2024 Spring Inside NIMH

Director’s Updates

This spring, as we prepare for a leadership transition, we continue to celebrate the institute’s 75th anniversary. In this edition of Inside NIMH, we share more about the institute’s annual update of the Strategic Plan for Research and highlight precision medicine updates.

News to Know

• Dr. Gordon to Step Down as NIMH Director: On February 29, 2024, Dr. Gordon announced  his decision to step down as NIMH Director, effective June 14, 2024. Under Dr. Gordon's nearly eight years of leadership, NIMH has made sizable research contributions to mental health practice and services, supporting the development and FDA approval of new medications; building the evidence base for new interventions, including screening and risk reduction; and meeting the need for a rapid evolution of telemedicine, which was put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Gordon plans to return to Columbia University, New York City, as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Psychiatrist-in-Chief of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital campus at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Dr. Gordon also will serve as Director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Shelli Avenevoli, Ph.D., NIMH Deputy Director, has graciously agreed to serve as the Acting NIMH Director while NIMH conducts a national search for a new Director.
• Updating the NIMH Strategic Plan for Research:
  • NIMH uses its Strategic Plan for Research to communicate institute priorities and help guide institute-funded mental health research efforts. To keep pace with ever-evolving scientific approaches and research priorities, NIMH released its annual update to the Strategic Plan on May 29, 2024. Most notably, the updated Strategic Plan emphasizes NIMH’s commitment to funding research that addresses the needs of individuals from underserved populations. In addition, we expanded on NIMH’s interest in supporting research that uses data and digital health technologies to identify clinical symptoms of mental illnesses and provide personalized interventions. The annual update also includes a Progress Report which highlights significant accomplishments over the last fiscal year that support the goals of the Strategic Plan, spanning fundamental science through public health impact.
  • NIMH is soliciting feedback on its current Strategic Plan for Research to improve the potential usability, effectiveness, and impact of future strategic plans (NOT-MH-25-135 ). Please submit your feedback using this webform  by July 24, 2024.
• NIMH Continues its 75th Anniversary Celebrations:
  • From September 2023 to September 2024, NIMH is celebrating 75 years of transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses. On March 18, 2024, NIMH hosted a symposium, “Amplifying Voices and Building Bridges: Toward a More Inclusive Future,” which brought together people living with mental illnesses, researchers, clinicians, and community leaders to reflect on past and present challenges in mental health research and chart a more inclusive path forward. NIMH will host additional activities throughout the year to commemorate its 75th anniversary, including a symposium on September 20, 2024, that will celebrate the inspiration behind NIMH research.
  • In addition to these events, NIMH is sharing resources that highlight research that the institute conducts and supports and its impact on mental health. For example, NIMH is publishing stories featuring the experiences of people living with mental illnesses. In addition, NIMH continues to post new episodes in a podcast series, “Mental Health Matters,” hosted by Dr. Gordon. NIMH also developed a collection of social media messages, graphics, newsletter posts, and additional resources to help others spread the word about NIMH’s history and mental health research advances over the past 75 years.
  • Subscribe to email updates and follow NIMH on social media to stay up to date about NIMH’s 75th anniversary.
• Advancing Precision Medicine Research: Effective treatments for mental illnesses exist, yet tailoring treatments for individuals is often a trial-and-error process that can lead to unacceptable delays in receiving effective treatment. NIMH’s Individually Measured Phenotypes to Advance Computational Translation in Mental Health (IMPACT-MH) initiative is supporting research that tests new ways of adding data, such as performance on computerized behavioral tasks or information about activity levels, to traditional clinical information. A special emphasis was placed on low-cost, easy to implement measures, to keep them more clinically actionable. These efforts could help mental health providers and their patients make more informed decisions about treatment options. NIMH recently awarded grants to several projects  and aims to support more.
• Opportunities to Provide Input on NIMH Research:
  • Improving Research Frameworks to Enable Rigorous Study of the Effects of Racism on Brain and Behavioral Health Across the Lifespan: NIH issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather input on identifying and addressing gaps in the impact of structural racism on brain, cognitive (e.g., learning, memory, attention, decision-making), and behavioral function across the lifespan; and the role of structural and systemic racism on the conduct of brain and behavioral health research (NOT-MH-24-190 ). NIH seeks input from healthcare providers, scientific research communities, patient advocacy groups, people with lived experience of brain or behavioral health disorders (e.g., substance use and mental health disorders), educators, and other interested parties. Responses must be submitted electronically on the RFI submission website  by June 14, 2024.
  • Strategies to Advance the Relevance and Impact of Mental Health Services Research: The NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) is seeking input about scientific and practice methods and approaches to enhance the rigor, generalizability and value of its research investments (NOT-MH-24-210 ). DSIR aims to understand what outcomes (e.g., clinical outcomes, functional outcomes, outcomes related to return on investment) are most important for its research to have an impact on mental health practice and policy that improves the quality of mental health care. Responses must be submitted electronically on the RFI submission website  by September 1, 2024.
• Outreach Spotlight: Over the last few months, NIMH shared resources and hosted events supporting several health observances, including National Eating Disorders Awareness Week from February 26–March 3, Brain Awareness Week from March 11–17, World Bipolar Day on March 30, and National Autism Acceptance Month in April. In recognition of National Women’s Health Week from May 12–15, NIMH updated its Perinatal Depression brochure and created a fact sheet about Depression in Women. NIMH also updated its Schizophrenia brochure for World Schizophrenia Awareness Day on May 24 and its Children and Mental Health fact sheet for Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day on May 9. And, in recognition of National Mental Health Awareness Month, NIMH hosted a Facebook Live event on brain stimulation therapies on May 1, with NIMH expert Sarah H. Lisanby, M.D.

