National 

Institute of 

Mental Health

CONGRESSIONAL JUSTIFICATION 

FY 2024

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 2024 Budget Table of Contents

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

IC Fact Sheet............................................................................................................................. 11

Major Changes.......................................................................................................................... 13

Budget Mechanism Table ......................................................................................................... 14

Appropriations Language.......................................................................................................... 15

Summary of Changes................................................................................................................ 16

Budget Graphs .......................................................................................................................... 17

Organization Chart.................................................................................................................... 18

Budget Authority by Activity Table ......................................................................................... 19

Justification of Budget Request ................................................................................................ 20

Appropriations History ............................................................................................................. 27

Authorizing Legislation ............................................................................................................ 28

Amounts Available for Obligation............................................................................................ 29

Budget Authority by Object Class............................................................................................ 30

Salaries and Expenses............................................................................................................... 31

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE) ................................................................ 32

Detail of Positions..................................................................................................................... 33

General Notes

1. FY 2023 Enacted levels cited in this document include the effects of the FY 2023 

HIV/AIDS transfer, as shown in the Amounts Available for Obligation table.

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 52.9 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. Suicide accounted for the loss of over 45,000 American lives 

in 2020 alone; it is the second leading cause of death in youth and 

young adults aged 10-34, and the twelfth leading cause of death 

overall.3 NIMH recognizes that the country is in the midst of an unprecedented mental health 

crisis,

4

 which disproportionately impacts various populations such as youth, veterans, 

marginalized communities, and individuals with existing mental illnesses – and supports the 

Administration’s efforts to address and respond to the needs of all Americans. NIMH is 

committed to confronting this crisis by supporting and conducting research that could transform

how mental health is understood, and how mental health treatments and services are accessed, 

both in and out of healthcare settings. 

As a key player in implementing the White House Report on Mental Health Research Priorities,

5

NIMH is pursuing an ambitious and collaborative mission-focused research agenda, comprising 

a diverse portfolio of basic, translational, and clinical research, with the potential to improve 

clinical care over the short-, medium-, and long-term. By builing upon and leveraging existing 

research and new initiatives, NIMH will continue to provide the evidence to accelerate scientific 

progress. In July 2022, NIMH published an update to its Strategic Plan for Research,6 expanding 

on Institute-wide diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts and adding 

information about NIMH’s Approach to Mental Health Disparities Research7 and the new NIH1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021). Key substance use and mental health 

indicators in the United States: Results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication 

No. PEP21-07-01-003, NSDUH Series H-56). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2020-

nsduh-annual-national-report 2 Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool accessed October 2022. 3 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 www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html 4 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/02/07/fact-sheet-in-state-of-the-unionpresident-biden-to-outline-vision-to-advance-progress-on-unity-agenda-in-year-ahead/ 5 https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/White-House-Report-on-Mental-Health-ResearchPriorities.pdf

6 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports 7 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/organization/od/odwd/nimhs-approach-to-mental-health-disparities-research

Joshua A. 

Gordon, M.D., 

Ph.D. 

Director of 

NIMH
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wide Climate Change and Health Initiative.8

 NIMH also released the 2022 Progress Report on 

the Strategic Plan for Research,9

 which highlights significant accomplishments made during FY 

2021 toward achieving the goals described in the Strategic Plan. These accomplishments reflect 

NIMH’s sustained commitment to ensuring the relevance, timeliness, and real-world impact of 

the research that NIMH supports. 

Enhancing the impact, reach, and accessibility of mental health services

Therapeutic and service delivery interventions to reduce suicide. NIMH supports research to 

evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to prevent or treat mental illnesses, improve the 

quality and outcomes of care, enhance service delivery, and communicate and implement 

evidence-based treatments across care settings. In 2021, NIMH launched the Practice-based 

Suicide Prevention Research Centers program, which is focused on developing, testing, and 

refining effective and scalable interventions at key intercepts in the chain of care.10 NIMH 

currently supports four Centers in various settings where suicide risk might be identified and 

addressed, such as health care systems, mental health and primary care practice and networks, 

and other systems and settings that serve individuals at risk for suicide (e.g., community settings, 

criminal justice systems).11,12,13,14 Researchers at one Center aim to develop and adapt practicebased and other suicide prevention interventions for underserved groups. Further, these 

researchers aim to design and test implementation strategies to optimize how evidence-based 

practices can be brought to scale effectively.10 NIMH also plans to support research on 

therapeutic and service delivery interventions that use interpersonal treatment strategies to 

reduce risk among individuals at risk for suicide following acute care.15 Many evidence-based 

strategies focus on intrapersonal factors (e.g., hopelessness, emotion dysregulation) and related 

coping strategies; however, interventions focused on interpersonal factors (e.g., social 

disconnection, perceived burdensomeness, few reasons for living) may help promote sustained 

remission and relapse prevention, as well as adherence to and engagement in care.

Protecting youth mental health. As detailed in the September 2021 NIMH Report to Congress 

“Addressing Youth Mental Health Disparities,”16 the NIMH Office for Disparities Research and 

Workforce Diversity has developed a Strategic Framework to guide research to address and 

reduce mental health disparities among underserved and underrepresented youth by 2031. The 

NIMH Strategic Framework for Addressing Youth Mental Health Disparities17 is structured to 

align with and supplement the NIMH Strategic Plan for Research,18 the NIH Minority Health 

8 www.nih.gov/climateandhealth

9 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports/2021-strategic-plan-progress-report 10 www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/practice-based-suicide-preventionresearch-centers 11 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10294750 12 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10435003 13 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10436043 14 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10441870 15 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-22-125.html 16 Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, 

Report to Congress on Addressing Youth Mental Health Disparities (September 2021). 17 Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, 

Report to Congress on Addressing Youth Mental Health Disparities: Post Conference Report (October 2022). 18 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports
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and Health Disparities Strategic Plan,19 and the priorities of collaborating NIH Institutes, 

Centers, and Offices. The Framework provides a conceptual approach to help guide research and 

related activities on the mental health needs of youth impacted by racial and ethnic health 

disparities. The Framework describes NIMH’s plans for potential funding opportunities, as well 

as plans for outreach to stakeholders, including people with mental illnesses and their families, 

patient advocates and advocacy groups, health care providers, researchers, and state, local, and 

federal government partners. The Framework also identifies appropriate outcomes, metrics, and 

actions that will enable targeted research and accountability in the arena of youth mental health 

disparities. Through 2031, NIMH may periodically update the Framework based on stakeholder 

feedback, emerging challenges and opportunities, and research advances.

