NIMH-1

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

FY 2018 Budget Page No.

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

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

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

Budget Graphs .................................................................................................................................5

Authorizing Legislation ...................................................................................................................6

Appropriations History ....................................................................................................................7

Justification of Budget Request .......................................................................................................8

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE) .....................................................................17

Detail of Positions..........................................................................................................................18
NIMH-2

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of Mental Health

Division of Services and

Intervention Research

Director

Robert Heinssen, Jr., Ph.D.

Division of Neuroscience 

and Basic Behavioral 

Science

Director

Linda S. Brady, Ph.D.

Division of AIDS

Research 

Director

Dianne M. Rausch, Ph.D.

Division of 

Translational

Research

Director

Sarah H. Lisanby, M.D.

Office of the Director

Director

Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.

National Advisory

Mental Health

Council

Division of Extramural 

Activities

Director

Jean Noronha, Ph.D.

Division of Intramural

Research Programs

Director

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

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

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

$1,201,901,000.
NIMH-4

Source of Funding FY 2016 Final FY 2017 Annualized 

CR

FY 2018 President's 

Budget*

Appropriation $1,548,390 $1,548,390 $1,244,901

Mandatory Appropriation: (non-add)

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

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

Rescission 0 -2,943 0

Sequestration 0 0 0

Zika Intra-NIH Transfer -2,143 0 0

Subtotal, adjusted appropriation $1,546,247 $1,545,447 $1,244,901

OAR HIV/AIDS Transfers -29,717 0 0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $1,516,530 $1,545,447 $1,244,901

Unobligated balance, start of year 0 0 0

Unobligated balance, end of year 0 0 0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $1,516,530 $1,545,447 $1,244,901

Unobligated balance lapsing -205 0 0

Total obligations $1,516,325 $1,545,447 $1,244,901

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Amounts Available for Obligation1

(Dollars in Thousands)

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

 FY 2016 - $6,223 FY 2017 - $10,050 FY 2018 - $10,050 

*Of which $43,000,000 is derived by transfer from the NIH Innovation Account. 
NIMH-5

Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Graphs

History of Budget Authority and FTEs:
NIMH-6

PHS Act/

Other Citation

U.S. Code

Citation

FY 2017 Annualized CR FY 2018 President's Budget

Section 301

Section 401(a) 42§281 Indefinite

Total, Budget Authority $1,545,447,000 $1,244,901,000

National Institute of Mental Health

$1,545,447,000 $1,244,901,000

Indefinite

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Authorizing Legislation

2017 Amount

Authorized

2018 Amount

Authorized

Research and Investigation 42§241 Indefinite Indefinite
NIMH-7

Budget Estimate to 

Congress House Allowance Senate Allowance Appropriation

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

$24,973,000

$7,475,000

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

$0

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

$0

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

$13,078,800

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

$2,802,999

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

$2,960,530

($74,299,124)

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

$0

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

$0

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

$0

$1,518,673,000 $1,599,747,000 $1,619,537,000 $1,548,390,000

$2,943,000

$1,244,901,000

1Budget Estimate to Congress includes mandatory financing.

2015

Rescission

2016

Rescission

20171

Rescission

2018

Rescission

2011

Rescission

2012

Rescission

2013

Rescission

Sequestration

2014

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Appropriations History

Fiscal Year

2008

Rescission

Supplemental

2009

Rescission

2010

Rescission
NIMH-8

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 2016

Actual

FY 2017

CR Annualized

FY 2018

President’s

Budget

FY 2018 +/-

FY 2017

BA $1,516,530,000 $1,545,447,000 $1,244,901,000 -$300,546,000

FTE 533 563 563 0

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

Contracts; Direct Federal/Intramural and Other.

Director’s Overview

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

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

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

In the United States, an estimated 43.4 million adults suffer from a mental illness.1 Mental 

illnesses are significantly impairing and can be life-threatening. Based on the most recent 

estimates, mental illnesses accounted for 21.3 percent of all years lived with disability in the 

United States.