Updates and Announcements from HHS and NIH

• Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) Updates:
  • The IACC held a Full Committee Meeting  on April 17, 2024. The meeting featured several presentations on global activities related to autism, including efforts in Canada, Peru, Australia, Kenya, India, and the United Kingdom. The World Health Organization also presented on international coordination efforts focused on autism and disability.
  • On March 7, 2024, the IACC published the 2019-2020 IACC Autism Research Portfolio Analysis Report , which provides comprehensive information about the status of autism research funding among federal agencies and private research organizations in the United States. A companion "At-a-Glance" summary document  was also released, providing an overview of the key findings of the report.
• National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Released: On April 23, 2024, HHS released the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention , a new 10-year comprehensive approach to suicide prevention that provides recommendations for addressing gaps in the field. It is organized around four strategic directions: community-based suicide prevention; treatment and crisis services; surveillance, quality improvement, and research; and health equity in suicide prevention. The National Strategy addresses suicide at the national, state, tribal, local, and territorial levels and relies upon critical partnerships across the public and private sectors. Further, this strategy is accompanied by the first-ever Federal Action Plan , which identifies more than 200 actions across the Federal government to be taken over the next three years in support of those goals.
• NIH Leadership News
  • On May 6, 2024, Kathleen Neuzil, M.D. , began her role as the 13th Director of the Fogarty International Center (FIC) and NIH Associate Director for international research. Dr. Neuzil is the first woman to hold the permanent FIC directorship since the FIC’s founding in 1968. As Director, Dr. Neuzil will lead FIC in its mission of supporting and facilitating global health research conducted by U.S.-based and international investigators, building partnerships between health research institutions around the world, and training the next generation of scientists to address global health needs. Dr. Neuzil previously served as Director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health and Chief of the Division of Geographic Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. She succeeds Peter Kilmarx, M.D., who served as Acting FIC Director between January 2023 and May 2024.
  • On February 8, 2024, NIH announced the selection of Sean Mooney, Ph.D. , as Director of NIH’s Center for Information Technology (CIT). As CIT Director, Dr. Mooney will oversee an approximately $400 million portfolio that supports a world-renowned supercomputer that allows researchers to conduct large-scale data analyses; a state-of-the-art network that enables research across NIH and around the world; cloud-based services that give researchers a cost-effective way to access datasets and advanced computational tools and services; and the latest collaboration tools to promote flexibility and productivity. He succeeds Ivor D’Souza, M.S.E.E., who served as Acting Director of CIT between September 2022 and March 2023.
• NIH-Wide Initiatives
  • Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies^® (BRAIN) Initiative: The BRAIN Initiative^®  seeks to revolutionize the understanding of the human brain. On June 17–18, 2024, NIH will host the 10th Annual BRAIN Initiative Meeting: Celebrating a Decade of Innovation . The goal of the meeting is to continue building the BRAIN Initiative community, provide a forum for discussing scientific developments and potential new directions, and identify areas for collaboration and research coordination.
  • NIH Observes Rare Disease Day: On February 29, 2024, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and the NIH Clinical Center sponsored a hybrid event , Rare Disease Day at NIH, as part of a global observance. The annual observance aims to raise awareness about rare diseases, the people they affect, and NIH collaborations that address scientific challenges and advance research for new treatments. The event featured panel discussions, stories told by patients living with a rare disease, in-person exhibitors and scientific posters, and an art presentation.