Personalized, early detection and screening for autism. Research shows that children who 

receive early screening for signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and early intervention tend 

to have better daily functioning and well-being over the long-term. However, many families 

may not receive early screening and diagnosis due to disparities in access to care. Researchers in 

the NIMH-funded ASD Pediatric, Early Detection, Engagement and Services Research (PEDS) 

Network examined whether implementing an evidence-based, multistage screening procedure at 

federally funded early intervention sites could help address site-to-site variation and reduce 

disparities in ASD screening and diagnosis.20 The researchers developed a three-part screening 

and diagnosis process that included both clinicians and caregivers as key decision-makers, and 

found that ASD multistage screening was associated with a 60 percent increase in diagnoses 

compared with standard care. The most significant improvements in diagnoses occurred among 

Spanish-speaking families, compared with English-speaking families. These findings indicate 

that personalized early detection approaches can play a pivotal role in reducing existing health 

disparities.

Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and 

Adults with Mental Illness (ALACRITY). Novel and transdisciplinary approaches are needed to 

develop, deliver, and improve mental health services to transform the care for individuals with 

severe psychiatric disorders. With support from the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention 

Research, the ALACRITY program focuses on practice-based research with potential for nearterm impact, prioritizing a deployment-focused approach to speed the translation of research into 

practice, thus improving intervention effectiveness and service delivery.21 Since its 

establishment, the ALACRITY program has supported 14 research centers around the country 

which: focus on a variety of target populations and practice settings; cover a range of science, 

spanning intervention refinement and optimization through implementation and services 

research; and, incorporate a variety of transdisciplinary collaborations. Many of the centers 

leverage digital health platforms and data science methods to learn about mental illness onset and 

progression in clinical populations, improve diagnosis, monitor the course of illness, and deliver 

targeted interventions via mobile health technologies. Insights gained from ALACRITY Centers 

19 www.nimhd.nih.gov/about/strategic-plan/ 20 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2022/multistage-autism-screening-in-early-intervention-settingsmay-reduce-disparities 21 www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/advanced-laboratories-for-acceleratingthe-reach-and-impact-of-treatments-for-youth-and-adults-with-mental-illness-alacrity
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offer promise to advance innovation in practice-relevant research and offer resources that can be 

shared and adopted more broadly by the scientific community. 

Extending the reach of NIMH research globally. NIMH-funded mental health research spans the 

globe, including projects in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) funded through the 

NIMH Center for Global Mental Health Research (CGMHR).22 CGMHR focuses on 

strengthening the sustainable research capacity of LMICs and enhancing the potential for 

research advancements and multidirectional knowledge exchange. 

Developing mental health interventions that are effective within and across diverse 

communities

Research along the autism spectrum: diverse research to meet diverse needs. To help all 

individuals with autism, NIMH is continuing efforts to diversify the autism research portfolio, 

including the full breadth of needs, across the lifespan.23 In addition to research on developing 

tools that can help identify autism in infants and toddlers as early as possible, NIMH supports 

efforts to improve the efficacy and availability of interventions. NIMH is funding research to 

understand how best to support paraprofessionals and other school-based care providers who 

work with children with autism with high service needs in elementary school settings. This 

research team seeks to determine the best way to help children better engage in academic tasks 

and will also measure the efficacy and practicality of this training in real-world educational 

settings.24 Other NIMH-funded researchers are testing the efficacy of theater-based programs to 

enhance social abilities and peer interactions in youth with autism.25 Tailored interventions like 

these have potential to address the issues that individuals on the autism spectrum and their 

families care deeply about, such as maximizing educational and social opportunities.

Personalizing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment-resistant depression. The 

effectiveness of DBS as a treatment for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease has 

led researchers to investigate whether it could also work for psychiatric disorders, such as 

treatment-resistant depression. However, since depression varies significantly among 

individuals, DBS treatment also needs to be personalized. Recently, researchers supported by 

NIMH examined whether they could personalize DBS to treat depression based on how an 

individual’s brain networks regulated mood and responded to stimulation.26 In this study, the 

researchers coupled stereo-electroencephalography, a method of placing recording electrodes 

within the brain to analyze brain network activity, with implantation of DBS leads to stimulate 

specific brain regions. The researchers used a holographic augmented reality platform to plan 

the placement of the DBS leads. One individual with severe treatment-resistant depression 

received eight months of treatment with personalized DBS stimulation parameters and 

demonstrated remission of depression-related symptoms and a dramatic improvement in quality 

22 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/organization/cgmhr 23 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2022/research-along-the-autism-spectrum-diverse-research-to-meetdiverse-needs 24 reporter.nih.gov/search/M0V2yQ80P06NrX4dWzsC_w/project-details/10285267 25 reporter.nih.gov/search/yUfCjJsTOUOqvb0tflFSJw/project-details/10063050 26 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2022/personalizing-deep-brain-stimulation-for-treatment-resistantdepression
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of life. Significantly, the research team was able to access the relevant brain networks in ways 

that were never previously possible. These findings show initial evidence that this novel 

platform is feasible for performing personalized DBS and accessing brain networks in an 

unprecedented way. Although more research is needed, individuals that do not respond to 

conventional DBS as a treatment for treatment-resistant depression or a multitude of other 

neurological or psychiatric disorders may find this personalized approach to be more effective in 

improving health outcomes. 

Enhancing technologies for noninvasive brain recording and stimulation. Transcranial magnetic 

stimulation (TMS) is a highly precise and noninvasive brain stimulation tool approved by the 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of major depression and other disorders. A 

research team led by investigators in the NIMH Intramural Research Program tested whether 

they could activate deep brain structures by stimulating connected surface-level structures.27 

First, the researchers used imaging to map brain connections in each participant and identify the 

nearest TMS-accessible brain area that was connected to a deeper brain structure thought to be 

involved in depression. Next, they delivered a series of TMS pulses to the superficial region and 

measured participants’ brain activity in the hard-to-reach region through imaging. TMS pulses 

to the accessible region increased activity in the deep brain region, with more intense pulses 

resulting in even higher activity. This new approach to TMS offers a promising tool for precise, 

noninvasive stimulation of deep brain targets and could yield insights into neurocircuitry that 

advance both research and treatment.

Novel assays to address translational gaps in treatment development. Over the last decade, 

NIMH has aimed to improve the drug and device development pipeline by emphasizing the use 

of the experimental therapeutics approach, in which preclinical and clinical studies are designed 

to not only identify effective treatments, but also, critically, to gain knowledge about the 

biological mechanisms underlying mental illnesses. In alignment with this approach, NIMH is 

supporting research to objectively measure changes in brain physiology that reflect clinically 

relevant domains of function, such as cognitive function, impulsivity, and motivation.28 This 

research will include initial proof of concept studies focused on identifying objective measures, 

which researchers can then use to evaluate novel drug and device candidates and their targets in 

the brain, both in healthy humans and in preclinical animal species. Results from this research 

could significantly improve the efficiency of the therapeutic development process. 