2

 Suicide accounts for the loss of more than 42,000 American lives each year; it is 

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

cause of death overall in the United States.3 

On September 12, 2016, NIMH welcomed new Director, Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. 

Gordon’s experience as both a clinician and basic science researcher will serve NIMH well as he 

oversees a diverse portfolio of basic, translational, and clinical research, including investments in 

research with short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes. To optimize its scientific investments 

in the most rigorous research, NIMH is guided by its Strategic Plan for Research.4 

Fundamental Science: Many important medical advances trace back to basic research. For 

example, NIMH scientists and collaborators recently uncovered the mechanisms behind the rapid 

antidepressant effects of ketamine, an anesthetic drug, in individuals with treatment-resistant 

depression. Results revealed that a byproduct of ketamine’s chemical breakdown, and not 

 

1 Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2016). Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in 

the United States: Results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. (HHS Publication No. SMA, 

NSDUH Series H-51). Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/data

2 US Burden of Disease Collaborators. The state of US health, 1990-2010: burden of diseases, injuries, and risk 

factors. JAMA, 310(6): 591-608, 2013.

3 CDC, NCIPC. WISQARS: http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html accessed October 2016.

4 http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports/index.shtml
NIMH-9

ketamine itself, produces the antidepressant effects. Identifying this mechanism is a crucial step 

in the drug development process, and highlights the importance of basic science in getting 

treatments to patients.

NIMH plays a key role in the NIH Human Connectome Project (HCP), which aims to map the 

neural pathways that underlie human brain function. In the first phase of the HCP, researchers 

identified more than twice the previously known number of human brain regions, and 

demonstrated that individual differences in brain connectivity can predict performance on a 

variety of tasks.5,6,7 NIMH also plays a leading role in the NIH Brain Research through 

Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, which aims to revolutionize our 

understanding of the human brain by accelerating the development and application of innovative 

technologies. NIMH-funded BRAIN Initiative researchers identified new methods for 

classifying neuron types, and discovered several genetic mechanisms in brain cells.8,9 NIH 

recently announced its third round of BRAIN Initiative grants; NIMH will support a variety of 

projects including novel methods to better understand brain cells and circuits, and new 

approaches to noninvasive brain-based treatments for mental illnesses. The HCP and the BRAIN 

Initiative support studies that demonstrate novel methods and findings that may prove important 

for uncovering neuronal dysfunction in mental illnesses. 

Treatments and Cures: NIMH supports research for treatments and cures for mental disorders, 

spanning novel intervention development, efficacy testing, and effectiveness testing in 

community practice settings. Approximately 50 percent of NIMH’s budget is dedicated to 

clinical research. NIMH currently devotes nearly 10 percent of its budget to clinical trials. One 

such clinical trial is the Prolonging Remission in Depressed Elderly (PRIDE) study, which 

demonstrated that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) combined with an antidepressant prevented 

relapse in patients 60 years and older suffering from severe depression.10,11 NIMH is also 

investing in technology to screen rapidly for small but meaningful biological indicators, or 

biomarkers. For example, the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials aims to 

develop biomarkers to identify biological subtypes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 

predict the best treatment options for individuals with ASD. NIMH also recently issued a 

funding opportunity announcement for Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and 

Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research 

Centers.12 The goal of this effort is to improve the effectiveness, delivery, and quality of 

evidence-based services in diverse settings.

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: NIMH supports efforts to identify genetic and 

environmental risk factors for suicide, develop strategies to reduce suicide, and promote mental 

health. As a member of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, NIMH supports the 

 

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27437579 

6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26457551 

7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27124457

8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27565351

9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27113499

10 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27418379

11 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27418381

12 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-16-354.html
NIMH-10

Alliance’s Zero Suicide commitment to reduce suicide, and to identify and implement effective 

treatments for at-risk individuals.13 NIMH recently funded three Zero Suicide studies focused on 

adult and youth based suicide prevention practices in health care settings. These efforts include 

improving the quality of behavioral health care to reduce suicide risk, testing the efficacy of a 

suicide prevention approach, and identifying youth at risk for suicidal behavior. Other NIMHfunded suicide prevention efforts focus on vulnerable populations including teens, individuals 

transitioning from jail to community settings, and arctic indigenous peoples.