  • All of Us Research Program: The All of Us Research Program  seeks to collect health data from one million or more individuals in the United States to accelerate research that may improve health.
    • On April 3–4, 2024, All of Us hosted a virtual Researchers Convention  to provide an opportunity for researchers who use All of Us data and tools to showcase their work and discuss common interests in precision medicine. The meeting also included networking opportunities, poster presentations, and sessions on mentorship and the current state of science.
    • On February 19, 2024, All of Us announced  that a collaborative group of genomics investigators has discovered more than 275 million previously unreported genetic variants, identified by data shared by All of Us study participants. The unexplored group of variants provides researchers new pathways to better understand the influences of genetics on health and disease, especially in communities who have been underrepresented in research in the past.
  • Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL)^® Initiative: The HEAL Initiative  is an NIH-wide effort to speed discovery of scientific solutions to address the opioid public health emergency. On February 7–8, 2024, the HEAL Initiative convened its fifth annual Investigator Meeting , with more than 800 grant recipients, federal officials, people with lived experience with substance use disorders, and other participants taking part in the event. Attendees learned about recent research advances, explored trends, and identified opportunities to advance the Initiative’s goals. They also discussed a broad range of topics, including building sustainable research-practice partnerships; open science practices; and new targets and mechanisms for pain and addiction; in addition to addressing health disparities in the overdose crisis.
  • NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative: NIMH is part of the Executive Committee of the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative , a cross-cutting NIH-wide effort to reduce health threats from climate change across the lifespan and build health resilience in individuals, communities, and nations around the world. On February 5–7, 2024, the Initiative, in partnership with Boston University School of Public Health and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, hosted its first annual CAFÉ Climate and Health Conference . The virtual meeting brought together over 900 participants for panel discussions, networking opportunities, poster presentations, and keynote speakers.
  • REsearching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative: The RECOVER Initiative  is a patient-centered, integrated, adaptive research network that is seeking to understand, treat, and prevent Long COVID and help people who are living with its long-term effects. On February 13, 2024, NIH announced  its additional investment of $515 million in the Initiative over the next four years. This additional funding will build on and continue the important work of RECOVER by testing additional interventions in clinical trials; deepening our understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 affects each part of the body as it triggers Long COVID; identifying potential biological targets for diagnosis and treatment; investigating longer-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults and children; and maintaining support for data management and research infrastructure.

Budget Overview

• Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Budget: On March 23, 2024, President Biden signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (Public Law No. 118-47 ), providing funds through September 30, 2024. The law provides $2.3 billion to NIMH (amount includes 21st Century Cures funding ). The appropriation includes an increase of $75 million to support research focused on developing targeted preventive interventions and treatment for mental illnesses. It also includes a $139 million reduction in 21st Century Cures funding for the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative. NIMH anticipates awarding more than 600 new and competing research project grants (RPGs) in FY24, with an estimated success rate of 22%, as shown in the figure below.

