National 

Institute of 

Mental Health

CONGRESSIONAL JUSTIFICATION 

FY 2023

Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health
[THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
NIMH-1

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

FY 2023 Budget Table of Contents

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

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

Major Changes in the Budget Request ........................................................................................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...................................................................................................21

Appropriations History................................................................................................................28

Authorizing Legislation...............................................................................................................29

Amounts Available for Obligation ..............................................................................................30

Budget Authority by Object Class...............................................................................................31

Salaries and Expenses..................................................................................................................32

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE)...................................................................33

Detail of Positions .......................................................................................................................34
NIMH-2

[THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK] 
NIMH-3

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 51.5 million adults suffer from a mental 

illness, which may be significantly impairing and life-threatening.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 in 2019.2 

One of the most tragic outcomes of untreated mental illness is suicide. 

Suicide accounted for the loss of over 47,500 American lives in 2019 

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

aged 10-34, and the tenth leading cause of death overall.3

NIMH supports a diverse portfolio of basic, translational, and clinical research, with the potential 

to improve clinical care over the short, medium, and long-term. NIMH is also expanding 

investment in global mental health research through the NIMH Center for Global Mental Health 

Research (CGMHR). CGMHR supports mental health research in low-resource settings 

worldwide in order to accelerate and enrich scientific advancements while helping to reduce 

mental health disparities globally and domestically. In the summer of 2021, NIMH published an 

annual update to its Strategic Plan for Research,4 which continues to emphasize investments in 

the research workforce and research on mental health disparities, while also highlighting new 

efforts, such as the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® in Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ) and 

research on the mental health impacts of COVID-19. NIMH also developed a companion 

Progress Report,5 which highlights significant accomplishments made during FY 2020 toward 

achieving the goals described in the Strategic Plan. Updating the plan on an annual basis enables 

NIMH to adapt to new challenges and needs as they arise in order to maintain the relevance, 

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

Responding to Emerging Mental Health Needs

Rapid-Acting Interventions for Severe Suicide Risk. Despite advances in the treatment of 

depression and other serious mental illnesses, there remain few evidence-based interventions that 

rapidly reduce suicide risk within health care settings. NIMH is supporting eight new research 

projects that focus on testing the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of several of the newest 

antidepressant interventions – intravenous ketamine and intranasal esketamine (medications 

1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Key substance use and mental health 

indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication 

No. PEP20-07-01-001, NSDUH Series H-55). Rockville, MD: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from www.samhsa.gov/data/ 2 Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool accessed October 2021. 3 CDC, NCIPC. WISQARS: www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html accessed October 2021. 4 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports 5 www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/about/strategic-planning-reports/SP2020-ProgressReportFINAL.pdf

Joshua A. 

Gordon, M.D., 

Ph.D. 

Director of 

NIMH
NIMH-4

known to rapidly reduce depressive symptoms in hours or days)6 as well as transcranial magnetic 

stimulation (TMS; a noninvasive treatment which uses magnets to activate specific parts of the 

brain) – to rapidly reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adults and adolescents.7

 For 

example, NIMH-funded researchers are investigating whether cognitive behavioral therapy can 

extend the effects of intranasal esketamine in reducing suicidality in people with major 

depressive disorder who are hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt.8

 Identifying 

and developing rapid-acting treatments may help “jumpstart” recovery and could reduce the 

likelihood of repeated hospitalizations and self-harming thoughts and behaviors.

Understanding and Mitigating the Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19. The COVID-19 

pandemic is an enormous source of stress and anxiety for many, both from the loss of loved ones 

and from the loss of economic, food, and housing security. Research to understand and mitigate 

the impacts of the pandemic on mental health remain a high priority for NIMH. For example, as 

part of a larger study on temperament and socioemotional development, researchers in the NIMH 

Intramural Research Program (IRP) examined data from individuals who had been followed 

from toddlerhood to young adulthood, and they were able to identify early risk factors that 

predicted heightened anxiety in young adults during the pandemic.9

 NIMH has also been 

involved in several NIH-wide efforts, including the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Impacts of 

COVID-19 Working Group, which supports research focused on the secondary effects of the 

pandemic, such as financial hardship, reduced access to health care, and school closures.10 In 

addition, NIMH continues to engage directly with the public to help mitigate the mental health 

impacts of the pandemic by providing numerous messages and shareable resources on coping 

with trauma in general and the COVID-19 pandemic in particular.11,12 Through these research 

and outreach efforts, NIMH aims to support mental health during this pandemic, and also to 

prepare for future public health emergencies.

Addressing Mental Health Disparities. Individuals from racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender 

minority groups, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, and underserved rural 

populations experience striking mental health disparities in burden of illness, access and 

engagement in care, and recovery. To make progress towards the Institute’s vision of a world in 

which mental illnesses are prevented and cured, health disparities must be addressed. NIMH 

issued two requests for information (RFIs) on innovative research strategies and priorities to 

improve mental health outcomes and reduce or eliminate mental health disparities in affected 

populations. Stakeholders were asked to provide input on a number of topics, including novel 

engagement strategies and culturally and linguistically appropriate service delivery approaches,13

6 www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-nasal-spray-medication-treatment-resistantdepression-available-only-certified 7 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2021/nimh-addresses-critical-need-for-rapid-acting-interventions-forsevere-suicide-risk 8 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10115267 9 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2021/study-identifies-risk-factors-for-elevated-anxiety-in-young-adultsduring-covid-19-pandemic 10 covid19.nih.gov/news-and-stories/covid19-ripple-effects 11 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/coping-with-traumatic-events 12 www.nimh.nih.gov/get-involved/education-awareness/shareable-resources-on-coping-with-covid-19 13 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-20-073.html
NIMH-5

as well as approaches tailored to underserved rural populations.14 An essential element in 

promoting equity is to build a valid evidence base to ensure effective treatment and care. This 

requires an inclusive environment where populations with health disparities are represented in 

basic, translational, effectiveness, and services research studies. Furthermore, a diverse 

biomedical research workforce is needed to advance scientific progress and capitalize on 

innovative ideas and distinct perspectives that have the potential to improve health disparities 

research. In efforts to dismantle structural racism in policies and practices, the Institute is 

examining the composition of its applicant and awardee pools.15 Additionally, the NIMH 

Extramural Review Branch is working to develop strategies that enhance the diversity of 

perspectives among reviewers, and plans to join the NIH Center for Scientific Review’s ongoing 

efforts to identify and eliminate any potential systemic biases that could lead to disparities in 

grant application scores. NIMH also continues to expand training, mentoring, and career 

advancement opportunities for basic, translational, and clinical researchers across a range of 

career stages and from diverse backgrounds who can provide broad and unique perspectives to 

pressing research questions.

