National 

Institute of 

Mental Health

CONGRESSIONAL JUSTIFICATION 

FY 2022

Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

NIMH-1 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) 

FY 2022 Budget Table of Contents Page No.

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

IC Fact Sheet........................................................................................................................... 9 

Major Changes in Budget Request ......................................................................................... 11

Budget Mechanism Table ...................................................................................................... 12 

Appropriations Language ...................................................................................................... 13 

Summary of Changes............................................................................................................. 14 

Budget Graphs....................................................................................................................... 15 

Organization Chart ............................................................................................................... 16

Budget Authority by Activity ................................................................................................ 17 

Justification of Budget Request.............................................................................................. 18 

Appropriations History.......................................................................................................... 25 

Authorizing Legislation......................................................................................................... 26 

Amounts Available for Obligation ......................................................................................... 27 

Budget Authority by Object Class ......................................................................................... 28 

Salaries and Expenses ........................................................................................................... 29 

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE) ............................................................... 30

Detail of Positions ................................................................................................................ 31 
NIMH-2 
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 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 47,000 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. On May 19, 2020, we published 

the new NIMH Strategic Plan for Research to optimize our scientific investments across the long 

arc of mental health research. 4 We use the Strategic Plan to communicate our priorities and help 

guide mental health research efforts funded by the Institute. We developed the Plan with input 

from a variety of stakeholders, including researchers, mental health advocates, and individuals 

with lived experience.5 The Plan will be updated regularly to keep pace with ever-evolving 

scientific approaches and research priorities. Key research projects and findings from NIMH and 

NIMH-funded investigators that advance the Institute’s mission will be highlighted on our 

Research Progress webpage for each research Goal.6

Answering the call

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health. As the coronavirus disease 2019 

(COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect us all, NIMH is providing guidance to researchers and 

resources for individuals managing stress and mental illness. In April 2020, we partnered with 

three other Institutes to issue a Notice of Special Interest to encourage research proposals to 

strengthen the mental health response to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies.7 In 

addition, we are participating in trans-NIH initiatives supporting research to determine the role 

and impact of digital health interventions to address secondary health effects of COVID-198 and 

to evaluate the role and impact of community interventions to address the consequences of 

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 samhsa.gov/data/ 2 Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool accessed March 2021. 3 CDC, NCIPC. WISQARS: cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html accessed March 2021. 4 nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports/index.shtml 5 nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports/strategic-planning-process.shtml 6 nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports/index.shtml#progress 7 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-20-047.html 8 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-20-243.html 

Joshua A. Gordon, 

M.D., Ph.D. 

Director of NIMH
NIMH-4 

COVID-19 among health disparity populations and other vulnerable groups.9 Within these 

trans-NIH initiatives, NIMH has awarded supplemental funding to numerous existing projects to 

understand and mitigate the pandemic’s impact on suicide, depression, and eating disorders, 

among other issues. We have also provided strategies and resources for managing fear, anxiety, 

and stress during this time, through multiple NIMH Director’s Messages, press releases, and 

shareable media.10, 11,12

Suicide Prevention Research Priorities. Suicide prevention research remains a top priority for 

NIMH, with approximately one suicide death every 11 minutes in 2019.13,14 We are committed 

to bending the curve of suicide in the United States, and together with the National Action 

Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NAASP), we pledged to reduce the suicide rate by 20 percent

by 2025. 15 This aspirational goal has helped guide our suicide prevention research agenda for 

the past seven years, emphasizing risk detection, screening, and intervention in health care 

settings. For example, NIMH-supported researchers aim to improve screening for suicide among

vulnerable populations by validating, adapting, and extending the utility of the NIMH-developed 

Ask Suicide Screening Questions (ASQ) tool.16 Our suicide prevention research priorities in the 

next five years are aligned with the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention developed by the 

NAASP that, among its other objectives, seeks to transform health care systems to reduce 

suicide.17, 18

The Opioid Crisis and Mental Health. NIMH recognizes the urgent need to identify effective 

approaches to treat people who have an opioid use disorder (OUD) and co-occurring mental 

health conditions, especially in primary care settings. The Collaborative Care Model is a 

promising approach to meeting the needs of people in primary care settings who have both OUD 

and mental illnesses.19 In the Collaborative Care Model, a team of primary health providers and 

mental health specialists monitor each individual’s progress toward personal treatment goals, and 

treatments are actively changed if the individual is not improving as expected. As part of the 

NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative, or NIH HEAL InitiativeSM, we led an 

effort to solicit research proposals for effectiveness trials to optimize, implement, scale, and 

sustain the Collaborative Care Model. 20 To date, NIH has awarded four such projects for a total

of $50 million.

Closing the gap in health disparities

Addressing Black Youth Suicide. Suicide rates among Black youth more than doubled between 

1999 and 2017, and Black youth under 13 years of age are now approximately twice as likely to 

9 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-20-237.html 10 nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2020/coping-with-coronavirus-managing-stress-fear-and-anxiety.shtml 11 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2020/supporting-mental-health-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.shtml 12 nimh.nih.gov/health/education-awareness/shareable-resources-on-coping-with-covid-19.shtml 13 cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db398-H.pdf 14 cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/fastfact.html 15 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2020/nimh-leadership-describes-suicide-prevention-research-priorities.shtml 16 nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/asq-toolkit-materials/index.shtml 17 hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/suicide-prevention/index.html 18 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32432690/ 19 heal.nih.gov/news/stories/collaborative-care 20 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-19-525.html
NIMH-5 

die by suicide as their white counterparts.21,22 We are funding a number of studies aimed at 

optimizing suicide risk detection and interventions among Black youth throughout the 

country. 23,24 We are also acting on a recent report by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) on 

the alarming rise in suicide and suicide-related behaviors among Black youth. 25 On April 21, 

2020, the NIMH Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity and the Office of 