• Although NIMH does not have a specific pay line, the institute expects to support most of the applications that have an impact score up to the 10th percentile, many between the 10th and 20th percentiles, and some beyond the 20th percentile. Funding decisions are based on factors such as the institute’s Strategic Plan for Research, ensuring representation of diverse perspectives, programmatic portfolio consideration, and availability of funds. Moreover, the institute will give special consideration to certain applications in accordance with the NIH Next Generation Researchers Initiative  efforts.
• The figure below shows the NIMH budget in appropriated (current) versus constant (FY10) dollars. Constant dollars are “inflation adjusted” for variations in the purchasing power of the dollar over time. Dollar amounts are adjusted based on the Biomedical Research and Development Price Index (BRDPI). The annual change in BRDPI indicates how much the NIH budget must change to maintain purchasing power similar to FY10. NIMH had received some increases in appropriation over the past decade and actual purchasing power has increased 7.6% since FY10.

• Outlook for FY25: On March 11, 2024, the White House released its FY25 budget request  to Congress. The discretionary request for NIH is $50.1 billion, an increase of $1.53 billion from the FY24 enacted level. The request for NIMH is $2.5 billion. The request includes $10 million for a behavioral health science implementation initiative and $190 million for other mental health research focused on better diagnostics, improved treatments, and enhanced precision of mental health care. On May 23, 2024, NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) regarding the FY25 budget request for NIH. From March through May 2024, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra participated in a series of hearing on the FY25 HHS Budget Request, including testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on LHHS; the Senate Committee on Finance; the House Appropriations Subcommittee on LHHS; the House Committee on Ways and Means; and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

NIMH Staff News and Awards

• Staff News
  • Sarah Morris, Ph.D., Branch Chief of the Psychopathology and Psychosocial Interventions Research Branch within the NIMH Division of Translational Research, was appointed the head of the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Unit in May 2024. The NIMH RDoC Unit is dedicated to furthering the goals of the RDoC initiative and to overseeing various RDoC activities including the IMPACT-MH initiative.
  • Susan Azrin, Ph.D., Chief of the Early Psychosis Prediction and Prevention Unit in the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research, retired from federal service on March 22, 2024. During her 15 years of service, Dr. Azrin served as the Project Officer for the landmark Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode (RAISE) trial that established the feasibility and effectiveness of Coordinated Specialty Care on recovery outcomes and symptoms for individuals with early psychosis. She also initiated a research program to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis, which expanded the scientific community’s understanding of how to rapidly identify people with early psychosis and connect them to evidence-based care in community settings.
  • Ellen Leibenluft, M.D., Senior Investigator and Chief of the Section on Mood Dysregulation and Neuroscience in the NIMH Intramural Research Program (IRP), retired in July 2023 after 34 years of service with NIMH. As an expert on chronic childhood irritability, she continues several research collaborations as a part-time Adjunct Investigator at NIMH. In 2018, Dr. Leibenluft was elected as a member to the National Academy of Medicine for her scientific contributions to evaluating children for bipolar disorder; identifying chronic irritability; and pioneering the use of cognitive neuroscience to address fundamental clinical questions on nosology and treatment of pediatric mental disorders.
• Legacy News
  • We are sad to announce the passing of Herbert Pardes, M.D., on April 30, 2024. Dr. Pardes served as NIMH Director between 1978 and 1984. As NIMH Director, he strengthened the institute's research program and emphasized the need to increase research support for psychiatry. Among numerous professional accomplishments, Dr. Pardes was U.S. Assistant Surgeon General under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan and was appointed to serve on health policy commissions by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Dr. Pardes also served as the founder and President of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation Scientific Council.
• Staff Awards
  • Janet Clark, Ph.D., Director of the NIMH IRP Office of Fellowship Training, was named a Fellow of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
  • Armin Raznahan, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of the Section on Developmental Neurogenomics in the NIMH IRP, was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Director’s Highlights: NIMH Scientists and Science

Grantee Awards

We are proud to recognize significant achievements and awards received by some of our current grantees.

• Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Kathryn Yount, Ph.D. (Emory University)

Notable NIMH Grants

The following is a selection of the institute’s most recently funded projects that exemplify our efforts to accelerate research on mental illnesses, and to achieve the research goals outlined in the NIMH Strategic Plan for Research.

