$1,757,386

69%

Research Centers

$117,329

5%

Other Research

$128,690

5%

Research Training

$44,673

2%

R&D Contracts

$139,278

5%

Intramural 

Research

$245,113

10%

RMS

$116,193

4%

FY 2025 Budget Mechanisms

(Dollars in Thousands)
NIMH-20 

ORGANIZATION CHART

 
NIMH-21 

BUDGET AUTHORITY BY ACTIVITY TABLE

 

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Authority by Activity *

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2023 Final FY 2024 CR FY 2025 President's

Budget

FY 2025 +/- FY

2023 Final

Extramural Research FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Detail

Neuroscience & Basic Behavioral Science $719,354 $662,663 $795,375 $76,021

Services & Intervention Research $261,840 $241,205 $289,511 $27,671

Translational Research $589,372 $542,925 $651,656 $62,284

Data Science & Technology $216,907 $199,813 $239,829 $22,923

AIDS Research $189,191 $185,381 $189,191 $0

Office of the Director $19,710 $18,157 $21,793 $2,083

Subtotal, Extramural $1,996,374 $1,850,143 $2,187,356 $190,982

Intramural Research 296 $238,024 300 $238,665 300 $245,113 4 $7,090

Research Management & Support 309 $107,256 323 $110,035 335 $116,193 26 $8,937

TOTAL 605 $2,341,653 623 $2,198,843 635 $2,548,662 30 $207,009

*

Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund.
NIMH-22 

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 2023 Final FY 2024 CR

FY 2025 

President's 

Budget

FY 2025 +/- 

FY 2023

BA $2,341,653,000 $2,198,843,000 $2,548,662,000 $207,009,000

FTE 605 623 635 +30

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

Contracts; Direct Federal/Intramural and Other. 

Overall Budget Policy: The FY 2025 President’s Budget request for the National Institute of 

Mental Health (NIMH) is $2,548.7 million, an increase of $207.0 million or 8.8 percent 

compared to the FY 2023 Final. The request includes $10.0 million for a behavioral health 

science implementation initiative and $190.0 million for other mental health research supporting 

better diagnostics, improved treatments, and enhanced precision of mental health care. The 

request also includes 21st Century Cures Act authorized funding of $45.5 million for the Brain 

Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN)® Initiative, which is a 

reduction of $179.5 million from the authorized level in FY 2023. To offset this decrease, the 

request includes an increase of $179.5 million in non-Cures Act funding for the BRAIN 

Initiative to maintain the total FY 2023 Enacted level for the program. 

Program Descriptions 

Office of the Director 

The NIMH Office of the Director (OD) leads the institute in carrying out the NIMH mission to 

transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. The OD provides scientific 

leadership, sets programmatic priorities, coordinates cross-cutting programs, determines institute 

policies, directly funds several research projects, and provides overall administrative and 

operational coordination for the institute. The OD houses eight offices: Office on AIDS; Office 

of National Autism Coordination; Office of Clinical Research; Office of Genomics Research 

Coordination; Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity; Office of Management; 

Office of Rural Mental Health Research; and Office of Science Policy, Planning, and 

Communications. Each of the offices within the OD play an important role in supporting the 

institute. 
NIMH-23 

As an example of research that the OD prioritizes, NIMH is supporting research to better 

understand factors that confer risk and resilience for suicide among Black youth,76 whose rates of 

death by suicide have risen at an alarming rate in recent years.77 Understanding how social 

determinants of health interact with biological and behavioral risk and protective factors is a 

necessary step in identifying underlying mechanisms that can inform the development of 

effective suicide prevention strategies for Black youth. In alignment with the National Action 

Alliance for Suicide Prevention, NIMH continues to pursue the goal of reducing the rate of 

suicide in the United States by 20 percent by the year 2025.78 Suicide is the second leading 

cause of death for youth aged 10-24 years, and certain subgroups of youth are at significantly 

elevated risk, so focusing research efforts on high-risk youth is critical to achieving this 

goal. Similarly, NIMH is supporting research to better understand risk and resilience for mental 

illnesses in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander subpopulations.79 

Additionally, the OD supports research on neuroethics through the BRAIN Initiative. 

Budget Policy: The FY 2025 President’s Budget request is $21.8 million, an increase of $2.1 

million or 10.6 percent compared with the FY 2023 Final. 

Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science 

The Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science (DNBBS) supports research in the 

areas of basic molecular and cellular neuroscience, genetics, integrative neuroscience, research 

training, and drug discovery. In collaboration with other NIMH programs and the wider research 

community, the Division ensures that relevant basic scientific knowledge is generated and used 

in pursuit of improved methods that, in the long term, could be used to diagnose, treat, and 

prevent mental illnesses. 