Expanding Access to Resources for Early Psychosis Treatment and Research. Psychosis 

encompasses a group of conditions that affect the brain and involve some loss of contact with 

reality. Each year, about 100,000 youth and young adults in the United States experience a first 

episode of psychosis (or early psychosis).16 Left untreated, early psychotic symptoms can 

disrupt school, work, and social relations, as well as lead to greater risk of additional problems 

such as developing a substance use disorder, having legal trouble, or becoming homeless. 

However, effective early interventions, such as coordinated specialty care (CSC), are available. 

CSC promotes shared decision-making and leverages a team of specialists to work with 

individuals on personal treatment plans.17 NIMH-funded researchers established the 

effectiveness of CSC for early psychosis, with better clinical and functional outcomes for multidisciplinary, person-centered treatment compared to usual care.18 In recent years, CSC programs 

have been established and expanded across the United States. To build on this momentum, the 

NIMH-supported Early Psychosis Intervention Network (EPINET)19 is a research initiative 

aimed at enhancing effective CSC delivery to people with symptoms of early psychosis, and 

promoting new research to improve diagnosis, interventions, and outcomes in early serious 

mental illness. EPINET continues to grow. Its national network of research hubs now includes 

17 states with 101 clinics that provide CSC, and a national data coordinating center that supports 

and integrates the work of these hubs and clinics.20 EPINET has also launched a new web 

portal, a key feature of which is the EPINET Core Assessment Battery that clinicians can use to 

assesses key domains of early psychosis, recovery, and treatment.21 EPINET’s coordinated 

14 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-21-190.html 15 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2021/nimh-directors-statement-our-commitment-to-ending-structuralracism-in-biomedical-research 16 www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/raise/raise-questions-and-answers 17 www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/raise/raise-questions-and-answers#11 18 www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26481174/ 19 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2019/nih-announces-funding-awards-for-national-early-psychosislearning-community 20 www.nationalepinet.org/ 21 www.nationalepinet.org/core-assessment-battery-cab/
NIMH-6

effort may accelerate advances in early psychosis care, recovery outcomes, and scientific 

discovery in real-world, community-based settings.

Translating Technologies into Mental Health Therapeutics

The Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ) program. Schizophrenia 

is a serious mental illness that is associated with significant health, social, and economic 

concerns. Schizophrenia is one of the 15 leading causes of disability worldwide and individuals 

with the disorder are at increased risk of premature death relative to the general population.22

Detection and intervention before psychosis develops, when individuals are at clinical high risk 

for psychosis, could postpone or even prevent the transition to psychosis and improve 

individuals’ clinical and functional outcomes. To support efforts in developing early-stage 

interventions for patients who are at risk of developing schizophrenia, NIMH launched the 

Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ) program in collaboration 

with the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug 

Administration, and multiple public and private partners.23,24 NIMH is currently supporting 

three research projects as part of the AMP® SCZ program. The Trajectories and Predictors in 

the Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Population: Prediction Scientific Global Consortium 

(PRESCIENT) grant and the Psychosis-Risk Outcomes Network (ProNET) grant will support the 

development of a 42-site, international research network.25,26 The Psychosis Risk Evaluation, 

Data Integration, and Computational Technologies (PREDICT): Data Processing, Analysis, and 

Coordination Center will serve as a coordinating hub for data aggregation, analysis, and sharing 

via the NIMH Data Archive.27 Researchers will assess individuals at clinical high risk for 

psychosis over a period of two years using measures of symptoms, brain structure and function, 

genomics, blood-based markers, cognition, speech samples, and data collection from digital 

devices. The overall aims of AMP® SCZ are to develop tools to predict individual outcomes, 

including the identification of biomarkers; to establish a global research network with an 

accessible data repository; and to help researchers design better clinical trials that may lead to 

early-stage interventions for individuals who are at risk of developing schizophrenia.

Using Mobile Technology to Improve Care for Teens with Depression. Mobile technology 

platforms have enormous potential to substantially improve and expand access to mental health 

services. In a project funded by the NIMH Small Business Technology Transfer program, 

researchers are investigating whether smartphone technology can be used to develop a passive 

monitoring system that can predict teens’ depressive symptoms and report to their parents and 

care team, thereby improving the availability and quality of care.28 By making symptom 

monitoring a part of routine medical care, the goal is that these new technologies will help 

22 www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/schizophrenia 23 www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/accelerating-medicines-partnershipschizophrenia-amp-scz 24 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2020/nimh-part-of-collaborative-effort-to-advance-earlyintervention-for-individuals-at-risk-of-developing-schizophrenia 25 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10092863 26 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10093852 27 reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10092398 28 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2020/using-mobile-technology-to-improve-care-for-teens-withdepression
NIMH-7

improve teens’ depressive symptoms and overall functioning, decrease their need for acute and 

crisis services, and stem the demand for more intensive mental health services.

Early Detection and Personalized Interventions for Individuals with Autism. Because early 

treatment is so critical for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), efforts have been made 

to try to reduce the age of diagnosis by universally screening all children for signs of ASD. As 

part of these efforts, NIMH is partnering with other NIH Institutes to support seven research 

projects aimed at developing and validating screening tools to detect signs of ASD before 12 

months of age.29 NIMH also supports research to improve the treatment of autism through the 

Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT).30 This multisite study has 

enrolled children ages 6 to 11 with and without ASD, with the goal of developing biomarkers –

specifically, patterns of brain activity or eye movement – that could be used to separate 

individuals with ASD into distinct subgroups for clinical trials, ultimately leading to more 

predictive and personalized treatment.31

Adaptive Screener May Help Identify Youth at Risk of Suicide. Suicide rates for youth have risen 

over the past 2 decades in the United States: in 2019, approximately 6,488 youth ages 10 to 24 

died by suicide.32 Improved suicide risk detection through effective screening in health care 

settings is a key strategy to save lives. NIMH-supported researchers developed the 

Computerized Adaptive Screen for Suicidal Youth (CASSY) to increase suicide risk screening 

efficiency and precision among youth admitted to emergency departments for any reason.33 The 

tablet-administered CASSY relies on computerized adaptive testing technology, which uses an 

iterative algorithm to tailor the sequence of approximately 11 screening questions based on 

previous responses from the individual being screened. CASSY correctly identified 82.4 percent 

of youth who went on to attempt suicide in the three months following screening. The results 

suggest that CASSY is a valuable tool for identifying at-risk youth and may help emergency 

personnel link individuals to mental health and suicide prevention services. Moving forward, it 

will be important for researchers to collaborate with emergency personnel to identify optimal 

screening implementation strategies, particularly in low-resource settings.