Behavioral Health Equity at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration cohosted a virtual panel to discuss the CBC’s report and formulate strategies to engage and care for 

these vulnerable youth.26 Additionally, NIMH is interested in supporting research focused on 

suicide risk and prevention among Black youth and is currently seeking guidance and input from 

stakeholders to address to crisis of Black youth suicide.27, 28

Suicide Prevention in Native American Communities. American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN)

communities have the highest rates of suicide of any racial/ethnic group in the United States.29 

NIMH continues to partner with the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities 

to support three collaborative research hubs which aim to develop and increase the reach of 

effective, culturally relevant preventive interventions to reduce the burden of suicide and 

promote resilience among AI/AN youth.30 We are also supporting a number of intervention 

studies that are developing, adapting, and testing the effectiveness of health promotion and 

disease prevention interventions among AI/AN communities.31,32 Further, NIMH recently 

announced a funding opportunity that will enable transdisciplinary teams to establish Suicide 

Prevention Research Centers; these Centers will be dedicated to the rapid development of 

scalable approaches to identify high-risk individuals and improve continuity of care across 

healthcare settings.33 NIMH is encouraging applicants to consider how these Centers could best 

serve differentially affected groups such as sexual and gender minorities, Black youth, and 

AI/AN communities.

Mental Illnesses among People who are Incarcerated. To address the high rates of mental 

illnesses among incarcerated individuals,34 NIMH has awarded more than $3.5 million in 

research funding to assess the effectiveness of the Stepping Up Initiative, which aims to reduce 

the number of people with mental illnesses who are incarcerated by determining common 

treatment and jail reduction priorities across mental health, jail, probation, parole, and county 

administration agencies.35 We also support efforts to reduce suicide among individuals in the 

21 cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/suicide/rates_1999_2017.htm 22 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29799931 23 projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9807076&icde=48995342 24 projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9725522&icde=48624547 25 stevefund.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/FULL-TASKFORCE-REPORT.pdf 26 nimh.nih.gov/news/events/announcements/webinar-responding-to-the-alarm-addressing-black-youth-suicide.shtml 27 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-20-055.html 28 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-21-035.html 29 cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6708a1.htm 30 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-17-350.html 31 projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9899318&icde=49449843 32 projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9706932&icde=49449876 33 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-20-286.html 34 bjs.gov/content/pub/press/imhprpji1112pr.cfm 35 nimh.nih.gov/news/research-highlights/2020/identifying-practices-for-reducing-incarceration-of-those-with-mental-illnesses-astudy-of-stepping-up.shtml 
NIMH-6 

juvenile justice system, who are at particularly high risk for suicide.36, 37 Additionally we have

partnered with the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research and the National 

Institute of Justice to fund the Suicide Prevention for at-Risk Individuals in Transition (SPIRIT) 

study, a randomized control trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based Safety 

Planning Intervention for reducing suicide events in the year following incarceration.38,39

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. An estimated 1 in 54 eight year old children in the 

United States have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a developmental disorder that affects social 

communication and behavior.40,41 Reliably detecting ASD in young children is difficult, and 

delays in diagnosis can have profound and long-lasting effects on children, while early 

intervention can improve cognitive and behavioral outcomes.42 Race, culture, socioeconomic 

status, and the lack of trained providers in the community may also affect the age of ASD 

diagnosis. NIMH is committed to identifying and addressing disparities in access to screening, 

diagnosis, and treatment services among ethnic and racial minority children at risk for ASD. 

Recognizing the need for effective and widely adoptable tools for early screening and diagnosis 

of ASD, we have partnered with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health 

and Human Development, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), 

and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to support seven 

projects that seek to develop screening tools that can be implemented in community settings to 

detect signs of ASD in the first year of life. 43

Capitalizing on foundational investments and beyond

Piecing Together the Genetic Puzzle of Schizophrenia. NIMH is committed to supporting 

research focused on understanding the complex mechanisms linking genetic risk factors to the 

development of schizophrenia, in order to develop more effective preventions and interventions 

for this illness. Between 2014 and 2020, NIMH-funded investigators and collaborators compiled 

large genetic datasets, representing nearly 70,000 individuals with schizophrenia and more than 

235,000 individuals without the disorder. By comparing data from these two groups, researchers 

have identified over 270 places in the genome where common DNA changes with small effects

contribute to overall risk for schizophrenia. 44,45 In another NIMH-funded study involving 

sequencing nearly 25,000 individuals with and 100,000 without schizophrenia, researchers 

discovered 10 specific genes with large effects on schizophrenia risk.46 These big data efforts in 

genetics, combined with changes observed in an NIMH-supported collection of over 2,000 

donated brains, are pointing to novel biological mechanisms of this illness.47 Our investments in 

genetics have produced advances such as these that may lead to new ways to identify at-risk 

individuals and to develop treatments for individuals. 

36 projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9768575 37 ojjdp.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh176/files/pubs/243891.pdf 38 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2015/embracing-the-spirit-of-reducing-suicide.shtml 39 projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9312313&icde=37376732 40 nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/autism-spectrum-disorder-asd.shtml 41 nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/index.shtml 42 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18349708/ 43 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2019/nih-awards-funding-for-early-autism-screening.shtml 44 nimh.nih.gov/about/director/messages/2020/piecing-together-the-genetic-puzzle-of-schizophrenia.shtml 45 medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.12.20192922v1 46 medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.18.20192815v1 47 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2018/2-000-human-brains-yield-clues-to-how-genes-raise-risk-for-mental-illnesses.shtml
NIMH-7 

Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative® Highlights. To 

support the development of new tools and technologies to revolutionize our understanding of the 

brain, NIMH partners with NINDS to co-lead the NIH Brain Research through Advancing 

Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative®.