DNBBS funds grants across a range of research topics to enhance understanding of the basic 

neurobiology underlying mental illnesses. In FY 2024, DNBBS is continuing efforts to develop 

measures of brain activity in animals that aim to provide insights into the discovery and 

development of novel mechanisms for the treatment of mental disorders. In addition, DNBBS is 

expanding a broad, coordinated effort to understand how genetic alterations found in psychiatric 

patients act in brain cells to cause changes in cellular and circuit function, and ultimately 

behavior. Through the BRAIN Initiative, DNBBS also supports research focused on 

characterizing brain cell types and developing human cell-based models for studying the brain. 

Budget Policy: The FY 2025 President’s Budget request is $795.4 million, an increase of $76.0 

million or 10.6 percent compared with the FY 2023 Final. 

76 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-22-140.html 

77 theactionalliance.org/sites/default/files/ring_the_alarm-_the_crisis_of_black_youth_suicide_in_america_copy.pdf 

78 theactionalliance.org/news/national-action-alliance-suicide-prevention-announces-goal-reduce-suicide-20-percent2025 

79 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-22-175.html 
NIMH-24 

Translational Research 

The Division of Translational Research (DTR) 

supports integrative, multidisciplinary research and 

training programs that translate findings from basic 

science to discover the causes, mechanisms, and 

trajectories of mental illnesses, and to develop 

effective interventions for individuals across the 

lifespan. DTR supports research using innovative 

forms of scientific analysis, including computational 

psychiatry and machine learning, to elucidate the 

characteristics of, and risk factors for, mental 

illnesses; 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. DTR-supported 

research efforts may have intermediate-term impact 

and pave the way towards safe and effective treatment 

for and prevention of mental illnesses. 

One area of high priority for DTR is to fund research 

to improve outcomes for individuals at clinical high 

risk (CHR) for psychosis. A major knowledge gap 

has been the lack of a means to reliably predict which 

individuals with CHR will develop schizophrenia or 

other adverse outcomes. Such knowledge could 

enable the implementation of effective prevention 

strategies. To address this gap, the major publicprivate partnership AMP® SCZ87 seeks to prevent the 

development of schizophrenia and other outcomes of 

CHR associated with significant disability (see 

“Program Portrait – Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Program - Schizophrenia (AMP® 

SCZ)”). This flagship study builds on the successes of prior investments to identify biomarkers 

80 nih.gov/research-training/accelerating-medicines-partnership-amp/schizophrenia 

81 nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/accelerating-medicines-partnershiprprogram-schizophrenia-ampr-scz 

82 nda.nih.gov/ampscz 

83 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10447770 

84 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10440486 

85 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10409839 

86 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36640393/ 

87 nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-public-private-partnership-advance-early-interventions-schizophrenia 

Program Portrait – Accelerating Medicines 

Partnership® Program - Schizophrenia (AMP®

SCZ). In September 2020, in collaboration with 

the Foundation for the National Institutes of 

Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and 

multiple public and private partners, NIMH 

launched the Accelerating Medicines 

Partnership® Schizophrenia (AMP SCZ) 