Embracing diversity and complexity in basic research on mental illnesses

Precision Psychiatry Initiative. 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 plans to launch a new 

Precision Psychiatry Initiative, an ambitious research program that will focus on two parallel 

areas of need: biomarker development and precision diagnostics. The goal of the biomarker 

development effort is to deliver highly sensitive and specific biomarkers to guide treatment 

decisions for major depression. This effort will be milestone-based, meaning that only projects 

27 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2022/new-approach-allows-magnetic-brain-stimulation-to-targetdeep-brain-structures 28 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-22-169.html
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demonstrating promising results will continue to be funded. The biomarker development effort 

will be 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. Meanwhile, the precision diagnostics effort will support studies that follow large 

(100,000+), diverse cohorts of individuals over time using novel behavioral and physiological 

methods to better predict patient prognosis and optimize treatment. These studies will combine 

innovative methods for assessing behavior (such as mobile device-based measurement of 

cognition and activity) with detailed clinical information from electronic health records to 

identify longitudinal relationships among symptoms of mental illnesses, biological systems, 

behavior, and day-to-day functioning. Research conducted as part of the precision diagnostics 

effort will also focus on developing and testing quantitative, clinically relevant tools for use by 

clinicians in making treatment recommendations for individual patients, leading to better 

understanding and more effective treatments for mental illnesses.

COVID-19 risks for people with serious mental illness (SMI). As we learn more about COVID19 illness, recovery, and the effectiveness of vaccination, public health experts are turning their 

attention from the general public to those most at risk from infection. One major risk factor is 

SMI. Researchers have documented that people with SMI are not only more likely to get 

COVID-19 compared to the general population, they are also more likely to suffer from severe 

COVID-19, require hospitalization, and die. A recent study examining electronic health records 

and COVID-19 outcomes among American adults showed that adults with a recent diagnosis of 

depression or schizophrenia had a seven-fold increased likelihood of COVID-19 infection.29 

These individuals died at nearly twice the rate of those without a mental disorder, and the risks 

were even greater for African Americans with SMI. Additionally, although vaccines are a highly 

effective tool to mitigate COVID-19 risk, research shows that vaccinated people with SMI 

remain at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to vaccinated people without 

SMI.30 NIMH is supporting research to address urgent mental health research questions related 

to COVID-19, including broader secondary impacts of the pandemic as well as research on the 

intersection of mental health, COVID-19, and HIV.31 Research focused on vulnerable 

populations, including those who experienced disparities in health outcomes prior to the 

pandemic and report increased symptoms of mental illnesses during the pandemic, will be of 

great importance.

Novel approaches to eliminate HIV from the central nervous system. HIV attacks the immune 

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

New therapies to treat and cure HIV are difficult to develop as HIV can enter a dormant-like 

state in the brain, evading detection and treatment only to reactivate at a later date. In a new 

study supported by NIMH, researchers used exosomes, tiny nanoparticles capable of being taken 

up by cells, to deliver a novel HIV-repressing protein into the cells of mice infected with HIV.32 

The exosomes can cross the blood-brain barrier to enter into the brain, enabling the treatment to 

effectively target this notoriously hard-to-reach organ. When researchers administered this 

exosome-based treatment to mice infected with HIV, they found that the novel protein attached 

29 doi.org/10.1002/wps.20806 30 jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791033 31 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-22-112.html 32 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2021/researchers-use-exosome-based-strategy-to-block-hiv-in-mice
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to HIV’s genetic material and prevented it from replicating, resulting in reduced levels of HIV in 

the bone marrow, spleen, and brain. This innovative technology could be used in the future as a 

delivery method to treat various other diseases of the brain such as Parkinson’s disease, 

Alzheimer’s disease, and addiction.

Understanding the genetic basis of mental illnesses. Examining common genetic variations in 

the genomes (or complete set of DNA) of people with bipolar disorder is a way that scientists 

can hone in on the genetic factors that are likely to play a causal role in the disorder. In the 

largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of bipolar disorder to date, NIMH-funded 

researchers analyzed genomic data from participants across Europe, North America, and 

Australia, including over 40,000 individuals with bipolar disorder and over 370,000 individuals 

without bipolar disorder. The researchers identified common genetic variations that are more 

likely to occur in people with bipolar disorder — about twice as many genetic locations as 

reported in previous studies.33 The two diagnostic subtypes of bipolar disorder shared 

substantial but incomplete genetic overlap with each other, with one subtype showing a stronger 

genetic correlation with schizophrenia and the other subtype showing a stronger genetic 

correlation with major depressive disorder. The study also found genetic correlations between 

bipolar disorder and certain traits such as alcohol use, smoking, and sleep impairments. These 

and other genome-wide findings could help improve the understanding of the biological origins 

of bipolar disorder and suggest some genes promising for further research.

Identifying biomarkers for mental illnesses and neurodevelopmental disorders. NIMH supports 

a wide range of compelling science through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 

program.34 One area of NIMH-supported SBIR research that has become particularly interesting 

in recent years is biomarker development.35 As one example, NIMH is supporting a biomarker 

project focused on the early identification of ASD.36 This project aims to optimize a powerful 

brain imaging technique for easier and wider use by clinicians in real-world settings. In another 

project, NIMH-supported researchers are using a virtual reality-based tool to develop behavioral 

biomarkers of cognitive function in people with schizophrenia.37 By simulating everyday 

activities, this approach could help to ensure that new treatments aimed at improving cognition 

do so in ways that matter in the real world.

Understanding the functions of non-neuronal cell types. Glial cells (i.e., astrocytes, 

oligodendrocytes, and microglia) are cells in the central nervous system that support and 

complement the functions of neurons. For example, astrocytes may regulate cognitive functions 

by releasing gliotransmitters that activate hundreds of neuronal synapses at once. There are 

major gaps in the understanding of how neurons and glial cells function collectively, and 

neuroscience research to date has focused heavily on neurons. However, recent advances in 

technology have enabled powerful new experimental approaches to understanding glial cells, 

such as selectively expressing designer proteins in glial cells to precisely locate and count these 

33 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2021/genomic-data-from-more-than-41000-people-shed-new-lighton-bipolar-disorder 34 www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/sbir 35 nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2022/bringing-innovation-to-the-search-for-biomarkers 36 reporter.nih.gov/search/ePHCQuWIIEqh4I9Kq6Wj7w/project-details/9680324 37 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2022/bringing-innovation-to-the-search-for-biomarkers
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cells, record their activity, and manipulate their functions. NIMH is supporting research that 

combines these novel experimental approaches with computational modeling to rigorously test 

mechanistic hypotheses on how neurons and glia function together to enable cognition, emotion, 

and social behaviors.38 Advances in this area of research could provide new perspectives on how 

neuro-glia interactions enable complex behavior, and how they become altered in mental 

illnesses.

38 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-22-090.html
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 lnstitute's 

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

Director of NIMH

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.

In FY 2022, NIMH awarded grants to 98 

unique early-stage investigators and 209 

investigators with no other National 

Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding.

NIMH awarded 673 new and competing 

research project grants in FY 2022, with an 

estimated application success rate of 24 

percent.

The NIMH Intramural Research Program 

supports approximately 600 scientists, the 

majority of whom work on the NIH campus in 

Bethesda, Maryland.