48 Since the launch of the BRAIN Initiative 

in 2013, we have supported the development of incredible technologies to characterize all cell 

types in the brain, map connected neurons in circuits and systems, and measure and modulate the 

activity of specific circuits. Multiple BRAIN Initiative reports have called for a data 

infrastructure to enable the research community to access tools to analyze and visualize these 

rich data.49, 50 Therefore, we have invested in a data infrastructure with three components: data 

archives, data standards, and software for data integration and analysis. We will continue to

support this infrastructure, which provides a basis for implementing the BRAIN Initiative data 

sharing policy and for enabling secondary analyses of these massive data sets.51,52

Machine Learning to Predict Individual Responses to Depression Treatments. Advances in new 

computational modelling tools like machine learning, coupled with the ever-increasing

availability of aggregated, harmonized data sets, are revolutionizing the efficiency with which

researchers turn data into knowledge. NIMH invests in research to translate this knowledge into 

improvements in mental health outcomes. For example, NIMH-supported researchers developed 

a machine learning algorithm to identify patterns in electroencephalogram recordings made 

available through the NIMH Data Archive,53 which enabled them to reliably predict how 

individuals with major depression responded to the antidepressant sertraline.54 Advances like 

this may optimize the treatment of mental illnesses by helping healthcare providers select the 

most effective treatments for their patients.

Mobile Health Technology. The use of mobile, wireless, and sensor technologies for health, 

collectively referred to as mobile health (mHealth), offers unprecedented opportunities to help 

consumers, clinicians, and researchers measure, manage, and improve health. mHealth also has

the potential to reduce health disparities by increasing access to care and medical monitoring and 

enhancing population-based health research. NIMH currently supports several initiatives to 

further the development and evaluation of mHealth interventions for mental health, with an 

emphasis on using minimally intrusive digital technologies to enhance assessment, detection, and 

prevention of mental illnesses, accessibility and deliverability of mental health services,

adherence to treatment, and efficiency and clinical impact of existing mental health 

services.55, 56,57,58

48 braininitiative.nih.gov/ 49 braininitiative.nih.gov/strategic-planning/brain-2025-report 50 braininitiative.nih.gov/strategic-planning/acd-working-groups/brain-initiative-20-cells-circuits-toward-cures 51 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-19-010.html 52 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/rfa-mh-20-120.html 53 nda.nih.gov/edit_collection.html?id=2199 54 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7145761/ 55 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-19-376.html 56 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-579.html 57 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-566.html 58 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not-mh-18-031.html
NIMH-8 

Overall Budget Policy: The FY 2022 President’s Budget request is $2,213.6 million, an increase 

of $107.7 million or 5.1 percent compared to the FY 2021 Enacted level. The request includes 

an increase of $26.0 million for the BRAIN Initiative, as authorized by the 21st Century Cures 

Act. It also 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.
Transforming the understanding 

and treatment of mental illnesses.

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. 

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

Dollars in Millions

Fiscal Year

NIMH Budget

The graph above shows the NIMH budget in final allocated dollars. 

The FY 2022 PB request is $2,213.6 million.

The NIMH Strategic Plan for Research forms a roadmap 

for the Institute’s research priorities, spanning fundamental 

science to public health impact. 

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

Director of NIMH

NIMH Quick Facts

• NIMH annually supports 

more than 3,000 research 

grants and contracts at 

universities, academic 

health centers, and other 

research institutions across 

the country and around the 

world.

• NIMH awarded 607 new 

and competing research 

project grants in FY 2020, 

with an application success 

rate of approximately 24 

percent.

• In FY 2020, NIMH awarded 

grants to 99 unique earlystage investigators and 183 

investigators with no other 

National Institute of Health 

(NIH) research funding.

• The NIMH Intramural 

Research Program (IRP) 

supports approximately 600 

scientists, the majority of 

whom work on the NIH 

campus in Bethesda, 

Maryland. 
Transforming the understanding 

and treatment of mental illnesses.

Achievements: New Treatments and 

Interventions Based on NIMH Research 

• While typical antidepressants may take weeks 

to work, ketamine dramatically reduces 

depressive symptoms within hours. Based on 

technology developed by NIMH’s intramural 

research patent portfolio, esketamine nasal 

spray medication for treatment-resistant 

depression received FDA approval in 2019.

• Postpartum depression impacts 1 in 9 women in 

the United States. In 2019, the FDA approved 

brexanolone intravenous infusion, the first-ever 

drug specifically designed to treat postpartum 

depression. The formulation of this 

breakthrough therapy was made possible by 

decades of NIMH-supported basic, 

translational, and clinical research.

• NIMH’s Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia 

Episode (RAISE) project demonstrated that 

early intervention improves clinical outcomes 

among youth with first episode psychosis and 

that coordinated specialty care (CSC) is a 

feasible and cost-effective approach. Through 

collaborations with other federal agencies, CSC 

is now the standard of care for early psychosis, 

with over 280 CSC programs across the 

country. 

Future Directions: Accelerating Medicines 

Partnership for Schizophrenia

To generate tools that will improve success in 

developing early-stage interventions for patients 

who are at risk of developing schizophrenia, the 

Foundation for NIH and NIMH launched the 

Accelerating Medicines Partnership for 

Schizophrenia (AMP SCZ), a public-private 

partnership between the NIH, the Food and Drug 

Administration, and public and private 

organizations. Core components of AMP SCZ 

include establishing a research network with U.S. 

and international sites and a data processing, 

analysis, and coordination center. The research 

network will focus on individuals at clinical high 

risk (CHR) for schizophrenia, identifying biological 

markers, clinical endpoints, and other measures 

that predict disease trajectory and outcomes. AMP 

SCZ data and analyses will be made available to 

the broad biomedical community through the 

NIMH Data Archive. Findings from AMP SCZ 

studies will enable researchers to develop 

algorithms that predict the course of illness for 

CHR individuals, allowing for early intervention 

and testing of treatments that may prevent the 

development of schizophrenia and reduce the 

impact of CHR.
NIMH-11 

Major Changes in the Fiscal Year 2022 President’s 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 2022 President’s Budget request for 

NIMH. The FY 2022 President’s Budget request is $2,213.6 million, an increase of $107.7

million compared to the FY 2021 Enacted level.