initiative.80 Part of the broader NIH AMP program, 

AMP SCZ aims to develop tools that identify the 

early stages of risk for schizophrenia and predict 

the likelihood of progression to psychosis and 

other outcomes.81 A related AMP SCZ aim is to 

develop tools that can help researchers identify 

new targets for drug-based treatments that can be 

tested in clinical trials. The initiative has 

established a Research Network and a Data 

Processing, Analysis, and Coordinating Center to 

allow researchers to integrate and analyze data 

from the NIMH Data Archive.82 NIMH expects to 

contribute $99.4 million over five years and is 

currently supporting three AMP SCZ research 

projects.83,84,85 Findings from these studies may 

enable researchers to develop predictive 

algorithms for the course of illness, allowing for 

early interventions that may prevent the 

development of schizophrenia and improve a 

person’s clinical and functional outcomes. In June 

2022, researchers involved in the AMP SCZ 

program began enrolling research study 

participants. Forty-three recruitment sites across 

North and South America, Europe, Asia, and 

Australia aim to enroll 1,977 people at clinical high 

risk for psychosis and 640 healthy controls, 

between the age of 12-30. AMP SCZ 

investigators have also reported on the 

development of a harmonized clinical outcome 

assessment instrument.86
NIMH-25 

of risk for progression to schizophrenia, 

including the North American Prodrome 

Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) which identified 

promising biomarkers of risk102,103 and 

developed a risk calculator to predict 

conversion to psychosis.104

In addition, DTR, in collaboration with the 

Department of Defense, private foundations, 

and industry, supports the Advancing 

Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA 

(AURORA) Study,105 a landmark study to 

understand the consequences of trauma, as 

well as research using advanced digital 

techniques, including natural language 

processing,106 machine learning, and 

predictive coding,107 that aim to predict 

mental health outcomes, such as risk for 

suicide. DTR also supports work harnessing 

the latest advances in artificial intelligence to 

advance mechanistic understanding of how 

circuits in the brain shape behavior.108

Budget Policy: The FY 2025 President’s 

Budget request is $651.7 million, an increase 

of $62.3 million or 10.6 percent compared 

with the FY 2023 Final. 

88 nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/health/topics/suicide-prevention/african_american_youth_suicidereport_to_congress.pdf 

89 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29799931/ 

90 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10440864 

91 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10440599 

92 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10338185 

93 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10440929 

94 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9807076 

95 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-22-140.html 

96 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-22-141.html 

97 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10728686 

98 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10729105 

99 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10729187 

100 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-24-320.html 

101 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-24-322.html 

102 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33667856/ 

103 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29971330/ 

104 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048498/ 

105 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10019595 

106 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30710497/ 

107 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30389840/ 

108 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-19-344.html 

Program Portrait – Understanding Suicide 

Risk and Protective Factors among Black 

Youth. Suicide rates among Black youth nearly 

doubled between 1999 and 2018, and Black youth 

under 13 years of age are approximately twice as 

likely to die by suicide as their white 

counterparts.88,89 NIMH is supporting research to 

understand systems-level risk detection and 

interventions that can reduce self-harm and 

suicidal thoughts and behaviors in Black children 

and adolescents, 90,91 as well as studies of schoolbased suicide prevention programs for Black 

youth.92,93,94 Additionally, NIMH recently solicited 

research aimed at better characterizing risk 

trajectories and protective factors among Black 

youth.95,96 In one recently funded study, 

researchers are testing whether experiences like 

loneliness, low self-worth, and hopelessness early 

in childhood are linked to risk for suicide, and 

whether protective factors such as racial 

socialization and racial identity protect Black youth 

from developing suicidal thoughts.97 Other 

recently funded projects focus on intersectional 

approaches to suicide prevention tailored for 

Black youth who are sexual and gender minorities 

or have been involved in the juvenile justice 

system.98,99 NIMH is also soliciting research to 

better identify and measure suicide risk and 

protective factors among preteens (ages 8-12), 

including Black youth and those who may 

experience health disparities or are 

underrepresented in research.100,101
NIMH-26 

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 illnesses and adverse consequences of mental illnesses 

(e.g., suicide, functional disability, lost productivity). DSIR funds research to refine and 

evaluate interventions for children, adolescents, adults and people who are underserved by 

mental health/behavioral health resources, focusing on acute and long-term symptom reduction, 

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

research to improve the quality and outcomes of care; organization- and system-level 

interventions to enhance service delivery to 

increase mental health equity and parity; and 

strategies for widespread dissemination and 

implementation of evidence-based treatments 

into routine care settings in all geographic 

areas (rural, urban, frontier, and island) and 

communities. 

DSIR initiatives encourage practice-based 

research with near-term potential for 

improving intervention effectiveness and 

service delivery, as illustrated by key research 

programs. For example, the Advanced 

Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and 

Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults 

with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research 

Centers aim to advance clinical practice and 

generate knowledge that will fuel the 

transformation of mental health care in the 

United States.110 A related program supports 

Practice-Based Suicide Prevention Research 

Centers that address NIMH suicide prevention 

research priorities and goals to reduce the 

national suicide rate.111,112

Budget Policy: The FY 2025 President’s 

Budget request is $289.5 million, an increase 

of $27.7 million or 10.6 percent compared 

with the FY 2023 Final. 

109 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-22-110.html 

110 nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/advanced-laboratories-for-accelerating-thereach-and-impact-of-treatments-for-youth-and-adults-with-mental-illness-alacrity 

111 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-20-286.html 

112 nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/practice-based-suicide-prevention-researchcenters 

Program Portrait – SSPsyGene: Scalable and 

Systematic Neurobiology of Psychiatric and 

Neurodevelopmental Disorder Risk Genes: 