The graph above shows NIMH's funding history in actual dollars and constant

FY 2016 dollars. The FY 2024 President's Budget request is $2.5 billion. Figures 

include funding provided through the 21st Century Cures Act.
Protecting youth mental health

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

-i'•==

The NIMH Office for Disparities 

Research and Workforce 

Diversity has developed a 

Strategic Framework to guide 

research to address and reduce 

mental health disparities among 

underserved and 

underrepresented youth by 

2031. The Framework 

encompasses three 

Components: addressing 

knowledge gaps and expanding

research opportunities;

extending and supporting stakeholder engagement; and,

growing the youth mental health disparities research 

workforce. Through 2031, NIMH may periodically update 

the Framework based on stakeholder feedback,

emerging challenges and opportunities, and research 

advances.

Precision Psychiatry Initiative

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 is launching the Precision Psychiatry Initiative, an 

ambitious research program that will address two parallel 

areas of need: biomarker development and precision 

diagnostics. The goal of the biomarker development

effort is to deliver highly sensitive and specific biomarkers 

to guide treatment decisions for major depression.

Meanwhile, the precision diagnostics effort will support 

studies that follow large (100,000+), diverse cohorts of 

individuals over time using novel behavioral and 

physiological methods to better predict patient prognosis 

and optimize treatment.

COVID-19 risks for people with serious mental illness (SMI)

As we learn more about COVID-19 illness and recovery 

and the effectiveness of vaccination, public health

experts are turning their attention from the general 

public to those most at risk from infection. One major 

risk factor is SMI. Researchers have documented that 

people with SMI are not only more likely to get

COVID-19 compared to the general population, they are 

also more likely to suffer from severe COVID-19, require

hospitalization, and die. NIMH is supporting research to

address urgent mental health research questions related 

to COVID-19, including broader secondary impacts of

the pandemic as well as research at the intersection of 

mental health, COVID-19, and HIV. Research focused on 

vulnerable populations, including those who

experienced disparities in health outcomes prior to the 

pandemic and report increased mental health symptoms 

and illness during the pandemic, will be of great 

importance.

Follow Us on 

Social Media

@NIMHgov
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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 2024 President’s Budget request for 

NIMH. The FY 2024 President’s Budget request is $2,541.7 million, an increase of $200.0 

million compared to the FY 2023 Enacted level. The request includes $86.0 million provided 

through the 21st Century Cures Act. 

Research Project Grants (+$127.1 million; total $1,745.5 million) 

NIMH expects to increase funding for non-competing Research Project Grants by $45.2 million 

to fund projects receiving competing awards in prior years. Competing Research Project Grants 

are expected to increase by 200 grants or $74.6 million. This increase is distributed across all 

programmatic areas and basic, translational, or clinical research. 

Research Centers (+$43.9 million; total $137.3 million) 

NIMH expects to increase funding for Research Centers by $43.9 million to support additional 

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

Centers supporting therapeutic and service delivery interventions. 

Other Research (+21.3 million; total $140.6 million)

NIMH expects to increase funding in Other Research – Other by $21.3 million to support 

coordinating research projects in support of the Precision Psychiatry Initiative. 

Intramural Research Programs (+$5.6 million; total $241.6 million) 

NIMH expects to increase funding for Intramural Research by $5.6 million, and will accelerate

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

Research Management and Support (+$2.2 million; total $109.5 million) 

NIMH expects to increase funding for Research Management and Support by $2.2 million and 

will continue to support the oversight and management of scientific programs critical to fulfilling

the Institute’s mission.
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BUDGET MECHANISM TABLE

Number Amount Number Amount Number Amount Number Amount

Research Projects:

Noncompeting 1,629 $941,126 1,756 $1,082,893 1,708 $1,128,104 -48 $45,211

Administrative Supplements (143) $18,680 (135) $17,840 (135) $17,840 (0) $0

Competing:

Renewal 60 $43,006 53 $37,454 54 $33,103 1 -$4,351

New 613 $468,859 575 $407,926 774 $486,917 199 $78,991

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

Subtotal, Competing 673 $511,865 628 $445,380 828 $520,020 200 $74,640

Subtotal, RPGs 2,302 $1,471,670 2,384 $1,546,113 2,536 $1,665,964 152 $119,851

SBIR/STTR 90 $68,560 98 $72,341 105 $79,544 7 $7,203

Research Project Grants 2,392 $1,540,231 2,482 $1,618,454 2,641 $1,745,508 159 $127,054

Research Centers

Specialized/Comprehensive 39 $82,676 43 $93,116 63 $137,028 20 $43,912

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

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

Comparative Medicine 0 $299 0 $299 0 $299 0 $0

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

Research Centers 39 $82,975 43 $93,415 63 $137,327 20 $43,912

Other Research:

Research Careers 379 $65,348 377 $65,083 377 $65,083 0 $0

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

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

Biomedical Research Support 3 $1,388 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0

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

Other 70 $53,548 66 $53,513 93 $74,766 27 $21,254

Other Research 452 $120,985 443 $119,297 470 $140,550 27 $21,254

Total Research Grants 2,883 $1,744,190 2,968 $1,831,165 3,174 $2,023,385 206 $192,220

Ruth L Kirschstein Training Awards: FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs

Individual Awards 282 $13,431 287 $13,687 281 $13,687 -6 $0

Institutional Awards 475 $29,739 524 $32,853 513 $32,853 -11 $0

Total Research Training 757 $43,169 811 $46,540 794 $46,540 -17 $0

Research & Develop. Contracts 128 $104,190 133 $120,594 133 $120,594 0 $0

SBIR/STTR (non-add) (0) ($715) (0) ($715) (0) ($721) (0) ($5)

Intramural Research 288 $226,553 300 $236,023 300 $241,613 0 $5,590

Res. Management & Support 291 $102,568 289 $107,331 297 $109,522 8 $2,191

SBIR Admin. (non-add) ($0) ($135) ($135) ($0)

Construction $0 $0 $0 $0

Buildings and Facilities $0 $0 $0 $0

Total, NIMH 579 $2,220,670 589 $2,341,653 597 $2,541,653 8 $200,000

 2 Of which $76.0 million in FY 2022, $225.0 million in FY 2023, and $86.0 million in FY 2024 is derived by transfer from the NIH Innovation Account under the 21st Century Cures Act.

 3 Includes 21st Century Cures Act funding not obligated in FY 2022 and carried into FY 2023.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Mechanism 1, 2

(Dollars in Thousands)

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

Mechanism FY 2022 Final3 FY 2023 Enacted FY 2024 President's 

Budget FY 2024 +/- FY 2023
NIMH-15

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, 

[$2,112,843,000]$2,455,653,000.