Accelerating the Basic Understanding of Mental Illnesses

From Brain Mechanisms to Novel Therapies: Understanding and Treating Eating Disorders. 

Millions of Americans suffer from eating disorders, serious illnesses that cause severe 

disturbances in a person’s eating behaviors and sometimes death.34 NIMH continues to support 

research aimed at improving the understanding of eating disorders, developing new treatments, 

and improving the efficacy and availability of existing treatments.35 In a series of NIMH-funded 

studies, investigators have discovered differences in the reward signaling circuitry of the brain 

29 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2020/supporting-the-development-of-early-autism-screening-tools 30 fnih.org/what-we-do/biomarkers-consortium/programs/autism-biomarkers 31 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2020/testing-and-refining-biomarkers-to-support-interventionresearch-for-children-with-autism 32 www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html 33 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2021/adaptive-screener-may-help-identify-youth-at-risk-of-suicide 34 www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders 35 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2021/from-brain-mechanisms-to-novel-therapies-understanding-andtreating-eating-disorders
NIMH-8

among individuals with anorexia nervosa compared to healthy control subjects.36,37 These 

differences could explain how maladaptive food avoidance behaviors arise in individuals 

diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, informing efforts to develop new treatments to prevent or 

reverse maladaptive food choice behaviors.38,39 Other NIMH-supported researchers are focused 

on improving existing interventions – for example, by leveraging digital technology to connect 

individuals with eating disorders to mental health services and support networks in real time,40,41

and by modifying cognitive behavioral therapy to more specifically target binge-eating 

disorder.42 Additionally, NIMH supports a large-scale genomics research project across three 

different eating disorder diagnoses, with the goal of better understanding the basic mechanisms –

both shared and unique – underlying risk, outcomes, and connection to metabolic factors.43

NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative Cell 

Census Network (BICCN). The human brain, with its nearly 100 billion neurons and nearly 100 

trillion connections, is arguably the most complex object in the known universe.44 A critical step 

toward unraveling this complexity is to catalogue how many and what types of cells make up the 

brain. Focused on exactly this challenge, the BICCN is a collaboration of over 250 NIHsupported scientists at nearly 50 institutions across three continents.45 Recently the BICCN 

began publishing data derived from genetic analysis of 450,000 cells from the motor cortex of

mice, monkeys, and humans.46 The data collected through this effort are available to all 

scientists through the BICCN Data Inventory.47 Already these data are enabling significant 

advances in our understanding of the locations and functions of the cell types, the differences and 

similarities among species, and the accuracy of the technologies used to acquire the data.48

Understanding Abnormal Neural Function in a Rare Genetic Disorder. Major advances in 

genetics research have accelerated progress toward understanding the genetic determinants of 

mental illnesses. For example, NIMH-supported researchers are studying tissue donated by 

people with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (a genetic disorder caused by the deletion of a piece of 

genetic material at location q11.2 on chromosome 22) in an effort to better manage the 

psychiatric effects associated with this rare genetic condition, which include significantly 

elevated risks for ASD and psychosis.49 The researchers recently discovered how 22q11.2 

deletion syndrome impacts the brain at the level of individual neurons, and demonstrated that the 

abnormalities in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome neurons could be partially restored by re-introducing 

36 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26457555/ 37 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28231717/ 38 reporter.nih.gov/search/00FFC5M4aUaD_UormL30YQ/project-details/9805065 39 reporter.nih.gov/search/Yjhumy3a1ka9fvLtxs-QWA/project-details/9917857 40 reporter.nih.gov/search/SXbl2ZEKsk-IhNNJWdt3qw/project-details/9955368 41 reporter.nih.gov/search/30XS75iUuEuc2eRIAkqCBQ/project-details/10085684 42 reporter.nih.gov/search/oYAe6oEOgE6ZuIRNdv8qLw/project-details/9984537 43 reporter.nih.gov/search/bP-DZ7IpRU6iyrBOfs8qjg/project-details/10096423 44 braininitiative.nih.gov/about/overview 45 braininitiative.nih.gov/brain-programs/cell-census-network-biccn 46 www.nature.com/nature/volumes/598/issues/7879 47 www.biccn.org/data 48 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2021/a-milestone-in-mapping-the-brain 49 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2020/nih-funded-study-sheds-light-on-abnormal-neural-function-in-raregenetic-disorder
NIMH-9

one of the deleted genes. This progress in understanding neuronal development could help to 

identify new therapeutic approaches for 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, and is emblematic of 

NIMH’s larger goal to uncover the exact mechanisms linking genes to mental illnesses.

Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) at 10 Years. Traditionally, mental illnesses have been 

conceptualized as disorders that are diagnosed based on the number and type of symptoms, and 

the presence of distress or impairment. This approach presents several obstacles to 

understanding the development and treatment of mental illnesses – for example, the problem of 

heterogeneity, when two people are diagnosed with the same illness despite having few 

symptoms in common. Recognizing these obstacles, in 2010 NIMH launched the RDoC 

initiative: a flexible research framework focused on understanding the basic biological, 

emotional, and cognitive processes that lead to mental health and illness, unconstrained by 

traditional diagnostic categories.50 In its first 10 years, the RDoC transdiagnostic, dimensional 

approach has changed the conversation in mental health research, accelerating discovery of the 

neurobiology underlying mental illnesses, and highlighting the need for precision-medicine 

approaches.51 In the next 10 years, NIMH aims to build on this momentum by developing new 

tools and larger datasets with which to test and refine the RDoC framework, ultimately paving 

the way to precision psychiatry.52

50 www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/rdoc/about-rdoc 51 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2020/rdoc-at-ten-years-part-1 52 www.nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2020/rdoc-at-ten-years-part-2-the-next-ten-years
NIMH-10

[THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK] 
NIMH-11
NIMH-12
NIMH-13

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 2023 President’s Budget request for 

NIMH. The FY 2023 President’s Budget request is $2,210.8 million, an increase of $107.1

million compared to the FY 2022 Continuing Resolution level. The request includes $225.0

million provided through the 21st Century Cures Act.