Data Resource and Administrative 

Coordination Center. Despite accelerated 

discovery of disease genes over the past decade, 

we have limited understanding of how genes 

impact the development and occurrence of mental 

disorders. NIMH’s Scalable and Systematic 

Neurobiology of Psychiatric and 

Neurodevelopmental Disorder Risk Genes 

(SSPsyGene) Consortium aims to 

comprehensively characterize the function of 

genes in the brain in which variants increase risk 

for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric 

disorders.109 Through this initiative, NIMH is 

establishing a consortium of investigators at 

multiple sites and with broad expertise in the 

areas of genomics and neurobiology. In the first 

phase of the initiative, researchers plan to use 

scalable experimental systems with highthroughput capabilities to examine the biological 

function of 100-250 genes linked to 

neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders 

such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum 

disorder, and schizophrenia. As opposed to 

current small-scale efforts, SSPsyGene may 

provide a collaborative and efficient framework to 

identify genes’ biological function and generate a 

standardized, functional catalog of risk genes that 

may improve current approaches to diagnose, 

treat, and prevent mental disorders.
NIMH-27 

Division of Data Science and Technology 

The Division of Data Science and Technology (DST) supports basic and applied research 

focused on the development of scientific tools, technologies, and approaches related to brain and 

behavioral research, including software (e.g., neuroinformatics tools and resources), hardware 

(e.g., devices and instrumentation), and wetware (e.g., novel genetic methods or bioactive and 

molecular imaging agents). DST functions include coordinating NIMH efforts and initiatives 

focused on advancing technology development and scientific informatics. DST also manages a 

variety of infrastructure programs for mental health researchers such as the NIMH Data 

Archive,113 the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) 

Initiative data archives,114 the shared instrument program, the NeuroBioBank,115 and non-human 

primate colonies. 

Budget Policy: The FY 2025 President’s Budget request is $239.8 million, an increase of $22.9 

million or 10.6 percent compared with the FY 2023 Final. 

AIDS Research 

The Division of AIDS Research (DAR) supports research and research training that addresses 

the priority areas outlined in the NIH Strategic Plan for HIV and HIV-Related Research116 and 

the HHS National HIV/AIDS Strategy.117 DAR-supported research includes behavioral, social, 

data, and communications science studies aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS incidence through the 

development, testing, and implementation of new and improved prevention strategies, and 

improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities of those living with HIV through 

improved linkage to care and adherence to effective treatments. DAR also supports research to 

better understand, prevent, and treat the neurological and mental disorders associated with HIV. 

DAR is participating in cure research by supporting studies to eradicate or silence HIV from 

biological reservoirs in the central nervous system (CNS), where the virus may evade detection 

and treatment. HIV latency in the CNS is critically important to consider in studies of 

eradication and reactivation. Many drugs designed to eradicate the virus are unable to penetrate 

the blood-brain barrier of the CNS, thus resulting in a protected reservoir of HIV. DAR places a 

strong emphasis on targeted research to understand the mechanisms underlying HIV-induced 

neuronal pathology and the resulting motor, cognitive, and psychiatric dysfunction that results, 

with the goal of identifying preventive and therapeutic interventions. 

DAR-funded research also places special emphasis on World Health Organization-defined key 

populations, health disparities, and the impact of mental illnesses that may increase the risk for 

acquisition of HIV or negatively impact the health outcomes of those living with HIV. 

Additionally, DAR engages with multidisciplinary expertise in NIH-wide planning efforts to 

113 nda.nih.gov/ 

114 braininitiative.nih.gov/brain-programs/informatics 

115 neurobiobank.nih.gov/ 

116 oar.nih.gov/hiv-policy-and-research/strategic-plan 

117 hiv.gov/blog/hhs-and-the-national-hivaids-strategy 
NIMH-28 

ensure effective integration of behavioral and biomedical approaches to help achieve an AIDSfree generation. 

Budget Policy: The FY 2025 President’s Budget request is $189.2 million, sustaining the FY 

2023 Final level. 

Intramural Research Programs 

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

NIMH, complementing the institute’s extramural grant funding program. IRP scientists 

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

state-of-the-art research using unique NIH resources. In addition, the IRP provides an excellent 

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

IRP researchers are developing new and improved methods in functional magnetic resonance 

imaging118 (fMRI) and exploring advanced computational methods to evaluate brain function 

and mental illnesses. Many IRP researchers use neuroimaging, brain activity recording, and 

behavioral tasks to investigate differences in brain circuitry underlying key brain functions such 

as learning, perception, and attention, which are affected in mental illnesses. IRP researchers 

also use sophisticated experimental techniques such as optogenetic stimulation and two photon 

imaging to study brain function and behavior. For example, they demonstrated how the 

mammalian visual cortex can integrate and amplify direct excitatory input to drive a novel 

behavior,119 or increase understanding of neuronal avalanches in the brain.120,121 Understanding 

brain network dynamics and the circuit basis of adult learning might point towards targeted 

treatments to improve brain function. 