Enhancing Stewardship: NIMH is increasing transparency and accountability through data 

sharing and oversight. NIMH strongly encourages investigators to use common data elements 

and share data through databases and repositories, such as the NIMH Data Archive.14 In June 

2016, NIMH hosted a webinar to encourage scientists to confirm research findings and to use 

existing data to answer research questions in a cost-effective way. NIMH is also improving 

oversight and monitoring of clinical trials. For example, in 2016, NIMH expanded the Policy for 

the Recruitment of Participants in Clinical Research15 to apply to all clinical trials, regardless of 

size, to ensure studies are meeting their recruitment goals.16 NIMH also implemented the 

Proactive Site Monitoring Program and increased its ClinicalTrials.gov registration rate to 97 

percent, improving oversight and public access to clinical trials information. 

NIMH places a high priority on supporting outstanding scientists who will advance the field to 

help people with mental illnesses. In May 2016, four NIMH-supported early stage investigators 

received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). NIMH is 

also committed to improving recruitment and retention of early stage investigators from 

underrepresented groups, and offers administrative supplements for individuals from diverse 

backgrounds.17,18,19 

Overall Budget Policy:

The FY 2018 President’s Budget request is $1,244.901 million, a decrease of $300.546 million 

compared with the FY 2017 Annualized CR level. These reductions are distributed across all 

programmatic areas and basic, epidemiology, or clinical research.

Program Descriptions

Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science

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

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

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

 

13 http://zerosuicide.sprc.org/

14 http://data-archive.nimh.nih.gov/

15 See https://www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/nimh-policy-for-the-recruitment-ofparticipants-in-clinical-research.shtml

16 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/nimh-recruitment-of-participants-inclinical-research-policy.shtml

17 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-16-288.html

18 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-14-263.html

19 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-15-069.html
NIMH-11

research community, DNBBS ensures that relevant basic scientific knowledge is generated and 

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

prevent mental illnesses.

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

basic neurobiology underlying mental illnesses. In FY 2018, DNBBS will continue to build on 

strengths in neuroscience research into the brain mechanisms underlying social interactions. In 

particular, DNBBS will support research into social interactions that involve multiple social 

modalities and the brain circuits underlying those interactions, either positive or negative. For 

example, disorders such as ASD and schizophrenia are marked by disrupted social interactions 

and responses to social cues. By fostering research into these areas, DNBBS intends to open up 

new possibilities for treatment development and disease prevention.

Translational Research

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

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

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

children and adults. DTR supports research on 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. As such, 

DTR-supported research efforts are designed to have predominantly medium-term impact.

Despite the existence of promising technology-based interventions, few tools are being adapted 

to advance social functioning for individuals with social deficits. In FY 2017, NIMH will launch 

projects funded under the Adaptation/Optimization of Technology (ADOPTech) to Support 

Social Functioning initiative to develop and test cutting edge technologies to enhance social 

functioning in individuals with mental illnesses.20 This effort also aims to stimulate 

collaboration between clinical scientists and their colleagues in engineering, mathematics, 

physics, and computer science. Projects funded under this program may create “social 

prosthetics,” or high-tech devices that could dramatically improve social skills and the quality of 

life for people with mental illnesses. Prior research indicates that emotion regulation improves 

with aging. Yet, a major gap remains with regard to how these maturational changes confer risk 

or resilience to emotional problems seen in mental disorders that arise in later adulthood. In FY 

2016, in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging, DTR issued a joint initiative entitled 

Adult Maturational Changes and Dysfunctions in Emotion Regulation.21 Projects funded under 

this initiative will begin in 2017 and will advance our understanding of emotion processing in the 

elderly, and inform strategies that could prevent or ameliorate emotional dysfunction in later life. 