Research Project Grants ($83.5 million; total $1,545.6 million)

NIMH expects to increase funding for non-competing Research Project Grants by $31.4 million 

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

are expected to increase by 29 grants or $47.4 million. This increase is distributed across all 

programmatic areas and basic, translational or clinical research. 

Research Centers ($10.0 million; total $88.2 million)

NIMH expects to increase funding for Research Centers by $10.0 million or two Research 

Center grants. 

Intramural Research Programs ($5.6 million; total $218.9 million)

NIMH expects to increase Intramural Research by $5.6 million, funding pay raises and inflation,

and will continue to fund innovative research studies conducted by the Institute’s intramural 

scientists. 

Research Management and Support ($2.3 million; total $99.0 million)

NIMH expects to increase funding for Research Management and Support by $2.3 million and 

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

the Institute’s mission. 
NIMH-12 

No. Amount No. Amount No. Amount No. Amount

1,620 $910,612 1,555 $954,289 1,594 $985,654 39 $31,365

(133) 16,180 (156) 18,952 (161) 20,000 (5) 1,048

57 41,843 63 42,965 66 47,948 3 4,983

549 394,236 526 380,316 552 422,625 26 42,309

1 848 1 871 1 972 0 101

607 $436,927 590 $424,151 619 $471,544 29 $47,393

2,227 $1,363,719 2,145 $1,397,392 2,213 $1,477,199 68 $79,806

87 62,752 90 64,646 91 68,364 1 3,718

2,314 $1,426,471 2,235 $1,462,039 2,304 $1,545,563 69 $83,524

36 $66,924 40 $78,201 42 $88,185 2 $9,984

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 50 0 50 0 50 0 0

0 275 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

36 $67,249 40 $78,251 42 $88,235 2 $9,984

366 $61,858 375 $63,385 379 $64,357 4 $972

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 1,200 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

59 46,516 55 44,447 56 39,892 1 -4,555

427 $109,574 430 $107,832 435 $104,249 5 -$3,583

2,777 $1,603,294 2,705 $1,648,121 2,781 $1,738,046 76 $89,925

FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs FTTPs

229 $10,850 249 $11,983 249 $12,803 0 $820

503 32,731 528 34,885 529 36,957 1 2,072

732 $43,581 777 $46,869 778 $49,760 1 $2,892

133 $90,441 134 $100,794 134 $107,790 0 $6,996

(0) (748) (0) (689) (0) (717) (0) (28)

279 210,828 296 213,372 300 218,934 4 5,562

269 94,823 281 96,746 289 99,044 8 2,298

(0) (62) (0) (135) (0) (138) (0) (3)

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

548 $2,042,966 577 $2,105,902 589 $2,213,574 12 $107,672

1 All items in italics and brackets are non-add entries. 2

3

Total, NIMH

Total Research Training

Research & Develop. Contracts

(SBIR/STTR) (non-add)

Intramural Research

Res. Management & Support

SBIR Admin. (non-add)

Construction 

Buildings and Facilities

Research Centers in Minority Institutions

Institutional Awards

Other Research:

Research Careers

Cancer Education

Cooperative Clinical Research

Biomedical Research Support

Minority Biomedical Research Support

Other

Other Research

Total Research Grants

Ruth L Kirschstein Training Awards:

Individual Awards

Research Centers:

Specialized/Comprehensive

Clinical Research

Biotechnology

Comparative Medicine

Supplements

Subtotal, Competing

Subtotal, RPGs

SBIR/STTR

Research Project Grants

Of which $70.0 million in FY 2020, $50.0 million in FY 2021, and $76.0 million in FY 2022 is derived by transfer from the NIH Innovation Account under 

the 21st Century Cures Act.

Includes 21st Century Cures Act funding not obligated in FY 2020 and carried over into FY 2021.

New

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Mechanism - Total1,2

(Dollars in Thousands)

MECHANISM FY 2020 Final 3 FY 2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's 

Budget

FY 2022

+/-

FY 2021 Enacted

Research Projects:

Noncompeting

Administrative Supplements 

Competing:

Renewal

Research Centers
NIMH-13 

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, 

[$2,053,708,000]$2,137,574,000. 

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, [$404,000,000]$496,000,000, 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-14 

FY 2021 Enacted

FY 2022 President's Budget

Net change

FTEs Budget 

Authority FTEs Budget Authority FTEs Budget Authority

$70,121 $70,373 $185

70,121 70,373 1,903

70,121 70,373 0

70,121 70,373 728

35,091 36,392 1,301

108,159 112,168 2,286

$6,402

$47,369 $49,542 $125

47,369 49,542 1,293

47,369 49,542 0

47,369 49,542 1,585

9,452 9,476 24

39,924 40,025 905

$3,931

$10,334

No. Amount No. Amount No. Amount

1,555 $973,242 1,594 $1,005,654 39 $32,413

590 424,151 619 471,544 29 47,393

90 64,646 91 68,364 1 3,718

2,235 $1,462,039 2,304 $1,545,563 69 $83,524

40 $78,251 42 $88,235 2 $9,984

430 107,832 435 104,249 5 -3,583

777 46,869 778 49,760 1 2,892

134 100,794 134 107,790 0 6,996

$1,795,784 $1,895,597 $99,813

FTEs FTEs FTEs

296 $213,372 300 $218,934 4 -$841

281 96,746 289 99,044 8 -1,634

0 0 0

0 0 0

577 $2,105,902 589 $2,213,574 12 $97,338

$107,672

9. Buildings and Facilities

Subtotal, Extramural

6. Intramural Research

Subtotal, Program

Total built-in and program changes

7. Research Management and Support

8. Construction

3. Other Research

4. Research Training

5. Research and development contracts

a. Noncompeting

b. Competing

c. SBIR/STTR

Subtotal, RPGs

2. Research Centers

Program Change 

from FY 2021 

Enacted

CHANGES

B. Program:

1. Research Project Grants:

Subtotal

Subtotal, Built-in

FY2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's 

Budget

a. Annualization of January 2021 pay increase & benefits

b. January FY 2022 pay increase & benefits

c. Paid days adjustment

d. Differences attributable to change in FTE

e. Payment for centrally furnished services

f. Cost of laboratory supplies, materials, other expenses, and non-recurring costs