Research Project Grants (+$80.6 million; total $1,518.1 million)

NIMH expects to increase funding for non-competing Research Grants by $12.5 million to fund 

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

expected to increase by 31 grants or $64.5 million. This increase is distributed across all 

programmatic areas and basic, translational, or clinical research.

Research Centers (+$8.7 million; total $95.3 million)

NIMH expects to increase funding for Research Centers by $8.7 million to support additional 

ALACRITY Centers and Practice Based Suicide Prevention Research Centers.

Research and Development Contracts (+$7.4 million; total $113.6 million)

NIMH expects to increase funding for Research and Development Contracts and will continue to 

support trans-NIH initiatives, including cybersecurity efforts, as well as continued 

implementation of the NIMH Strategic Plan.

Intramural Research Programs (+$6.3 million; total $221.6 million)

NIMH expects to increase funding for Intramural Research by $6.3 million, and will continue to 

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

Research Management and Support (+$2.8 million; total $100.4 million)

NIMH expects to increase funding for Research Management and Support by $2.8 million and 

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

the Institute’s mission.
NIMH-14

Budget Mechanism Table

Number Amount Number Amount Number Amount Number Amount

Research Projects:

Noncompeting 1,537 $946,786 1,647 $933,238 1,578 $945,689 -69 $12,452

Administrative Supplements (103) $16,862 (125) $19,956 (125) $19,956 0 $0

Competing:

Renewal 44 $26,223 39 $25,994 39 $20,306 0 -$5,687

New 602 $396,762 547 $393,629 578 $463,912 31 $70,283

Supplements 1 $277 1 $275 1 $215 0 -$60

Subtotal, Competing 647 $423,262 587 $419,898 618 $484,433 31 $64,536

Subtotal, RPGs 2,184 $1,386,910 2,234 $1,373,091 2,196 $1,450,078 -38 $76,988

SBIR/STTR 89 $64,718 89 $64,422 95 $68,031 6 $3,608

Research Project Grants 2,273 $1,451,628 2,323 $1,437,513 2,291 $1,518,109 -32 $80,596

Research Centers

Specialized/Comprehensive 39 $75,261 39 $86,213 43 $94,928 4 $8,715

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

Biotechnology 0 $50 0 $50 0 $50 0 $0

Comparative Medicine 0 $296 0 $296 0 $296 0 $0

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

Research Centers 39 $75,607 39 $86,559 43 $95,274 4 $8,715

Other Research:

Research Careers 366 $63,429 370 $64,112 376 $65,103 6 $992

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

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

Biomedical Research Support 10 $4,816 0 $0 0 $0 0 $0

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

Other 59 $49,447 59 $47,496 53 $46,796 -6 -$700

Other Research 435 $117,693 429 $111,608 429 $111,899 0 $292

Total Research Grants 2,747 $1,644,927 2,791 $1,635,680 2,763 $1,725,282 -28 $89,603

Ruth L Kirschstein Training Awards: FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs

Individual Awards 267 $12,533 278 $13,528 277 $13,785 -1 $257

Institutional Awards 501 $27,782 503 $35,438 502 $36,111 -1 $673

Total Research Training 768 $40,315 781 $48,966 779 $49,896 -2 $930

Research & Develop. Contracts 133 $104,949 136 $106,187 141 $113,620 5 $7,433

SBIR/STTR (non-add) (0) ($749) (0) ($763) (0) ($793) (0) ($30)

Intramural Research 289 $212,800 300 $215,301 300 $221,615 0 $6,315

Res. Management & Support 278 $96,746 289 $97,575 289 $100,414 0 $2,839

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

Construction $0 $0 $0 $0

Buildings and Facilities $0 $0 $0 $0

Total, NIMH 567 $2,099,736 589 $2,103,708 589 $2,210,828 0 $107,120

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Mechanism - Total 1,2

(Dollars in Thousands)

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

 2 Of which $50.0 million in FY 2021, $50.0 million in FY 2022, and $225.0 million in FY 2023 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 2021 and carried into FY 2022.

Mechanism FY 2021 Final3 FY 2022 CR FY 2023 President's 

Budget FY 2023 +/- FY 2022
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, 

$1,985,828,000.

NIH INNOVATION ACCOUNT, CURES ACT

(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

For necessary expenses to carry our 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, 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 my 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 Direct 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 2022 CR $2,103,708