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, [$1,085,000,000] $407,000,000, 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-16 

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Summary of Changes

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2023 Enacted $2,341,653

FY 2024 President's Budget $2,541,653

Net change $200,000

FY 2023 Enacted FY 2024 President's

Budget

Built-In Change from

FY 2023 Enacted

CHANGES FTEs Budget

Authority FTEs BudgetAuthority FTEs Budget

Authority

A. Built-in:

1. Intramural Research:

a. Annualization of FY 2023 pay and benefits increase $83,162 $87,698 $923

b. FY 2024 pay and benefits increase $83,162 $87,698 $3,189

c. Paid days adjustment $83,162 $87,698 $320

d. Differences attributable to change in FTE $83,162 $87,698 $0

e. Payment for centrally furnished services $37,338 $38,223 $884

f. Cost of laboratory supplies, materials, other expenses, and

non-recurring costs $115,523 $115,692 $2,525

Subtotal $7,842

2. Research Management and Support:

a. Annualization of FY 2023 pay and benefits increase $52,275 $56,555 $578

b. FY 2024 pay and benefits increase $52,275 $56,555 $2,001

c. Paid days adjustment $52,275 $56,555 $201

d. Differences attributable to change in FTE $52,275 $56,555 $1,499

e. Payment for centrally furnished services $6,950 $7,062 $111

f. Cost of laboratory supplies, materials, other expenses, and

non-recurring costs $48,105 $45,905 $1,030

Subtotal $5,420

Subtotal, Built-in $13,262

FY 2023 Enacted FY 2024 President's

Budget

Program Change from

FY 2023 Enacted

CHANGES No. Amount No. Amount No. Amount

B. Program:

1. Research Project Grants:

a. Noncompeting 1,756 $1,100,733 1,708 $1,145,944 -48 $45,211

b. Competing 628 $445,380 828 $520,020 200 $74,640

c. SBIR/STTR 98 $72,341 105 $79,544 7 $7,203

Subtotal, RPGs 2,482 $1,618,454 2,641 $1,745,508 159 $127,054

2. Research Centers 43 $93,415 63 $137,327 20 $43,912

3. Other Research 443 $119,297 470 $140,550 27 $21,254

4. Research Training 811 $46,540 794 $46,540 -17 $0

5. Research and development contracts 133 $120,594 133 $120,594 0 $0

Subtotal, Extramural $1,998,299 $2,190,519 $192,220

6. Intramural Research 300 $236,023 300 $241,613 0 -$2,252

7. Research Management and Support 289 $107,331 297 $109,522 8 -$3,230

8. Construction $0 $0 $0

9. Buildings and Facilities $0 $0 $0

Subtotal, Program 589 $2,341,653 597 $2,541,653 8 $186,738

Total built-in and program changes $200,000
NIMH-17 

BUDGET GRAPHS

History of Budget Authority and FTEs: 

Distribution by Mechanism: 

Change by Selected Mechanisms:

2,046.9 2,102.5 2,220.7 2,341.7

2,541.7

Funding Levels by Fiscal Year (Dollars in Millions)

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

$3,000

548 567 579 589 597

FTEs by Fiscal Year

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Research Project

Grants

$1,745,508

69%

Research Centers

$137,327

5%

Other Research

$140,550

6%

Research Training

$46,540

2%

R&D Contracts

$120,594

5%

Intramural Research

$241,613

9%

RMS

$109,522

4%

FY 2024 Budget Mechanisms

(Dollars in Thousands)

7.85%

47.01%

17.82%

0.00%

0.00%

2.37%

2.04%

FY 2024 Estimated Percent Change from FY 2023 Mechanism

Research Project Grants

Research Centers

Other Research

Research Training

R&D Contracts

Intramural Research

RMS

0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00% 25.00% 30.00% 35.00% 40.00% 45.00% 50.00%
NIMH-18

ORGANIZATION CHART

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of Mental Health
NIMH-19 

BUDGET AUTHORITY BY ACTIVITY TABLE

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Authority by Activity *

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2022 Final FY 2023 Enacted FY 2024 President's

Budget

FY 2024 +/- FY

2023 Enacted

Extramural Research FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Detail

Neuroscience & Basic Behavioral Science $817,824 $873,490 $961,343 $87,853

Services & Intervention Research $239,362 $255,654 $271,245 $15,591

Translational Research $539,912 $576,662 $648,641 $71,979

AIDS Research $183,132 $173,598 $176,028 $2,430

Office of the Director $111,318 $118,895 $133,261 $14,366

Subtotal, Extramural $1,891,549 $1,998,299 $2,190,519 $192,220

Intramural Research 288 $226,553 300 $236,023 300 $241,613 0 $5,590

Research Management & Support 291 $102,568 289 $107,331 297 $109,522 8 $2,191

TOTAL 579 $2,220,670 589 $2,341,653 597 $2,541,653 8 $200,000

* Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund.
NIMH-20 

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 2022 

Final

FY 2023 

Enacted

FY 2024 

President's 

Budget

FY 2024 +/- 

FY 2023

BA $2,220,670,00 $2,341,653,000 $2,541,653,000 $200,000,000

FTE 579 589 597 +8

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

Contracts; Direct Federal/Intramural and Other.

Overall Budget Policy: The FY 2024 President’s Budget request is $2,541.7 million, an increase 

of $200.0 million or 8.5 percent compared to the FY 2023 Enacted level. The $200.0 million 

increase includes $20.0 million to increase studies of the social media impact on mental health, 

$50.0 million to support the Precision Psychiatric Initiative, and $130.0 million to accelerate 

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

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 nine offices: Office on AIDS; Office 

of Autism Research 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; Office of Science Policy, Planning, and 

Communications; and Office of Technology Development and Coordination. Each of the offices 

within the OD plays an important role in supporting the Institute. 

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,39 whose rates 

of suicide have risen sharply in recent years.40 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 

39 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-22-140.html 40 theactionalliance.org/sites/default/files/ring_the_alarm-_the_crisis_of_black_youth_suicide_in_america_copy.pdf
NIMH-21 

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 

2025.41 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 understand risk and 

resilience for mental illnesses in Asian 

American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific 

Islander subpopulations.42

Budget Policy: The FY 2024 President’s 

Budget request is $133.3 million, an increase 

of $14.4 million or 12.1 percent compared 

with the FY 2023 Enacted level. 

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 cooperation 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. Looking forward, DNBBS plans to support a broad, 

coordinated effort to understand how genetic alterations found in individuals with a mental 

illness act in brain cells to cause changes in cellular and circuit function and ultimately behavior. 

In addition, DNBBS will build on a portfolio of research to understand the development of brain 

circuits underlying cognitive, affective, and social behavior. 