Ultimately, these projects could uncover new targets for interventions that could minimize 

emotion dysregulation or preventively build resilience in aging adults.

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 

 

20 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-17-150.html

21 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-17-405.html
NIMH-12

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

treatment and preventive interventions for children, adolescents, and adults, focusing on acute 

and long-term symptom reduction, remission, and improved community functioning. DSIR also 

supports mental health services research, including interventions to improve the quality and 

outcomes of care; organization- and system-level interventions to enhance service delivery; and, 

strategies for widespread dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments into 

routine care settings. Studies funded by DSIR are designed to have short-term impact, targeted 

at improving care for patients currently suffering from debilitating psychiatric disorders.

In FY 2016, DSIR supported large-scale initiatives to improve the effectiveness of mental health 

services delivered at critical periods of illness and across developmental life stages. Three grants 

funded in FY 2016 examine suicide prevention practices in healthcare systems, and test a range 

of interventions including: enhancing suicide prevention in a state-wide behavioral health system 

using quality improvement methods; linking suicide prevention practices across health care 

settings; and, matching suicidal youths’ level of risk to the intensity of care. Another project

tests treatment for youth with behavioral and emotional problems, and beginning with 

psychosocial intervention, progressing to non-antipsychotic medications if required, and 

introducing targeted antipsychotic pharmacotherapy if needed. Three other grants test a variety 

of intervention models for reducing weight gain and cardio-metabolic risk among youth 

receiving antipsychotic medications. These intervention models include a parent-delivered 

healthy lifestyle intervention, weight management counseling to reduce cardiovascular risk 

factors, and a group-based intervention supported by mobile health technology.
NIMH-13

Program Portrait: Reducing the Duration of Untreated Psychosis

FY 2017 Level: $8.3 million

FY 2018 Level: $6.7 million

Change: -$1.6 million

Each year approximately 100,000 adolescents and young adults in the United States experience a first episode of 

psychosis (FEP).22 The beginning of the acute phase of psychotic illness is a critical opportunity for prevention, and 

a chance to alter the downward trajectory and poor outcomes associated with psychotic disorders. The timing of 

treatment is critical; short- and long-term outcomes are better when individuals begin treatment close to the onset of 

psychosis.23 Unfortunately, numerous studies find a substantial delay between onset of FEP and the initiation of 

care.

24

 In one NIMH-funded study, psychosis treatment was delayed a median of 74 weeks for patients seen in 34 

U.S. community clinics.25 

A major focus of NIMH’s applied research efforts is the identification of screening and referral strategies that could 

reduce the duration of untreated psychosis in the United States from the current average of 1-3 years to the 

international standard of no more than three months.

26

 Research to improve FEP case identification and referral to 

treatment complements other NIMH initiatives, such as the Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode

(RAISE) project, that aimed to improve outcomes for people experiencing FEP. Recent findings from the 

RAISE project indicate that coordinated specialty care (CSC) - a team-based, multi-component treatment program 

for FEP - produced superior clinical and functional improvements compared to typical care, especially among 

clients with shorter duration of untreated psychosis.

27

To build on the successes of RAISE, in May 2016, NIMH reissued funding opportunity announcements seeking 

projects aiming to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis.

28

 Specifically, NIMH aims to support research that 

tests practical, reproducible strategies for substantially reducing the duration of psychosis among persons with FEP 

by eliminating bottlenecks or closing gaps in the pathway to CSC services. NIMH currently funds eight such studies 

aiming to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis. Early identification of FEP, rapid referral to evidence-based 

services, and effective engagement in CSC are essential to shortening the duration of untreated psychosis, preempting the functional deterioration common in psychotic disorders, and reducing the economic burden of these 

devastating illnesses on society.

The decrease in funding in FY 2018 for this program will bring commitments in line with available resources.