FY 2023 President's Budget $2,210,828

Net change $107,120

FY 2022 CR FY 2023 President's

Budget

Built-In Change from

FY 2022 CR

CHANGES FTEs Budget

Authority FTEs BudgetAuthority FTEs Budget

Authority

A. Built-in:

1. Intramural Research:

a. Annualization of January 2022 pay increase & benefits $75,083 $80,145 $498

b. January FY 2023 pay increase & benefits $75,083 $80,145 $2,542

c. Paid days adjustment $75,083 $80,145 -$285

d. Differences attributable to change in FTE $75,083 $80,145 $0

e. Payment for centrally furnished services $41,816 $42,652 $836

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

non-recurring costs $98,402 $98,818 $1,423

Subtotal $5,014

2. Research Management and Support:

a. Annualization of January 2022 pay increase & benefits $51,725 $52,821 $342

b. January FY 2023 pay increase & benefits $51,725 $52,821 $1,748

c. Paid days adjustment $51,725 $52,821 -$197

d. Differences attributable to change in FTE $51,725 $52,821 $0

e. Payment for centrally furnished services $9,076 $9,257 $182

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

non-recurring costs $36,775 $38,335 $723

Subtotal $2,798

Subtotal, Built-in $7,812

FY 2022 CR FY 2023 President's

Budget

Program Change from

FY 2022 CR

CHANGES No. Amount No. Amount No. Amount

B. Program:

1. Research Project Grants:

a. Noncompeting 1,647 $953,193 1,578 $965,645 -69 $12,452

b. Competing 587 $419,898 618 $484,433 31 $64,536

c. SBIR/STTR 89 $64,422 95 $68,031 6 $3,608

Subtotal, RPGs 2,323 $1,437,513 2,291 $1,518,109 -32 $80,596

2. Research Centers 39 $86,559 43 $95,274 4 $8,715

3. Other Research 429 $111,608 429 $111,899 0 $292

4. Research Training 781 $48,966 779 $49,896 -2 $930

5. Research and development contracts 136 $106,187 141 $113,620 5 $7,433

Subtotal, Extramural $1,790,833 $1,888,799 $97,966

6. Intramural Research 300 $215,301 300 $221,615 0 $1,301

7. Research Management and Support 289 $97,575 289 $100,414 0 $41

8. Construction $0 $0 $0

9. Buildings and Facilities $0 $0 $0

Subtotal, Program 589 $2,103,708 589 $2,210,828 0 $99,308

Total built-in and program changes $107,120
NIMH-17

Budget Graphs

History of Budget Authority and FTEs:

Distribution by Mechanism:

Change by Selected Mechanisms:

1,871.7

2,043.0 2,099.7 2,103.7 2,210.8

Funding Levels by Fiscal Year (Dollars in Millions)

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

$0

$500

$1,000

$1,500

$2,000

$2,500

537 548 567 589 589

FTEs by Fiscal Year

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Research Project 

Grants

$1,518,109

69%

Research Centers

$95,274

4%

Other Research

$111,899

5%

Research Training

$49,896

2%

R&D Contracts

$113,620

5%

Intramural 

Research

$221,615

10%

RMS

$100,414

5%

FY 2023 Budget Mechanisms

(Dollars in Thousands)

5.61%

10.07%

0.26%

1.90%

7.00%

2.93%

2.91%

FY 2023 Estimated Percent Change from FY 2022 Mechanism

Research Project Grants

Research Centers

Other Research

Research Training

R&D Contracts

Intramural Research

RMS

0.00% 2.00% 4.00% 6.00% 8.00% 10.00% 12.00%
NIMH-18 

Organization Chart 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

National Institute of Mental Health 

Office of the Director

Director

Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., 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 Services and

Intervention Research

Director

Robert Heinssen, Jr., Ph.D

Div

Tran

Re

D

Sarah H. 

Division of Extramural 

Activities

Director

Tracy Waldeck, Ph.D.

Division of Intramural

Research Programs

Director

Susan G. Amara, Ph.D. 

Nation

Adviso

Mental H

Counc

NIMH-18 
NIMH-19

Budget Authority by Activity Table

Extramural Research FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Detail

Neuroscience & Basic Behavioral Science $786,159 $787,236 $833,863 $46,627

Services & Intervention Research $202,428 $202,705 $214,711 $12,006

Translational Research $515,027 $515,732 $546,278 $30,546

AIDS Research $175,403 $173,834 $176,028 $2,194

Office of the Director $111,173 $111,325 $117,919 $6,594

Subtotal, Extramural $1,790,190 $1,790,833 $1,888,799 $97,966

Intramural Research 289 $212,800 300 $215,301 300 $221,615 0 $6,315

Research Management & Support 278 $96,746 289 $97,575 289 $100,414 0 $2,839

TOTAL 567 $2,099,736 589 $2,103,708 589 $2,210,828 0 $107,120

FY 2021 Final FY 2022 CR FY 2023 President's 

Budget

FY 2023 +/- FY 

2022 CR

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

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

(Dollars in Thousands)

Budget Authority by Activity *

National Institute of Mental Health
NIMH-20

[THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
NIMH-21

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 2021 Final FY 2022 CR

FY 2023

President's 

Budget

FY 2023 +/-

FY 2022

BA $2,099,736,000 $2,103,708,000 $2,210,828,000 +$107,120,000

FTE 567 589 589 0

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

Contracts; Direct Federal/Intramural and Other.

Overall Budget Policy: The FY 2023 President’s Budget request is $2,210.8 million, an increase 

of $107.1 million or 5.1 percent compared to the FY 2022 Continuing Resolution (CR) level. 

The request includes $25.0 million in funding to increase research on the impact of the COVID19 pandemic on mental health. This will be done in part by utilizing participants in existing

cohort studies, who will be surveyed on the effect of the pandemic and various mitigation

measures on their physical and mental health. In addition, the request includes an increase of 

$5.0 million to support studies of the social media impact on mental health and another $5.0 

million to support studies to inform mental health treatment approaches, service delivery, and 

system transformation.

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 play an important role in supporting the Institute.

As an example of research that OD funds, NIMH is currently supporting the development and 

testing of systems-level interventions directed toward high-risk youth to reduce or prevent 
NIMH-22

suicide and suicidal behavior.53 Systemslevel strategies enable effective suicide 

prevention interventions to be rapidly scaled 

up, making these interventions more broadly 

available, more easily accessed, and more 

effectively delivered. 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 

2025.54 Suicide is the second leading cause of 

death for youth aged 10 to 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. 55,56,57,58,59,60,61

Budget Policy: The FY 2023 President’s 

Budget request is $117.9 million, an increase 

of $6.6 million or 5.9 percent compared with 

the FY 2022 CR 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.

53 www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/concept-clearances/2020/systems-levelinterventions-for-detecting-and-preventing-suicide-and-suicidal-behavior-in-at-risk-youth 54 theactionalliance.org/news/national-action-alliance-suicide-prevention-announces-goal-reduce-suicide-20-

percent-2025 55 www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6708a1.htm 56 www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/addm-community-report/spotlight-on-closing-racial-gaps.html 57 www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/concept-clearances/2021/addressing-mentalhealth-disparities-research-gaps-aggregating-and-mining-existing-data-sets-for-secondary-analyses 58 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-mh-18-400.html 59 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-mh-18-410.html 60 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-mh-20-305.html 61 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-mh-20-307.html

Aggregating Data to Address Mental Health 

Disparities Research Gaps

NIMH supports a research agenda aimed at 

understanding and reducing mental health 

disparities and increasing health equity. Mental 

health disparities are significant and well 

documented: for example, deaths by suicide are 

much more common in American Indians and 

Alaska Natives compared to the general 

population,55 and Black and Hispanic children 

may be diagnosed with autism at a later age 

compared to White children, delaying their 

access to services and supports.56 However, 

understanding the underlying mechanisms and 

identifying strategies to address these and other 

mental health disparities has proven elusive, in 

part because many studies do not have enough 

individuals from different populations with health 

disparities to characterize differences between 

subgroups and explore associated mechanisms. 