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

percent-2025 42 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-22-175.html 43 hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-youth-mental-health-advisory.pdf 44 www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/concept-clearances/2022/understanding-socialmedia-and-youth-mental-health

Program Portrait – Social Media Impacts on 

Youth Mental Health. In December 2021, the 

U.S. Surgeon General issued an Advisory on 

Youth Mental Health, which highlighted the urgent 

need to address the nation’s youth mental health 

crisis.43 The advisory called special attention to 

the need for rigorous research on how youth 

engage with social media, gaming, and a wide 

variety of online images and content. As youth 

technology use has become ubiquitous, there is 

growing evidence that social media use can 

contribute to poor health outcomes, including risks 

to mental and behavioral health. Recognizing 

these risks, NIMH is working to identify research 

gaps and opportunities for understanding 

relationships among social media behavior, social 

media engagement, social context, and youth 

mental health.44 Evolving methods for digital data 

collection, including keystroke logging, image and 

voice analysis, GPS, and accelerometer data, as 

well as advances in bioinformatics and 

computational approaches, have made research 

on digital behaviors more tractable, and these 

methods are ready for use in social media 

research. Further insight is needed to understand 

the role of digital social interactions in youth social 

development and their contributions to risk and 

resilience for psychopathology, as well as how 

social media behaviors may interact with the 

efficacy and effectiveness of mental health 

interventions. The research spurred by this 

concept could lead to identification of risk and 

protective factors for social media use in youth that 

in turn could inform potential targets for novel and 

improved interventions.
NIMH-22 

Budget Policy: The FY 2024 President’s 

Budget request is $961.3 million, an increase 

of $87.9 million or 10.1 percent compared 

with the FY 2023 Enacted level. 

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. As 

such, DTR-supported research efforts may 

have intermediate-term impact and pave the 

way towards effective treatment and 

prevention for 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, NIMH and the 

Foundation for NIH launched a major public-private partnership to develop the tools that are 

needed for early therapeutic interventions for people at risk of developing schizophrenia and 

other outcomes of CHR associated with significant disability. 

45 www.cdc.gov/suicide 46 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10509346 47 www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/suicide/rates_1999_2017.htm 48 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10440864 49 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2021/adaptive-screener-may-help-identify-youth-at-risk-of-suicide 

Program Portrait – Suicide Prevention 

Research. Suicide is a major public health 

concern, claiming over 45,000 American lives in 

2020 alone.45 NIMH-funded researchers are 

developing and testing the effectiveness of 

service-ready tools to prevent suicide, including 

strategies to improve suicide risk detection. In one 

study, researchers are examining the effectiveness 

of a suicide risk model that combines data from 

health records and self-report screening 

questionnaires to improve risk detection among 

adults in three large healthcare systems.46 

Further, the researchers aim to provide 

implementation guidance so that the suicide risk 

model can be adopted and sustained in other 

healthcare and community settings.

Improving risk detection is particularly important for 

Black youth, as suicide rates are on the rise for 

these individuals.47 NIMH is supporting research 

to understand suicide risk and protective factors 

among Black youth, including research aimed at 

optimizing suicide risk detection and interventions. 

NIMH-funded researchers are testing the 

effectiveness of a systems-level approach, 

WeCare, to assessing and intervening in 

emergency departments with Black youth identified 

as being at risk for suicide.48 WeCare combines 

the NIMH-supported computerized adaptive screen 

for suicidal youth (CASSY) with Safe Alternative 

for Teens and Youth – Acute, a family-oriented 

suicide prevention intervention that includes Safety 

Planning, referral to outpatient mental health care, 

and culturally-adapted text messages to youth and 

caregivers across a 4-week period.49 A system of 

care that links Black youth at risk for suicide with 

quality mental health services has the potential to 

increase risk identification, treatment referral and 

engagement, and, in turn, reduce suicide.
NIMH-23 

The Accelerating Medicines Partnership® – Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ)50 brings together the 

NIH, the Food and Drug Administration, and numerous private and non-profit organizations to 

join forces in an unprecedented effort to prevent the development of schizophrenia and other 

outcomes of CHR. AMP SCZ seeks to achieve this goal by developing a set of validated 

biomarkers that can identify individuals at risk for schizophrenia, and identify novel targets for 

treatment development. This flagship study builds upon the successes of prior investments to 

identify biomarkers of risk for progression to schizophrenia, including the North American 

Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) which identified promising biomarkers of risk51,52 and 

developed a risk calculator to predict conversion to psychosis.53 In addition, DTR, in 

collaboration with the Department of Defense, private foundations, and industry, supports the 

Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA (AURORA) Study,54 a landmark study to 

understand the consequences of trauma, as well as research using advanced digital techniques, 

including natural language processing,55 machine learning, and predictive coding,56 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.57

Budget Policy: The FY 2024 President’s Budget request is $648.6 million, an increase of $72.0 

million or 12.5 percent compared with the FY 2023 Enacted level.

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. DSIR refines and evaluates interventions for 

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

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

research 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.

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 transformation of mental health care in the United 

50 nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-public-private-partnership-advance-early-interventions-schizophrenia 51 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33667856/ 52 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29971330/ 53 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048498/ 54 reporter.nih.gov/search/QtpvyVCzBkyTL5sHY0n5Fw/project-details/10019595 55 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30710497/ 56 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30389840/ 57 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-19-344.html
NIMH-24 

States (for additional details, see the above 

Program Portrait and Director’s Overview). 

A related Center program supports “PracticeBased Suicide Prevention Research Centers,” 

that address NIMH suicide prevention 

research priorities and goals to reduce the 

national suicide rate (for additional details, 

see the Director’s Overview).63,64

Budget Policy: The FY 2024 President’s 

Budget request is $271.2 million, an increase 

of $15.6 million or 6.1 percent compared 

with the FY 2023 Enacted level. 

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 

Research65 and the HHS National HIV/AIDS 

Strategy.66 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 

understand, prevent, and treat the 

neurological and mental disorders associated 

with living 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 

58 www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/advanced-laboratories-for-acceleratingthe-reach-and-impact-of-treatments-for-youth-and-adults-with-mental-illness-alacrity 59 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-20-293.html 60 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-mh-19-150.html 61 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-20-205.html 62 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-19-151.html 63 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-20-286.html 64 www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/practice-based-suicide-preventionresearch-centers 65 oar.nih.gov/hiv-policy-and-research/strategic-plan 66 www.hiv.gov/blog/hhs-and-the-national-hivaids-strategy

Program Portrait – Improving the Quality of 

Services for Serious Mental Illness. The 

Advanced Laboratories for Accelerating the Reach 

and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults 

with Mental Illness (ALACRITY) Research Center 

program aims to support innovative research ideas 

and transdisciplinary collaborations that could 

transform the care of children, adolescents, and 

adults with severe psychiatric disorders.58,59 

ALACRITY-funded researchers seek to increase 

the effectiveness of existing interventions; improve 

the delivery and quality of evidence-based 

services; and accelerate the implementation and 

continuous improvement of new practices among 

key populations and in diverse health care 

settings. Since 2020, NIMH has begun funding six 

new ALACRITY Centers, which focus on a range 

of populations and settings.