• Autism spectrum disorder is defined by certain characteristics, including alterations in how sensory information is processed to plan and execute movement. Although individuals carry two copies of every gene, sometimes one gene copy has a mutation which can confer risk for autism spectrum disorder. CRISPR (short for “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats”) is a promising therapy that can increase expression of a functional gene copy. With support from the NIMH Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science, Kevin Bender, Ph.D.  (University of California, San Francisco) and Daniel Feldman, Ph.D.  (University of California, Berkeley) seek to use CRISPR to restore expression of SCN2A, an autism risk gene, in mice with a SCN2A mutation. SCN2A encodes a protein that plays a key role in a neuron’s ability to transmit electrical signals. If one copy of the gene is not functional and the other cannot compensate for it, the mutation can affect how sensory information is processed in the brain. Drs. Bender and Feldman aim to define the therapeutic window during which CRISPR-based restoration of SCN2A can restore cellular, network, and behavioral function in mice. This research may provide important proof-of-concept insights to establish the feasibility of gene therapy for genetic forms of autism.
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity that interferes with functioning and development. College students with ADHD represent a growing population with academic and mental health needs that often exceed available resources on college campuses. With support from the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research, Joshua Langberg, Ph.D.  (Rutgers University) and David Shepherd, Ph.D.  (Virginia Commonwealth University) plan to test a virtual reality intervention platform that uses an immersive environment designed to minimize distractions and provides real time feedback and rewards related to completing on-task performance. In its first phase, Drs. Langberg and Shepherd plan to develop algorithms that measure performance and provide feedback, and examine the intervention’s feasibility, acceptability, and usability. During the second phase, they aim to determine which components of the intervention (virtual reality, feedback, or rewards) are most effective among a group of 252 college students with ADHD. The proposed virtual reality intervention may provide a novel behavioral intervention for addressing difficulties with attention, motivation, and work efficiency that emerging adults with ADHD experience.
• Economic deprivation, poverty-induced stress, and parental distress can increase the risk of child maltreatment and poor child mental health outcomes. Effective interventions exist at individual, family, and structural levels to improve children's emotional well-being, but their combined effects remain unclear. With support from the NIMH Center for Global Mental Health Research, Leyla Ismayilova, Ph.D.  (University of Chicago), aims to refine and test three evidence-based interventions, including family-strengthening programs, trauma-focused mental health care for parents, and economic empowerment initiatives. Dr. Ismayilova aims to compare different intervention components to identify the combination most effective in improving clinical mental health outcomes among children from low-income families in Azerbaijan. With a focus on cognitive and social processes, the study aims to understand the mediating pathways of each intervention. Dr. Ismayilova also aims to strengthen local research capacity, fostering sustainable implementation of mental health services. Findings from this study may offer insights to further adapt, integrate, and compare multi-level psychosocial interventions that address underlying risks and protective factors related to child mental health.

For more information on these and other grants selected for funding, visit the NIH RePORTER website .

Featured Funding Opportunities and Initiatives

NIH electronically posts in the NIH Guide  a listing of all NIH Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs), including program announcements and requests for applications, as well as important notices for the scientific community. Below is a description of some types of NOFOs and Notices, as well as a selection of “Featured Funding Opportunities” in which NIMH participates. The Funding page on the NIMH website also has links to listings of all NIMH NOFOs and other resources. Information about the review process can be found on NIH’s Understand Funding Opportunities webpage .

Program Announcements

Program Announcements (PAs) are formal statements about new or ongoing extramural activities or programs. NIH may also make funds available through PARs (PAs with special receipt, referral, and/or review considerations) and PASs (PAs with set-aside funds). These types of NOFOs may serve as a reminder of continuing interest in a research area, describe modifications to an activity or program, and/or invite applications for grant support.

Featured PAs, PARs, or PASs:

• Advancing Learning Health Care Research in Outpatient Mental Health Treatment Settings (PAR-24-118 )
• AIDS Research Center on Mental Health and HIV/AIDS (PAR-24-164 , PAR-24-165 )
• Health and Health Care Disparities Among Persons Living with Disabilities (PAR-23-309 )

Notices of Special Interest

Notices of Special Interest (NOSIs) highlight interest in a research area that does not have set-aside funds or special review criteria or review considerations. NOSIs direct applicants to one or more active NOFOs (often parent announcements ) for submission of applications for the initiative described.