Recognizing this research gap, NIMH has 

announced support for research focused on 

aggregating existing data sets to better 

understand risk and protective factors, causes 

and trajectories, and effective interventions 

associated with mental health disparities.57 

Aggregating data sets is an approach that has 

proven successful in previous research 

initiatives,58-61 demonstrating the potential for this 

new initiative to contribute information that 

ultimately reduces health disparities and 

increases health equity.
NIMH-23

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

neurobiology underlying mental illnesses. In FY 2023, DNBBS plans to expand research into 

how glia, an understudied class of cells in the brain, contribute to neural circuits and ultimately 

behavior. DNBBS is also planning a broad, coordinated effort to understand how genetic 

alterations found in individuals with mental illnesses act in brain cells to cause changes in 

cellular and circuit function and ultimately behavior.

Budget Policy: The FY 2023 President’s Budget request is $833.9 million, an increase of $46.6 

million or 5.9 percent compared with the FY 2022 CR 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 improve outcomes for individuals at clinical high risk for 

psychosis. To accelerate progress towards this goal, NIMH and the Foundation for NIH 

launched AMP® SCZ, as detailed in the Director’s Overview section above.62 This flagship 

study builds upon the successes of prior investments to identify biomarkers of risk for 

progression to schizophrenia; such studies include the North American Prodrome Longitudinal 

Study (NAPLS) which identified promising biomarkers of risk63,64 and developed a risk 

calculator to predict conversion to psychosis.65 In collaboration with the Department of Defense, 

private foundations, and industry, DTR supports the Advancing Understanding of RecOvery 

afteR traumA (AURORA) Study,

66 a landmark study to understand the consequences of trauma. 

Additionally, DTR supports research using advanced digital techniques (including natural 

language processing,67 machine learning, and predictive coding68) to predict mental health 

outcomes such as risk for suicide, and to facilitate the development of precision medicine 

approaches to prevent and treat post-traumatic stress disorder. DTR also supports work 

harnessing the latest advances in artificial intelligence to advance mechanistic understanding of 

how circuits in the brain shape behavior.69

62 www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-public-private-partnership-advance-early-interventionsschizophrenia

63 www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33667856/ 64 www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29971330/ 65 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048498/ 66 https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10019595 67 www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30710497/ 68 www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30389840/ 69 www.grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-19-344.html
NIMH-24

Budget Policy: The FY 2023 President’s 

Budget request is $546.3 million, an increase 

of $30.5 million or 5.9 percent compared with 

the FY 2022 CR level.

70,71,72,73,74

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-supported research 

refines and evaluates treatment and preventive 

interventions across the lifespan, 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 systemlevel interventions to enhance service 

delivery; and strategies for widespread 

dissemination and implementation of 

evidence-based treatments into routine care 

settings. DSIR funds studies that are designed 

to have rapid impact, targeted at improving 

care for individuals with mental illnesses.

DSIR initiatives encourage practice-based research with near-term potential for improving 

intervention effectiveness and service delivery, as illustrated by the Advanced Laboratories for 

Accelerating the Reach and Impact of Treatments for Youth and Adults with Mental Illness 

(ALACRITY) Research Centers program.75,76 ALACRITY-funded researchers aim 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. 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, and deliver targeted interventions via mobile health 

70 www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db398.htm 71 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26222043/ 72 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28910599/ 73 www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/concept-clearances/2021/research-on-late-lifesuicide-mechanisms-and-future-treatment-targets 74 www.nimh.nih.gov/news/events/2020/virtual-workshop-social-disconnection-and-late-life-suicide-mechanismstreatment-targets-and-interventions 75 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-16-354.html 76 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-18-701.html

Social Disconnection and Suicide Risk in 

Late Life

Suicide rates are significantly elevated among 

older adults, though the age of greatest risk 

differs between men (75+) and women (45-64).70 

Older adults are also more likely to be socially 

disconnected due to exiting the workforce, 

experiencing bereavement, and enduring 

functional limitations that limit both in-person and 

remote/digital social interactions. Social isolation 

is associated with as much as a three-fold 

greater risk of suicide in middle and late life,71

and loneliness doubles the odds of experiencing 

suicidal thoughts later in life.72 As the American 

population rapidly ages – over 20 percent of the 

population will be over the age of 65 by 2030 –

there is an urgent need to advance our 

mechanistic understanding of this link between 

social disconnection and suicide risk and to 

develop interventions to address social 

disconnection and prevent suicide. In response 

to this need, NIMH is seeking to support 

research identifying the neurobiological and 

environmental mechanisms associated with 

social isolation and loneliness that increase risk 

for suicidal thoughts and behavior in late life, 

identifying treatment targets for new 

interventions, and optimizing existing 

interventions in collaboration with health care 

and community services that serve elderly 

patients.73,74
NIMH-25

technologies. Since it first launched in 2017, 

the ALACRITY program has supported 205 

publications. Building on the successful 

ALACRITY Center model, in FY 2021, 

NIMH launched a parallel Advanced Center 

research program, Practice-Based Suicide 

Prevention Research Centers, to address 

NIMH suicide prevention priorities and help 

reduce the national suicide rate.77,78,79,80,81

Budget Policy: The FY 2023 President’s 

Budget request is $214.7 million, an increase 

of $12.0 million or 5.9 percent compared with 

the FY 2022 CR 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 

Research82 and the HHS National HIV/AIDS 

Strategy.83 DAR-supported research includes 

behavioral and social science studies aimed at 

reducing HIV/AIDS incidence through the 

development, testing, and implementation of 

new and improved prevention strategies, as 

well as improving health outcomes of 

individuals living with HIV through improved 

linkage to care and adherence to effective 

treatments. DAR also supports research to 

understand, prevent, and treat the neurological 

disorders and mental illnesses 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 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, which thus provides a protective reservoir for HIV. 