d. Differences attributable to change in FTE

e. Payment for centrally furnished services

f. Cost of laboratory supplies, materials, other expenses, and non-recurring costs

Subtotal

2. Research Management and Support:

CHANGES

A. Built-in:

1. Intramural Research:

a. Annualization of January 2021 pay increase & benefits

b. January FY 2022 pay increase & benefits

c. Paid days adjustment

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Summary of Changes

(Dollars in Thousands)

$2,105,902

$2,213,574

$107,672

FY2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's 

Budget

Built-In Change 

from FY 2021 

Enacted
NIMH-15 

Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Graphs

History of Budget Authority and FTEs:

Distribution by Mechanism: 

Change by Selected Mechanism:
NIMH-16 

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

Division of 

Translational

Research

Director

Sarah H. Lisanby, M.D.

Division of Extramural 

Activities

Director

Tracy Waldeck, Ph.D.

Division of Intramural

Research Programs

Director

Susan G. Amara, Ph.D. 

National 

Advisory 

Mental Health

Council

NIMH -16
NIMH-17 

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

$826,881 $846,928 $909,998 $63,069

175,918 185,145 193,838 8,692

520,646 547,631 573,667 26,036

173,487 173,598 173,598 0

40,384 42,481 44,496 2,015

$1,737,316 $1,795,784 $1,895,597 $99,813

279 $210,828 296 $213,372 300 $218,934 4 $5,562

269 $94,823 281 $96,746 289 $99,044 8 $2,298

548 $2,042,966 577 $2,105,902 589 $2,213,574 12 $107,672

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

Office of the Director

Subtotal, Extramural

Intramural Research

Research Management & Support

TOTAL

Extramural Research

Detail

Neuroscience & Basic Behavioral Science

Services & Intervention Research

Translational Research

AIDS Research

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Authority by Activity1

(Dollars in Thousands)

FY 2020 Final FY 2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's 

Budget

FY 2022 

+/-

 FY 2021 Enacted 
NIMH-18 

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 2020 Final

FY 2021 

Enacted

FY 2022 

President's 

Budget

FY 2022 +/- 

FY 2021

BA $2,042,966,000 $2,105,902,000 $2,213,574,000 $107,672,000

FTE 548 577 589 12

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

Contracts; Direct Federal/Intramural and Other.

Program Descriptions

Office of the Director 59

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 

59 nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/concept-clearances/2020/mental-health-research-awards-forinnovative-new-scientists-in-low-and-middle-income-countries-lmics.shtml

OD Program Portrait: Mental Health Research 

Awards for Innovative New Scientists in Lowand Middle-Income Countries

Investigators from low- and middle-income 

countries (LMICs) are underrepresented in mental 

health research. This limits NIMH’s ability to support 

mental health research that is relevant across 

diverse populations and settings, and to partner 

with other countries in research on shared priorities. 

The NIMH Research Awards for Innovative New 

Scientists in LMICs program will support basic, 

translational, clinical, or services research by 

outstanding scientists who are in the early stages of 

a career in mental health research.59 Through 

these awards, NIMH aims to assist such individuals 

in launching innovative, high impact, independent 

research programs. In addition, these awards will 

encourage collaborative science while preserving 

the leadership role of new or early stage 

investigators in LMICs. This award program aims 

to support the next generation of scientists 

dedicated to producing the scientific knowledge that 

will help to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure 

mental illnesses across diverse populations.
NIMH-19 

offices within the OD play an important role in supporting the Institute. 

As an example of research that OD funds, NIMH is planning to launch an initiative supporting 

projects aimed at implementing and sustaining evidence-based mental health practices in lowresource settings to achieve equity in outcomes for underserved communities.60 Limited capital 

and human resources can create barriers to care delivery. The initiative would encourage 

innovative approaches to remediate barriers to provision, receipt, and/or benefit from evidencebased practices. Studies may also 

generate new information about factors 

integral to achieving equity in mental 

health outcomes, with due consideration 

for the needs of individuals across the life 

span. The ultimate goal of the initiative 

will be to improve mental health 

outcomes for underserved populations 

and reduce or eliminate health disparities.

Budget Policy: The FY 2022 President’s 

Budget request is $44.5 million, an 

increase of $2.0 million or 4.7 percent 

compared with the FY 2021 Enacted 

level.

Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral 

Science

The Division of Neuroscience and Basic 

Behavioral Science (DNBBS) supports 

research in the areas of basic 

neuroscience, genetics, integrative 

neuroscience, research training, resource 

development, and drug discovery. In 

cooperation with other NIMH programs 

and the wider research community, this 

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.

 

60 nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/concept-clearances/2019/effectiveness-of-implementingsustainable-evidence-based-mental-health-practices-in-low-resource-settings-to-achieve-equity-in-outcomes-for-traditionallyunderserved-populations.shtml

DNBBS Program Portrait: Discovery of 

Chemical Probes for Novel Brain Targets

Recognizing that the psychiatric drug 

development pipeline has slowed, NIMH seeks to 

accelerate the discovery and validation of new 

biological targets for treating brain disorders. 