The Early Psychosis Intervention Network 

(EPINET) is a learning health system for early 

psychosis, aimed at enhancing effective 

coordinated specialty care delivery to people with 

symptoms of early psychosis, and promoting new 

research to improve diagnosis, interventions, and 

outcomes in the early stages of serious mental 

illness. EPINET’s eight scientific hubs, which 

include more than 100 coordinated specialty care 

clinics in 17 states, and its National Data 

Coordinating Center, support practice-based 

research to improve early identification, diagnosis, 

clinical assessment, intervention effectiveness, 

service delivery, and health outcomes in clinics 

offering evidence-based specialty care to persons 

in the early stages of psychotic illness.60,61,62 

Through coordinated efforts including the use of 

common data elements, data sharing, and a 

unified informatics approach, EPINET’s research 

network aims to drive continuous improvement and 

innovation in care delivery and scientific discovery.
NIMH-25 

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 providing a protective reservoir 

for 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 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 

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

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

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

Budget Policy: The FY 2024 President’s Budget request is $176.0 million, an increase of $2.4 

million or 1.4 percent compared with the FY 2023 Enacted 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 

imaging (fMRI)67 and exploring advanced computational methods to evaluate brain function and 

mental illnesses. The IRP supports research to combine neuroimaging and recording modalities 

such as fMRI and electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography and EEG, and 

simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET)-MRI. Many IRP researchers use fMRI 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. For example, 

researchers are combining fMRI with electrophysiological techniques in an animal model to 

understand how the brain recognizes faces, which is relevant to social anxiety and autism.68 

IRP investigators have contributed to the NIMH Healthy Research Volunteer Dataset, an indepth and reliable collection of phenotypic clinical data, including blood and urine assays, five 

different modes of neuroimaging, mental health assessments, cognitive functioning, and more.69 

Sharing this dataset in publicly available repositories, which will be added to regularly, will 

facilitate new secondary research questions and increase the scientific yield from this intramural 

effort. IRP scientists are also exploring novel medications and other treatments for depression in 

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

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and next generation seizure therapy. Using clinical 

assessments, brain imaging, and sleep studies, these researchers aim to better understand 

67 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34974114/ 68 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36044550/ 69 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36008415/
NIMH-26 

suicide.70 IRP researchers also developed the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool for 

use among both youth and adults, and they continue to validate the tool in different languages, 

health systems, and settings, including a clinical pathway for suicide screening in adult primary 

care settings.71,72

Budget Policy: The FY 2024 President’s Budget request is $241.6 million, an increase of $5.6 

million or 2.4 percent compared with the FY 2023 Enacted level.

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. 

Through RMS activities, NIMH continues to provide accountability and administrative support 

for meritorious basic, clinical, and translational research and continues to 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;73 highlighted the new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline;74 and, 

co-hosted a Facebook Live event with the National Institute on Drug Abuse on the intersection 

of suicide and substance use.75 Information is presented in plain language and suitable for a lay 

audience, and many materials are available in Spanish language to reach a broader audience. 

Budget Policy: The FY 2024 President’s Budget request is $109.5 million, an increase of $2.2 

million or 2.0 percent compared with the FY 2023 Enacted level. 

70 clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02543983 71 www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/asq-toolkit-materials 72 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35618222/ 73 www.nimh.nih.gov/get-involved/digital-shareables/shareable-resources-on-suicide-prevention 74 988lifeline.org/ 75 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/events/announcements/facebook-live-the-intersection-of-suicide-and-substance-use
NIMH-27 

APPROPRIATIONS HISTORY

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Appropriations History

Fiscal Year Budget Estimate

to Congress

House

Allowance

Senate

Allowance Appropriation

2015 $1,440,076,000 $1,463,036,000

Rescission $0

2016 $1,489,417,000 $1,512,401,000 $1,520,260,000 $1,548,390,000

Rescission $0

2017 1 $1,518,673,000 $1,599,747,000 $1,619,537,000 $1,601,931,000

Rescission $0

2018 2 $1,244,901,000 $1,668,461,000 $1,724,568,000 $1,754,775,000

Rescission $0

2019 2 $1,612,192,000 $1,790,231,000 $1,871,250,000 $1,870,296,000

Rescission $0

2020 2 $1,630,422,000 $1,961,704,000 $2,076,244,000 $2,038,374,000

Rescission $0

2021 2 $1,844,865,000 $2,060,303,000 $2,139,491,000 $2,103,708,000

Rescission $0

2022 2 $2,213,574,000 $2,223,085,000 $2,218,900,000 $2,216,976,000

Rescission $0

2023 2 $2,210,828,000 $2,428,775,000 $2,332,672,000 $2,337,843,000

Rescission $0

2024 2 $2,541,653,000

1 Budget Estimate to Congress includes mandatory financing.

2 Includes funds derived by transfer from the NIH Innovation Account under the 21st Century Cures Act.
NIMH-28

AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Authorizing Legislation

PHS Act/

Other Citation

U.S. Code

Citation

2023 Amount

Authorized

FY 2023 Enacted 2024 Amount

Authorized

FY 2024 President's

Budget

Research and Investigation Section 301 42§241 Indefinite Indefinite

$2,341,653,000 $2,541,653,000

National Institute of Mental

Health Section 401(a) 42§281 Indefinite Indefinite

Total, Budget Authority $2,341,653,000 $2,541,653,000
NIMH-29 

AMOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR OBLIGATION

Source of Funding FY 2022 Final FY 2023 

Enacted

FY 2024 

President's 

Budget

Appropriation $2,216,976 $2,337,843 $2,541,653

OAR HIV/AIDS Transfers $3,694 $3,810 $0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $2,220,670 $2,341,653 $2,541,653

Unobligated balance, start of year $2,338 $10,270 $0

Unobligated balance, end of year (carryover) -$10,270 $0 $0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $2,212,738 $2,351,923 $2,541,653

Unobligated balance lapsing -$18 $0 $0

Total obligations $2,212,720 $2,351,923 $2,541,653

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

 FY 2022 - $6,871 FY 2023 - $10,050 FY 2024 - $10,050

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Amounts Available for Obligation 1

(Dollars in Thousands)
NIMH-30 

BUDGET AUTHORITY BY OBJECT CLASS

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Authority by Object Class 1

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2023 Enacted FY 2024 President's

Budget FY 2024 +/- FY 2023

Total compensable workyears:

Full-time equivalent 589 597 8

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

Average ES salary $212 $217 $5

Average GM/GS grade 13.0 13.0 0.0

Average GM/GS salary $133 $137 $4

Average salary, Commissioned Corps (42 U.S.C. 207) $0 $0 $0

Average salary of ungraded positions $140 $146 $6

OBJECT CLASSES FY 2023 Enacted FY 2024 President's

Budget

FY 2024 +/- FY 2023

Personnel Compensation

11.1 Full-Time Permanent $57,013 $61,153 $4,141

11.3 Other Than Full-Time Permanent $27,618 $29,124 $1,506

11.5 Other Personnel Compensation $3,206 $3,380 $175

11.7 Military Personnel $0 $0 $0

11.8 Special Personnel Services Payments $14,351 $15,133 $783

11.9 Subtotal Personnel Compensation $102,187 $108,791 $6,605

12.1 Civilian Personnel Benefits $33,251 $35,461 $2,211

12.2 Military Personnel Benefits $0 $0 $0

13.0 Benefits to Former Personnel $0 $0 $0

Subtotal Pay Costs $135,437 $144,253 $8,815

21.0 Travel & Transportation of Persons $1,283 $1,256 -$27

22.0 Transportation of Things $259 $256 -$3

23.1 Rental Payments to GSA $0 $0 $0

23.2 Rental Payments to Others $2 $2 $0

23.3 Communications, Utilities & Misc. Charges $1,118 $1,081 -$37

24.0 Printing & Reproduction $3 $3 $0

25.1 Consulting Services $88,602 $88,188 -$415

25.2 Other Services $52,422 $50,660 -$1,762

25.3 Purchase of Goods and Services from Government

Accounts $150,722 $152,142 $1,419

25.4 Operation & Maintenance of Facilities $860 $845 -$14

25.5 R&D Contracts $16,985 $16,979 -$6

25.6 Medical Care $37 $37 $0

25.7 Operation & Maintenance of Equipment $4,633 $4,569 -$64

25.8 Subsistence & Support of Persons $0 $0 $0

25.0 Subtotal Other Contractual Services $314,260 $313,419 -$841

26.0 Supplies & Materials $5,250 $5,207 -$42

31.0 Equipment $4,845 $4,769 -$76

32.0 Land and Structures $1,476 $1,469 -$7

33.0 Investments & Loans $0 $0 $0

41.0 Grants, Subsidies & Contributions $1,877,705 $2,069,925 $192,220

42.0 Insurance Claims & Indemnities $0 $0 $0

43.0 Interest & Dividends $15 $14 -$1

44.0 Refunds $0 $0 $0

Subtotal Non-Pay Costs $2,206,216 $2,397,400 $191,185

Total Budget Authority by Object Class $2,341,653 $2,541,653 $200,000 1 Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund.
NIMH-31 

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Salaries and Expenses

(Dollars in Thousands)

Object Classes FY 2023

Enacted

FY 2024

President's

Budget

FY 2024 +/- FY

2023

Personnel Compensation

Full-Time Permanent (11.1) $57,013 $61,153 $4,141

Other Than Full-Time Permanent (11.3) $27,618 $29,124 $1,506

Other Personnel Compensation (11.5) $3,206 $3,380 $175

Military Personnel (11.7) $0 $0 $0

Special Personnel Services Payments (11.8) $14,351 $15,133 $783

Subtotal, Personnel Compensation (11.9) $102,187 $108,791 $6,605

Civilian Personnel Benefits (12.1) $33,251 $35,461 $2,211

Military Personnel Benefits (12.2) $0 $0 $0

Benefits to Former Personnel (13.0) $0 $0 $0

Subtotal Pay Costs $135,437 $144,253 $8,815

Travel & Transportation of Persons (21.0) $1,283 $1,256 -$27

Transportation of Things (22.0) $259 $256 -$3

Rental Payments to Others (23.2) $2 $2 $0

Communications, Utilities & Misc. Charges

(23.3) $1,118 $1,081 -$37

Printing & Reproduction (24.0) $3 $3 $0

Other Contractual Services

Consultant Services (25.1) $54,980 $55,392 $412

Other Services (25.2) $52,422 $50,660 -$1,762

Purchase of Goods and Services from

Government Accounts (25.3) $89,263 $89,030 -$234

Operation & Maintenance of Facilities (25.4) $860 $845 -$14

Operation & Maintenance of Equipment (25.7) $4,633 $4,569 -$64

Subsistence & Support of Persons (25.8) $0 $0 $0

Subtotal Other Contractual Services $202,157 $200,496 -$1,662

Supplies & Materials (26.0) $5,250 $5,207 -$42

Subtotal Non-Pay Costs $210,072 $208,301 -$1,771

Total Administrative Costs $345,509 $352,553 $7,044
NIMH-32 

DETAIL OF FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT EMPLOYMENT (FTE)

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE)

Office

FY 2022 Final FY 2023 Enacted FY 2024 President's Budget

Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total

Division of Extramural Activities

Direct: 45 - 45 45 - 45 45 - 45

Total: 45 - 45 45 - 45 45 - 45

Division of Translational Research

Direct: 31 - 31 31 - 31 34 - 34

Total: 31 - 31 31 - 31 34 - 34

Office of the Director

Direct: 142 - 142 140 - 140 140 - 140

Reimbursable: 10 - 10 10 - 10 10 - 10

Total: 152 - 152 150 - 150 150 - 150

Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral

Science

Direct: 30 - 30 30 - 30 33 - 33

Total: 30 - 30 30 - 30 33 - 33

Division of AIDS Research

Direct: 17 - 17 17 - 17 17 - 17

Total: 17 - 17 17 - 17 17 - 17

Division of Services and Intervention Research

Direct: 16 - 16 16 - 16 18 - 18

Total: 16 - 16 16 - 16 18 - 18

Division of Intramural Research Programs

Direct: 288 - 288 300 - 300 300 - 300

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 288 - 288 300 - 300 300 - 300

Total 579 - 579 589 - 589 597 - 597

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

FTEs supported by funds from Cooperative Research

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

FISCAL YEAR Average GS Grade

2020 12.8

2021 12.9

2022 13.0

2023 13.0

2024 13.0
NIMH-33 

DETAIL OF POSITIONS

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Detail of Positions 1

GRADE FY 2022 Final FY 2023 Enacted

FY 2024

President's Budget

Total, ES Positions 1 1 1

Total, ES Salary $203,700 $212,103 $216,928

General Schedule

GM/GS-15 81 87 87

GM/GS-14 81 87 91

GM/GS-13 120 129 133

GS-12 88 94 94

GS-11 25 27 27

GS-10 0 0 0

GS-9 23 25 25

GS-8 4 4 4

GS-7 2 2 2

GS-6 0 0 0

GS-5 0 0 0

GS-4 1 1 1

GS-3 2 2 2

GS-2 0 0 0

GS-1 0 0 0

Subtotal 427 458 466

Commissioned Corps (42 U.S.C.

207)

Assistant Surgeon General 0 0 0

Director Grade 0 0 0

Senior Grade 0 0 0

Full Grade 0 0 0

Senior Assistant Grade 0 0 0

Assistant Grade 0 0 0

Subtotal 0 0 0

Ungraded 181 181 181

Total permanent positions 430 430 430

Total positions, end of year 609 640 648

Total full-time equivalent (FTE)

employment, end of year

579 589 597

Average ES salary $203,700 $212,103 $216,928

Average GM/GS grade 13.0 13.0 13.0

Average GM/GS salary $128,298 $132,662 $136,581

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