77 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-20-286.html 78 theactionalliance.org/ 79 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23754332/ 80 www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/concept-clearances/2021/just-in-time-adaptiveinterventions-to-optimize-adolescent-mental-health-treatments 81 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27663578/ 82 oar.nih.gov/hiv-policy-and-research/strategic-plan 83 www.hiv.gov/blog/hhs-and-the-national-hivaids-strategy

Using Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions to 

Optimize Established Adolescent Mental 

Health Treatments

Decades of adolescent mental health 

interventions research has resulted in an arsenal 

of evidence-based psychotherapies. However, 

the majority of these evidence-based 

psychotherapies only modestly outperform usual 

care for youth mental disorders, especially for 

anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, and attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder.79,80 Additionally, 

adolescence is a developmental period 

characterized by heightened risk for new onset or 

worsening mental illness, and adolescents 

struggle to engage with and adhere to traditional 

face-to-face interventions more than any other 

age group, suggesting a need for digital 

alternatives. To meet this need, NIMH is 

supporting research focused on enhancing the 

potency of established adolescent mental health 

treatments through the use of developmentally 

informed and theoretically grounded just-in-time 

adaptive interventions (JITAIs).81 JITAIs use 

smartphone and/or sensor data to monitor an 

individual’s behavior or state and deliver 

responsive, tailored micro-interventions at 

opportune moments.82 The increasing 

availability of powerful mobile and sensing 

technologies has now made it feasible to test the 

clinical impact of JITAIs. By supporting JITAI 

research, NIMH hopes to capitalize on this 

unique intersection of emerging technology and 

intervention science to improve the effectiveness 

of treatments for adolescent mental disorders.
NIMH-26

DAR encourages targeted research to understand the mechanisms underlying HIV-induced 

neuronal pathology and the resulting motor and cognitive 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 individuals living with HIV. 

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

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

Budget Policy: The FY 2023 President’s Budget request is $176.0 million, an increase of $2.2 

million or 1.3 percent compared with the FY 2022 CR 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 and clinical scientists.

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

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

mental illnesses. 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. IRP researchers use cutting edge genetic techniques to 

investigate the circuitry underlying behavioral responses to threat,84 which are aberrant in 

individuals with anxiety disorders. To better understand how mental disorders emerge, IRP 

scientists use innovative analyses of extensive clinical, genetic, and brain imaging datasets to 

study the effects of gene expression and sex differences on brain anatomy during 

development.85,86 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, they aim to better understand 

suicide.87 IRP researchers also developed the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool for 

use among both youth and adults in various medical settings.88 To help researchers around the 

world implement pilot suicide risk screening programs, IRP researchers work closely with 

colleagues in the NIMH Center for Global Mental Health Research and collaborate with other 

government agencies such as the Indian Health Service.

84 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34413514/ 85 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33811142/ 86 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34294918/ 87 clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02543983 88 www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/asq-toolkit-materials
NIMH-27

Budget Policy: The FY 2023 President’s Budget request is $221.6 million, an increase of $6.3 

million or 2.9 percent compared with the FY 2022 CR 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, as well as for research and development contracts. RMS functions include coordination 

and evaluation of NIMH programs, regulatory compliance, and liaising with other federal 

agencies, Congress, and the public. Through RMS activities, NIMH continues to provide 

accountability and administrative support for meritorious basic, translational, and clinical 

research and continues to promote health information dissemination, education, and outreach 

activities.

Budget Policy: The FY 2023 President’s Budget request is $100.4 million, an increase of $2.8 

million or 2.9 percent compared with the FY 2022 CR level.
NIMH-28

Appropriations History

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Appropriations History

Fiscal Year Budget Estimate

to Congress

House

Allowance

Senate

Allowance Appropriation

2014 $1,465,782,000 $1,456,041,000 $1,446,172,000

Rescission $0

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 $2,103,708,000

Rescission $0

2023 2 $2,210,828,000

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-29

Authorizing Legislation

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Authorizing Legislation

PHS Act/

Other Citation

U.S. Code

Citation

2022 Amount

Authorized

FY 2022 CR 2023 Amount

Authorized

FY 2023 President's

Budget

Research and Investigation Section 301 42§241 Indefinite Indefinite

$2,103,708,000 $2,210,828,000

National Institute of Mental

Health Section 401(a) 42§281 Indefinite Indefinite

Total, Budget Authority $2,103,708,000 $2,210,828,000
NIMH-30

Amounts Available for Obligation

Source of Funding FY 2021 Final FY 2022 CR

FY 2023 

President's 

Budget

Appropriation2 $2,103,708 $2,103,708 $2,210,828

Secretary's Transfer -$6,166 $0 $0

OAR HIV/AIDS Transfers $2,194 $0 $0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $2,099,736 $2,103,708 $2,210,828

Unobligated balance, start of year3 $2,022 $2,338 $0

Unobligated balance, end of year (carryover)3 -$2,338 $0 $0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $2,099,420 $2,106,046 $2,210,828

Unobligated balance lapsing -$10 $0 $0

Total obligations $2,099,410 $2,106,046 $2,210,828

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

 FY 2021 - $6,019 FY 2022 - $10,050 FY 2023 - $10,050

2

 Of which $50.0 million in FY 2021, $50.0 million in FY 2022, and $225.0 million in FY 2023 is derived by transfer 

from the NIH Innovation Account under the 21st Century Cures Act.