NIMH recently announced its intent to support 

initiatives focused on the discovery of chemical 

probes for the nervous system – that is, small 

molecules that bind to and impact the function of 

biological targets in the nervous system, such as 

ion channels. Research projects will aim to 

discover novel chemical probes for use in 

studying biological processes relevant to the 

mission of NIMH and to identify novel biological 

targets that will inform studies of brain disease 

mechanisms. These initiatives will complement 

other NIMH-supported activities to support 

research at multiple stages in the drug 

development pipeline, including assay 

development and screening, optimization and 

early preclinical discovery,and the transition from 

early discovery to Phase I Clinical Trials. Newly 

discovered chemical probes could also be used 

as starting points for further development as 

potential therapeutic drugs through the Blueprint 

Neurotherapeutics program or small business 

development initiatives. Results from these 

research initiatives may provide new insight into 

important disease-related biological targets and 

biological processes.
NIMH-20 

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

neurobiology underlying mental illnesses. In FY 2022, DNBBS plans to expand research into 

the brain subsystems that mediate anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure – a core symptom of 

major depression as well as other major mental illnesses. In addition, DNBBS will expand 

research using artificial intelligence to 

understand neural circuitry underlying 

cognitive and social function with a focus on 

techniques to clarify the critical factors that 

drive the computer models and might 

ultimately be used to modulate brain function.

Budget Policy: The FY 2022 President’s 

Budget request is $910.0 million, an increase 

of $63.1 million or 7.4 percent compared with 

the FY 2021 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 

improve outcomes for individuals at clinical 

high risk (CHR) for psychosis. A major gap 

in knowledge has been the lack of a means to 

reliably predict which individuals with CHR 

DTR and DSIR Program Portrait: Women’s 

Mental Health

Perinatal depression, or depression that 

develops during pregnancy or after childbirth, is 

one of the most common complications of 

pregnancy and the postpartum period. It affects 

as many as one in seven pregnant women and 

can result in negative short- and long-term 

consequences for mother and baby. NIMH is 

committed to identifying women at increased risk 

for perinatal depression and determining ways to 

improve intervention delivery, particularly for 

underserved populations. NIMH encourages 

research that includes: strategies for identifying 

women at risk for perinatal depression; evidencebased, service-ready, and scalable treatments 

and preventive interventions; and strategies that 

support the delivery of interventions with fidelity 

in the healthcare setting or other settings where 

women receive mental health services in the 

community. Further, NIMH is interested in 

studies conducted in real-world settings that 

leverage patient information from electronic 

health record data to determine which 

interventions are predicted to work best for which 

individuals. Identifying risk factors and 

developing appropriate screening, treatment, and 

preventive interventions has the potential to 

optimize care and improve public health 

outcomes.

The menopause transition (MT) is also a window 

of vulnerability for the development of mood and 

psychotic symptoms, and the mechanisms 

underlying this vulnerability are largely unknown. 

NIMH encourages comprehensive 

interdisciplinary research to identify biological, 

genetic, and environmental factors that could be 

used to identify women at risk of new or recurring 

mood and psychotic disorders during the MT, 

and to better understand the mechanistic links 

between the MT and these disorders. By 

supporting such research, NIMH ultimately aims 

to improve women’s health outcomes by 

identifying therapeutic targets for future 

development of novel treatment interventions.
NIMH-21 

will develop schizophrenia or other adverse outcomes, which would 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 to develop early 

therapeutic interventions for people at risk of developing schizophrenia. The Accelerating 

Medicines Partnership for Schizophrenia (AMP SCZ)61 brings together NIH, the Food and Drug 

Administration, and numerous private and non-profit organizations to join forces in this 

unprecedented effort to prevent 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. In addition, DTR, in 

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

Advancing Understanding of RecOvery afteR traumA (AURORA) Study, 62 a landmark study to 

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

including natural language processing, 63 machine learning, and predictive coding,64 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.65

Budget Policy: The FY 2022 President’s Budget request is $573.7 million, an increase of $26.0 

million or 4.8 percent increase compared with the FY 2021 Enacted level.

Services and Intervention Research66 67 ,

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 treatment and 

preventive interventions for children, adolescents, and adults, focusing on acute and long-term 

symptom reduction, remission, and improved community functioning. DSIR also supports 

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

care; organization- and system-level interventions to enhance service delivery; and, strategies for 

widespread dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments into routine care 

settings. DSIR funds studies that are designed to have near-term impact, targeted at improving 

care for individuals currently suffering from 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.68,69 These centers incorporate a variety of 

61 nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-public-private-partnership-advance-early-interventions-schizophrenia 62 projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=9756462 63 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30710497/ 64 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30389840 65 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-19-344.html 66 nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/concept-clearances/2020/prevention-of-perinatal-depressionimproving-intervention-delivery-for-at-risk-individuals.shtml 67 nimh.nih.gov/funding/grant-writing-and-application-process/concept-clearances/2020/mood-and-psychosis-symptoms-duringthe-menopause-transition.shtml 68 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-16-354.html 69 grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-18-701.html
NIMH-22 

transdisciplinary collaborations and prioritize a deployment-focused approach to yield 

interventions and service strategies that are relevant and can be rapidly integrated into practice. 

Many of the centers capitalize 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 smart communication technologies. The centers also account for the 

perspectives of a variety of stakeholders, including patients, families, and providers. The 

currently funded ALACRITY Centers span a variety of key populations and practice settings and

cover a range of science, spanning intervention refinement and optimization through 

implementation and services research.

Budget Policy: The FY 2022 President’s Budget request is $193.8 million, an increase of $8.7

million or 4.7 percent compared with the FY 2021 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 Research70 and 

the HHS National HIV/AIDS Strategy. 71 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, improving health outcomes 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 health 

conditions 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 CNS, because the CNS acts as a protective 

reservoir for HIV. This work may also inform methods to prevent or treat the neurological

comorbidities of HIV, such as cognitive and behavioral impairments, with targeted research to 

understand HIV-induced neurological pathology, and emphasis on long-term antiretroviral 

therapy. 