 

22 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22457710

23 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26481174

24 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16143729

25 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25588418

26 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16055800

27 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26481174

28 http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-16-265.html
NIMH-14

Program Portrait: Identifying Key Factors and Novel Targets in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders

FY 2017 Level: $43.3 million

FY 2018 Level: $34.7 million

Change: -$ 8.6 million

Following any traumatic event, it is common for people to report a range of symptoms including hypervigilance, 

intrusive upsetting thoughts, flashbacks, and changes in sleep and mood. Although most people gradually recover, 

some develop persistent problems, and may be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

In 2012, the Departments of Health and Human Services (including NIH), Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Education 

developed the National Research Action Plan (NRAP). The NRAP is designed to accelerate discovery of the causes 

and mechanisms underlying PTSD, other conditions, and their co-occurring outcomes like suicide, depression, and 

substance abuse disorders. Consistent with the NRAP, NIMH recently funded a $21 million, five-year study to 

identify key factors in the development of mental disorders that occur in the wake of trauma, better predict those 

outcomes, and develop new targets for intervention.29 This landmark study, which will follow 5,000 people over 

time, has the potential to define subtypes of post-traumatic stress based on objective neurobiological changes and 

other measures. Such efforts have the potential improve the care of individuals at high risk for post-traumatic stress 

conditions across civilian, military, and veteran populations.

NIMH recognizes the urgent need to improve therapies for post-traumatic stress conditions, and supports a diverse 

research portfolio on PTSD. For example, researchers are studying a novel medication that may reduce 

hyperarousal and fear generalization; and separately, a drug used to treat other diseases that may help eliminate fear 

responses in individuals with PTSD.

30,31

 Because sleep abnormalities are common in PTSD, other NIMH-funded 

researchers are treating insomnia to determine if less fragmented sleep leads to better emotion regulation in PTSD.

32

 

To improve treatments that directly treat brain circuit abnormalities, some researchers are combining noninvasive 

brain stimulation and imaging to create personalized maps that show cause and effect of the stimulation, allowing 

greater precision and tailored neuromodulatory treatments.

33 NIMH’s commitment to PTSD research is designed to 

lead to better understanding and improved treatments for post-traumatic stress conditions.

The decrease in funding in FY 2018 for this program will bring commitments in line with available resources.

AIDS Research 

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

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

AIDS Funding.34 DAR supports behavioral and social science research critical to the goal of 

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

including expanded testing and linkage to care, vaccines, microbicides, and pre-exposure 

prophylaxis approaches. Behavioral and social science research is critical to understanding 

individual and community acceptance of prevention strategies, so that the delivery of such 

strategies is fully optimized, widely disseminated, and successfully implemented. Moreover, 

 

29https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9174752&icde=31277368&ddparam=&ddvalue=

&ddsub=&cr=11&csb=default&cs=ASC

30https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9164410&icde=31699103&ddparam=&ddvalue=

&ddsub=&cr=1&csb=default&cs=ASC

31https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9017400&icde=31699134&ddparam=&ddvalue=

&ddsub=&cr=1&csb=default&cs=ASC

32https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9325818&icde=31699177&ddparam=&ddvalue=

&ddsub=&cr=1&csb=default&cs=A

33https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9109051&icde=31699207&ddparam=&ddvalue=

&ddsub=&cr=1&csb=default&cs=ASC

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

DAR research places special emphasis on World Health Organization-defined key populations, 

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

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

DAR is also actively participating in cure efforts by supporting research on methods to eliminate 

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

central nervous system (CNS). As many drugs designed to eradicate the virus are unable to 

penetrate the CNS, the CNS can act as a protected reservoir for HIV. Therefore, HIV latency 

within the CNS is critically important to consider in studies of eradication and reactivation. This 

work may also inform methods to prevent or treat the neurological comorbidities of HIV, with 

targeted research to understand HIV-induced neurological pathology, with a particular emphasis 

on the premature aging associated with long-term HIV disease and long-term antiretroviral 

therapy. Through its commitment to bringing multidisciplinary expertise to agency-wide 

strategic planning efforts, DAR is working to ensure that effective integration of biomedical and 

behavioral approaches is accomplished, bringing us ever closer to an AIDS-free generation.