IRP scientists are also exploring novel medications and other treatments for depression in adults, 

including ketamine and other experimental fast-acting antidepressant medications, next 

generation seizure therapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Researchers are also 

using TMS to study auditory and language processing in adolescents with autism spectrum 

disorder.122,123 Using clinical assessments, brain imaging, and sleep studies, researchers aim to 

better understand suicide.124 IRP researchers also continue to study youth suicide,125 including 

analysis of national suicide data during the COVID-19 pandemic.126,127 

Budget Policy: The FY 2025 President’s Budget request is $245.1 million, an increase of $7.1 

million or 3.0 percent compared with the FY 2023 Final. 

118 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37497043/ 

119 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37148876/ 

120 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37137888/ 

121 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2023/researchers-find-order-in-the-language-of-the-brain 

122 clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04798274 

123 decibels.ctss.nih.gov/index.html 

124 classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02543983 

125 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36789551/ 

126 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36789551/ 

127 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2023/youth-suicide-rates-increased-during-the-covid-19-pandemic 
NIMH-29 

Research Management and Support 

Research Management and Support (RMS) activities provide administrative, budgetary, 

logistical, and scientific support in the review, award, and monitoring of research and training 

grants, and research and development contracts. RMS functions include strategic planning, 

coordination, and evaluation of NIMH programs, regulatory compliance, coordination of global 

mental health efforts, and liaising with other Federal agencies, Congress, and the public. Staff 

also play key roles in coordinating NIMH’s involvement in the NIH BRAIN Initiative and in 

managing related research. Through RMS activities, NIMH continues to provide accountability 

and administrative support for meritorious basic, clinical, and translational research and promote 

health information dissemination, education, and outreach activities. RMS also supports 

outreach activities to connect the public with evidence-based mental health information. For 

example, in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month (September), NIMH 

promoted brochures, fact sheets, and graphics;128 highlighted the new 988 Suicide & Crisis 

Lifeline;129 and co-hosted a Facebook Live event with the National Institute on Drugs and 

Addiction130 on the intersection of suicide and substance use.131 Information is presented in 

plain language and suitable for a lay audience, and many materials are available in Spanish to 

reach a broader audience. 

Budget Policy: The FY 2025 President’s Budget request is $116.2 million, an increase of $8.9 

million or 8.3 percent compared with the FY 2023 Final. 

 

128 nimh.nih.gov/get-involved/digital-shareables/shareable-resources-on-suicide-prevention 

129 988lifeline.org/ 

130 The FY 2025 President’s Budget proposes to rename the National Institute on Drug Abuse to the National 

Institute on Drugs and Addiction. 

131 nimh.nih.gov/news/events/announcements/facebook-live-the-intersection-of-suicide-and-substance-use 
NIMH-30 

APPROPRIATIONS HISTORY

 
NIMH-31 

AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION
NIMH-32 

AMOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR OBLIGATION

 

Source of Funding FY 2023 Final FY 2024 CR

FY 2025 

President's 

Budget

Appropriation2

$2,337,843 $2,198,843 $2,548,662

Mandatory Appropriation: (non-add)

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

Other Mandatory financing ($0) ($0) ($0)

Subtotal, adjusted appropriation $2,337,843 $2,198,843 $2,548,662

OAR HIV/AIDS Transfers $3,810 $0 $0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $2,341,653 $2,198,843 $2,548,662

Unobligated balance, start of year $10,270 $84,980 $0

Unobligated balance, end of year (carryover)3

-$84,980 $0 $0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $2,266,943 $2,283,823 $2,548,662

Unobligated balance lapsing -$10 $0 $0

Total obligations $2,266,933 $2,283,823 $2,548,662

 3 Includes 21st Century Cures Act funding not obligated in FY 2023 and carried into FY 2024.

 1 Excludes the following amounts (in thousands) for reimbursable activities carried out by this account: FY 2023 - 

$8,014 FY 2024 - $10,050 FY 2025 - $10,050

 2 Of which $225.0 million in FY 2023, $86.0 million in FY 2024, and $45.5 million in FY 2025 is derived by transfer from 

the NIH Innovation Account under the 21st Center Cures Act.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Amounts Available for Obligation 1

(Dollars in Thousands)
NIMH-33 

BUDGET AUTHORITY BY OBJECT CLASS
NIMH-34 

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

 
NIMH-35 

DETAIL OF FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYMENT (FTE) 

 
NIMH-36 

DETAIL OF POSITIONS