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 ensures effective integration of biomedical approaches and multidisciplinary 

expertise are considered in NIH-wide planning efforts, to help achieve an AIDS-free generation.

Budget Policy: The FY 2022 President’s Budget request is $173.6 million, unchanged from the 

FY 2021 Enacted level. 

70 oar.nih.gov/hiv-policy-and-research/strategic-plan 71 hiv.gov/blog/hhs-and-the-national-hivaids-strategy
NIMH-23 

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 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.72 IRP researchers have also developed the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions 

(ASQ) tool73 for use among both youth and adults in various medical settings, and they are now 

collaborating with the Indian Health Service (IHS) to implement the ASQ in all 170 IHS medical 

facilities. Physician scientists are working to identify causes, treatments for, and predictors of 

risk for reproductive endocrine-related mood disorders, recently creating an in vitro model of 

perimenopausal depression (PMD),74 which pointed to expression of genes that could contribute 

to vulnerability to PMD. IRP researchers are currently investigating how the circadian clock and 

light affect mood and behavior. For example, one study found a link between levels of outdoor 

light exposure and sleep and mental health in teens.75 To understand the biology of childhoodonset mental illnesses, IRP scientists are collecting extensive clinical, genetic, and anatomical 

data to investigate the effects of gene expression and sex differences on brain structure. 76

Budget Policy: The FY 2022 President’s Budget request is $218.9 million, an increase of $5.6

million or 2.6 percent compared with the FY 2021 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.

72 clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02543983?term=Neurobiology+of+Suicide&draw=2&rank=1 73 nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/asq-toolkit-materials/index.shtml 74 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32788687/ 75 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2020/outdoor-light-linked-with-teens-sleep-and-mental-health.shtml 76 nimh.nih.gov/news/science-news/2020/study-shows-highly-reproducible-sex-differences-in-aspects-of-human-brainanatomy.shtml
NIMH-24 

Budget Policy: The FY 2022 President’s Budget request is $99.0 million, an increase of $2.3 

million or 2.4 percent compared with the FY 2021 Enacted level.
NIMH-25 

Budget Estimate to 

Congress House Allowance Senate Allowance Appropriation

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

$2,960,530

($74,299,124)

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

$0

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

$0

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

$0

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

$0

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

$0

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

$0

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

$0

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

$0

$2,213,574,000

1

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

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Appropriations History

Fiscal Year

2013

Rescission

Sequestration

2014

Rescission

2015

Rescission

2016

Rescission

20171

Rescission

20182

Rescission

20192

Rescission

20222

Budget Estimate to Congress includes mandatory financing.

20202

Rescission

20212

Rescission
NIMH-26 

PHS Act/

Other Citation

U.S. Code

Citation

FY 2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's Budget

Section 301

Section 401(a) 42§281 Indefinite

Total, Budget Authority $2,105,902,000 $2,213,574,000

National Institute of Mental Health

$2,105,902,000 $2,213,574,000

Indefinite

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Authorizing Legislation

2021 Amount

Authorized

2022 Amount

Authorized

Research and Investigation 42§241 Indefinite Indefinite
NIMH-27 

Source of Funding FY 2020 Final FY 2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's 

Budget

Appropriation2 $2,038,374 $2,103,708 $2,213,574

Secretary's Transfer 0 0 0

Subtotal, adjusted appropriation $2,038,374 $2,103,708 $2,213,574

OAR HIV/AIDS Transfers 4,592 2,194 0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $2,042,966 $2,105,902 $2,213,574

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

Unobligated balance, recovery of prior year 

obligations3 1,944 0 0

Unobligated balance, end of year3 -2,022 0 0

Subtotal, adjusted budget authority $2,044,910 $2,107,924 $2,213,574

Unobligated balance lapsing -58 0 0

Total obligations $2,044,852 $2,107,924 $2,213,574

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Amounts Available for Obligation1

(Dollars in Thousands)

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

 FY 2020 - $8,775 FY 2021 - $10,050 FY 2022 - $10,050 2

 Of which $70.0 million in FY 2020, $50.0 million in FY 2021, and $76.0 million in FY 2022 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 2021.
NIMH-28 

FY 2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's 

Budget

FY 2022

+/-

FY 2021 Enacted

Full-time equivalent 577 589 12

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

Average ES salary $202 $208 $7

Average GM/GS grade 12.8 12.8 0.0

Average GM/GS salary $124 $128 $4

Average salary, Commissioned Corps (42 U.S.C. 