3

 Reflects 21st Century Cures Act funding not obligated in previous years and carried over into FY 2022.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Amounts Available for Obligation 1

(Dollars in Thousands)
NIMH-31

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Authority by Object Class 1

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2022 CR FY 2023 President's

Budget FY 2023 +/- FY 2022

Total compensable workyears:

Full-time equivalent 589 589 0

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

Average ES salary $204 $208 $5

Average GM/GS grade 12.9 12.9 0.0

Average GM/GS salary $128 $132 $4

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

Average salary of ungraded positions $162 $174 $12

OBJECT CLASSES FY 2022 CR FY 2023 President's

Budget

FY 2023 +/- FY 2022

Personnel Compensation

11.1 Full-Time Permanent $53,823 $56,774 $2,950

11.3 Other Than Full-Time Permanent $26,644 $27,250 $606

11.5 Other Personnel Compensation $2,929 $2,995 $67

11.7 Military Personnel $0 $0 $0

11.8 Special Personnel Services Payments $11,874 $12,467 $593

11.9 Subtotal Personnel Compensation $95,270 $99,486 $4,216

12.1 Civilian Personnel Benefits $31,538 $33,481 $1,943

12.2 Military Personnel Benefits $0 $0 -$0

13.0 Benefits to Former Personnel $0 $0 $0

Subtotal Pay Costs $126,807 $132,967 $6,159

21.0 Travel & Transportation of Persons $71 $72 $1

22.0 Transportation of Things $175 $176 $1

23.1 Rental Payments to GSA $0 $0 $0

23.2 Rental Payments to Others $0 $0 $0

23.3 Communications, Utilities & Misc. Charges $884 $897 $13

24.0 Printing & Reproduction $0 $0 $0

25.1 Consulting Services $63,888 $65,545 $1,657

25.2 Other Services $45,026 $46,182 $1,156

25.3 Purchase of Goods and Services from Government

Accounts $137,010 $143,127 $6,117

25.4 Operation & Maintenance of Facilities $391 $402 $11

25.5 R&D Contracts $19,005 $19,932 $927

25.6 Medical Care $37 $37 $0

25.7 Operation & Maintenance of Equipment $11,189 $11,548 $359

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

25.0 Subtotal Other Contractual Services $276,546 $286,773 $10,227

26.0 Supplies & Materials $4,614 $4,705 $91

31.0 Equipment $8,108 $8,200 $93

32.0 Land and Structures $1,857 $1,859 $2

33.0 Investments & Loans $0 $0 $0

41.0 Grants, Subsidies & Contributions $1,684,646 $1,775,179 $90,533

42.0 Insurance Claims & Indemnities $0 $0 $0

43.0 Interest & Dividends $1 $1 $0

44.0 Refunds $0 $0 $0

Subtotal Non-Pay Costs $1,976,901 $2,077,861 $100,961

Total Budget Authority by Object Class $2,103,708 $2,210,828 $107,120 1 Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund.
NIMH-32

Salaries and Expenses

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Salaries and Expenses

(Dollars in Thousands)

Object Classes FY 2022 CR

FY 2023

President's

Budget

FY 2023 +/- FY

2022

Personnel Compensation

Full-Time Permanent (11.1) $53,823 $56,774 $2,950

Other Than Full-Time Permanent (11.3) $26,644 $27,250 $606

Other Personnel Compensation (11.5) $2,929 $2,995 $67

Military Personnel (11.7) $0 $0 $0

Special Personnel Services Payments (11.8) $11,874 $12,467 $593

Subtotal, Personnel Compensation (11.9) $95,270 $99,486 $4,216

Civilian Personnel Benefits (12.1) $31,538 $33,481 $1,943

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

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

Subtotal Pay Costs $126,807 $132,967 $6,159

Travel & Transportation of Persons (21.0) $71 $72 $1

Transportation of Things (22.0) $175 $176 $1

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

Communications, Utilities & Misc. Charges

(23.3) $884 $897 $13

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

Other Contractual Services

Consultant Services (25.1) $52,857 $53,957 $1,100

Other Services (25.2) $45,026 $46,182 $1,156

Purchase of Goods and Services from

Government Accounts (25.3) $47,370 $54,438 $7,068

Operation & Maintenance of Facilities (25.4) $391 $402 $11

Operation & Maintenance of Equipment (25.7) $11,189 $11,548 $359

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

Subtotal Other Contractual Services $156,832 $166,526 $9,694

Supplies & Materials (26.0) $4,614 $4,705 $91

Subtotal Non-Pay Costs $162,577 $172,376 $9,799

Total Administrative Costs $289,384 $305,342 $15,958
NIMH-33

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 2021 Final FY 2022 CR FY 2023 President's Budget

Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total

Division of Extramural Activities

Direct: 40 - 40 40 - 40 40 - 40

Total: 40 - 40 40 - 40 40 - 40

Division of Translational Research

Direct: 29 - 29 29 - 29 29 - 29

Total: 29 - 29 29 - 29 29 - 29

Office of the Director

Direct: 140 - 140 150 - 150 150 - 150

Reimbursable: 10 - 10 10 - 10 10 - 10

Total: 150 - 150 160 - 160 160 - 160

Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral

Science

Direct: 29 - 29 29 - 29 29 - 29

Total: 29 - 29 29 - 29 29 - 29

Division of AIDS Research

Direct: 15 - 15 16 - 16 16 - 16

Total: 15 - 15 16 - 16 16 - 16

Division of Services and Intervention Research

Direct: 15 - 15 15 - 15 15 - 15

Total: 15 - 15 15 - 15 15 - 15

Division of Intramural Research Programs

Direct: 287 - 287 298 - 298 298 - 298

Reimbursable: 2 - 2 2 - 2 2 - 2

Total: 289 - 289 300 - 300 300 - 300

Total 567 - 567 589 - 589 589 - 589

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

2019 12.8

2020 12.8

2021 12.9

2022 12.9

2023 12.9
NIMH-34

Detail of Positions

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Detail of Positions 1

GRADE FY 2021 Final FY 2022 CR

FY 2023

President's Budget

Total, ES Positions 1 1 1

Total, ES Salary $199,300 $203,834 $208,471

General Schedule

GM/GS-15 77 83 83

GM/GS-14 82 88 88

GM/GS-13 115 124 124

GS-12 85 91 91

GS-11 29 31 31

GS-10 0 0 0

GS-9 17 18 18

GS-8 6 6 6

GS-7 1 1 1

GS-6 0 0 0

GS-5 0 0 0

GS-4 1 1 1

GS-3 1 1 1

GS-2 0 0 0

GS-1 0 0 0

Subtotal 414 444 444

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 170 170 170

Total permanent positions 417 417 417

Total positions, end of year 585 615 615

Total full-time equivalent (FTE)

employment, end of year

567 589 589

Average ES salary $199,300 $203,834 $208,471

Average GM/GS grade 12.9 12.9 12.9

Average GM/GS salary $124,700 $128,385 $132,178 1 Includes FTEs whose payroll obligations are supported by the NIH Common Fund.