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 through the use of unique NIH resources. In addition, the IRP provides 

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

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

healthy development and in adult- and childhood-onset mental illnesses. In FY 2016, many 

important science advances came out of the IRP, including: identifying genomic risk factors for 

bipolar disorder and schizophrenia; linking specific patterns of brain activity, called ‘neuronal 

avalanches,’ to changes in physiological state; and, using chemogenetic designer-receptorexclusively-activated-by-designer-drug (DREADD) technology to study brain circuits involved 

in cognition. IRP scientists use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study brain 

connectivity among networks implicated in ASD, and they investigate innovative behavioral 

treatments for children with severe mood dysregulation or anxiety. IRP researchers also explore 

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

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

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

antidepressants. In FY 2016, four new tenure-track scientists joined the IRP whose research 

areas include: the effect of stress on memory and behavior; cortical circuits and activity patterns 

linked to behavioral decision-making; top-down modulation of sensory processes; and, mood 

disorders in young people.

Research Management and Support (RMS)

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

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

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

of NIMH programs; regulatory compliance; coordinating global mental health efforts; and, 

liaising with other Federal agencies, Congress, and the public. In FY 2016 NIMH managed 
NIMH-16

2,481 research grants, 307 training grants that supported 705 full-time trainee positions, and 200 

research and development contracts.
NIMH-17

Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total

Division of AIDS Research

Direct: 12 - 12 12 - 12 12 - 12

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 12 - 12 12 - 12 12 - 12

Division of Extramural Activities

Direct: 41 - 41 42 - 42 42 - 42

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 41 - 41 42 - 42 42 - 42

Division of Intramural Research Programs

Direct: 274 1 275 298 1 299 298 1 299

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 274 1 275 298 1 299 298 1 299

Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science

Direct: 22 - 22 22 - 22 22 - 22

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 22 - 22 22 - 22 22 - 22

Division of Services and Intervention Research

Direct: 15 1 16 12 1 13 12 1 13

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 15 1 16 12 1 13 12 1 13

Division of Translational Research

Direct: 28 - 28 23 - 23 23 - 23

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 28 - 28 23 - 23 23 - 23

Office of the Director

Direct: 139 - 139 152 - 152 152 - 152

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 139 - 139 152 - 152 152 - 152

Total 531 2 533 561 2 563 561 2 563

FTEs supported by funds from Cooperative Research and 

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

FISCAL YEAR

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

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

12.4

Average GS Grade

12.3

12.7

12.4

12.4

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE)

OFFICE/DIVISION

FY 2016 Final FY 2017 Annualized CR FY 2018 President's Budget
NIMH-18

FY 2016 Final FY 2017 Annualized 

CR

FY 2018 President's 

Budget

1 1 1

158,868 168,400 168,400

62 61 61

63 68 68

100 109 109

62 69 69

53 59 59

0 0 0

25 22 22

11 9 9

8 7 7

1 1 1

0 0 0

0 0 0

1 1 1

0 0 0

0 0 0

386 406 406

0 0 0

0 0 0

2 2 2

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

2 2 2

157 190 190

390 410 410

546 598 598

533 563 563

158,868 168,400 168,400

12.4 12.4 12.4

106,894 109,139 111,213

1

Average ES salary

Average GM/GS grade

Average GM/GS salary

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

Total permanent positions

Total positions, end of year

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

Full Grade

Senior Assistant Grade

Assistant Grade

Subtotal

Ungraded

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

Assistant Surgeon General

Director Grade

Senior Grade

GS-4

GS-3

GS-2

GS-1

Subtotal

GS-9

GS-8

GS-7

GS-6

GS-5

GM/GS-14

GM/GS-13

GS-12

GS-11

GS-10

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Detail of Positions1

GRADE

Total, ES Positions

Total, ES Salary

GM/GS-15