207) $0 $0 $0

Average salary of ungraded positions $148 $151 $3

FY 2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's 

Budget

FY 2022

+/-

FY 2021

Personnel Compensation

Full-Time Permanent 49,886 51,702 1,816

Other Than Full-Time Permanent 24,821 24,897 76

Other Personnel Compensation 2,585 2,610 26

Military Personnel 0 0 0

Special Personnel Services Payments 12,761 13,013 252

Subtotal Personnel Compensation $90,053 $92,223 $2,170

Civilian Personnel Benefits 27,438 27,693 255

Military Personnel Benefits 0 0 0

Benefits to Former Personnel 0 0 0

Subtotal Pay Costs $117,491 $119,916 $2,425

Travel & Transportation of Persons 1,500 1,541 41

Transportation of Things 113 117 4

Rental Payments to GSA 0 0 0

Rental Payments to Others 0 0 0

Communications, Utilities & Misc. Charges 910 932 22

Printing & Reproduction 4 4 0

Consulting Services 72,400 75,394 2,994

Other Services 28,664 29,207 543

Purchase of goods and services from government 

accounts 134,676 140,961 6,286

Operation & Maintenance of Facilities 514 531 17

R&D Contracts 18,515 19,781 1,266

Medical Care 55 57 2

Operation & Maintenance of Equipment 6,288 6,487 198

Subsistence & Support of Persons 0 0 0

Subtotal Other Contractual Services $261,112 $272,418 $11,305

Supplies & Materials 5,406 5,606 200

Equipment 22,958 23,762 804

Land and Structures 1,419 1,471 53

Investments & Loans 0 0 0

Grants, Subsidies & Contributions 1,694,990 1,787,807 92,817

Insurance Claims & Indemnities 0 0 0

Interest & Dividends 1 1 0

Refunds 0 0 0

Subtotal Non-Pay Costs $1,988,411 $2,093,658 $105,247

Total Budget Authority by Object Class $2,105,902 $2,213,574 $107,672

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

33.0

41.0

42.0

43.0

44.0

25.8

25.0

26.0

31.0

32.0

25.3

25.4

25.5

25.6

25.7

23.2

23.3

24.0

25.1

25.2

13.0

21.0

22.0

23.1

11.7

11.8

11.9

12.1

12.2

OBJECT CLASSES

11.1

11.3

11.5

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Budget Authority by Object Class1

(Dollars in Thousands)

Total compensable workyears:
NIMH-29 

OBJECT CLASSES FY 2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's 

Budget

FY 2022

+/-

FY 2021

Personnel Compensation

Full-Time Permanent (11.1) $49,886 $51,702 $1,816

Other Than Full-Time Permanent (11.3) 24,821 24,897 76

Other Personnel Compensation (11.5) 2,585 2,610 26

Military Personnel (11.7) 0 0 0

Special Personnel Services Payments (11.8) 12,761 13,013 252

Subtotal Personnel Compensation (11.9) $90,053 $92,223 $2,170

Civilian Personnel Benefits (12.1) $27,438 $27,693 $255

Military Personnel Benefits (12.2) 0 0 0

Benefits to Former Personnel (13.0) 0 0 0

Subtotal Pay Costs $117,491 $119,916 $2,425

Travel & Transportation of Persons (21.0) $1,500 $1,541 $41

Transportation of Things (22.0) 113 117 4

Rental Payments to Others (23.2) 0 0 0

Communications, Utilities & Misc. Charges (23.3) 910 932 22

Printing & Reproduction (24.0) 4 4 0

Other Contractual Services:

Consultant Services (25.1) 50,869 52,369 1,500

Other Services (25.2) 28,664 29,207 543

Purchases from government accounts (25.3) 82,696 87,170 4,474

Operation & Maintenance of Facilities (25.4) 514 531 17

Operation & Maintenance of Equipment (25.7) 6,288 6,487 198

Subsistence & Support of Persons (25.8) 0 0 0

Subtotal Other Contractual Services $169,031 $175,764 $6,733

Supplies & Materials (26.0) $5,406 $5,606 $200

Subtotal Non-Pay Costs $176,963 $183,964 $7,001

Total Administrative Costs $294,454 $303,880 $9,426

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Salaries and Expenses

(Dollars in Thousands)
NIMH-30 

Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total Civilian Military Total

Division of AIDS Research

Direct: 15 - 15 15 - 15 15 - 15

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 15 - 15 15 - 15 15 - 15

Division of Extramural Activities

Direct: 41 - 41 41 - 41 41 - 41

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 41 - 41 41 - 41 41 - 41

Division of Intramural Research Programs

Direct: 271 - 271 296 - 296 300 - 300

Reimbursable: 8 - 8 7 - 7 7 - 7

Total: 279 - 279 303 - 303 307 - 307

Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science

Direct: 26 - 26 26 - 26 26 - 26

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 26 - 26 26 - 26 26 - 26

Division of Services and Intervention Research

Direct: 14 - 14 14 - 14 14 - 14

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 14 - 14 14 - 14 14 - 14

Division of Translational Research

Direct: 30 - 30 30 - 30 30 - 30

Reimbursable: - - - - - - - - -

Total: 30 - 30 30 - 30 30 - 30

Office of the Director

Direct: 131 - 131 136 - 136 144 - 144

Reimbursable: 12 - 12 12 - 12 12 - 12

Total: 143 - 143 148 - 148 156 - 156

Total 548 - 548 577 - 577 589 - 589

FTEs supported by funds from Cooperative Research and 

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

FISCAL YEAR

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Detail of Full-Time Equivalent Employment (FTE)

OFFICE/DIVISION

FY 2020 Final FY 2021 Enacted FY 2022 President's Budget

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

12.8

Average GS Grade

12.7

12.8

12.8

12.8
NIMH-31 

FY 2020 Final FY 2021 Enacted

FY 2022 

President's 

Budget

1 1 1

197,300 201,513 208,398

72 72 72

73 73 73

114 117 129

81 81 81

33 33 33

0 0 0

13 13 13

6 6 6

5 5 5

0 0 0

0 0 0

3 3 3

1 1 1

1 1 1

0 0 0

402 405 417

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

172 172 172

404 404 404

575 578 590

548 577 589

197,300 201,513 208,398

12.8 12.8 12.8

121,974 124,115 128,356

1

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

Average ES salary

Average GM/GS grade

Average GM/GS salary

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

Subtotal

Commissioned Corps (42 U.S.C. 207)

Assistant Surgeon General

Director Grade

Senior Grade

Full Grade

Senior Assistant Grade

Assistant Grade

Subtotal

Ungraded

Total permanent positions

Total positions, end of year

GS-5

GS-4

GS-3

GS-2

GS-1

GS-10

GS-9

GS-8

GS-7

GS-6

GM/GS-15

GM/GS-14

GM/GS-13

GS-12

GS-11

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

National Institute of Mental Health

Detail of Positions1

GRADE

Total, ES Positions

Total, ES Salary

General Schedule