Featured NOSIs:

• Women’s Health Research (NOT-OD-24-079 )
• School Mental Health: Innovative Approaches to Expand Access to Evidence-Based Interventions and Services (NOT-MH-24-165 )
• Impact of Policy Interventions Aimed at Addressing Social Determinants of Health to Improve Functioning and Well-being for People with Serious Mental Illnesses (NOT-MH-24-340 )

Requests for Applications

Requests for Applications (RFAs) are formal statements that solicit grant or cooperative agreement applications in a well-defined scientific area to accomplish specific program objectives. RFAs often list a single receipt date in the announcement and indicate the amount of funds set aside for the RFA in a given fiscal year. Applications in response to RFAs are reviewed using NOFO-specific peer review criteria, which usually includes review by a Scientific Review Group specially convened by the awarding component that issued the RFA.

Featured RFAs:

• Lethal Means Safety Suicide Prevention Research in Healthcare and Community Settings (RFA-MH-25-120 )
• Optimizing Behavioral Sleep Interventions for Adolescents and Young Adults (RFA-MH-25-130 )
• BRAIN Initiative: Research on the Ethical Implications of Advancements in Neurotechnology and Brain Science (RFA-MH-25-170 , RFA-MH-25-171 )
• Advancing HIV Service Delivery through Pharmacies and Pharmacists (RFA-MH-25-185 , RFA-MH-25-186 )
• Precision Mental Health: Develop Tools to Inform Treatment Selection in Depression (RFA-MH-25-190 )

Notices

NIH periodically issues Notices to update or clarify policies. For example, NIH uses Notices to solicit information from the extramural community, such as a request for information (RFI). NIH may also release Notices of Intent to Publish (NOITPs) to alert the grantee community of an upcoming NOFO (particularly NOFOs that may require coordination by multiple investigators) or if there will be a shorter than normal time from publication of the NOFO to the first application receipt date (such as with a reissue of an existing NOFO). For the most up-to-date list of NIH and NIMH-issued notices, visit the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts website .

Featured Notices:

• Notice of Clarification of NIMH Research Priorities for PAR-24-077 "Addressing Health and Health Care Disparities among Sexual and Gender Minority Populations” (NOT-MH-24-170 )
• NIMH Funding Priorities for Applications Supporting Exceptionally Well-Funded Investigators (NOT-MH-24-230 )
• Notice of Clarification of NIMH Specific Areas of Research Interest in PAR-22-181 “Research Opportunities for New and “At-Risk” Investigators to Promote Workforce Diversity” (NOT-MH-24-375 )

You can subscribe to the NIMH Funding Opportunities ListServ  to receive the latest information about NIMH funding opportunities, as well as administrative updates and changes to grant policies and procedures. You can also subscribe to a separate listserv to receive weekly e-mails from the NIH Guide .

Future Research Directions

Concept Clearances for Potential New Research Initiatives

This list of concept clearances offers the earliest possible alert to the field of our research interests and potential upcoming funding announcements. While NIMH plans to proceed with these initiatives, their publication and timing are not certain and depend on sufficient funding. The titles and brief descriptions are consistent with the information available at the time of concept clearance. The resultant Notices of Funding Opportunities may differ from the concepts in the final wording of their titles or other aspects.

• Establishing Standards for Data and Metadata from Wearable Devices
• Multimodal Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges in HIV Clinical Care
• Role of T-Cells in HIV Central Nervous System Reservoir Seeding, Persistence, and Neuropathogenesis

For more information about concept clearances, please see recent NAMHC-approved concepts. To send questions about a specific concept, reach out to NIMHinitiatives@mail.nih.gov.

NIMH-Sponsored Meetings

• Neurofeedback Intervention Development: Opportunities and Challenges: On May 2, 2024, NIMH hosted a virtual workshop that convened researchers and federal officials to review the state of the science for neurofeedback intervention development for mental disorders. The event highlighted recent advances in both early treatment development and later efficacy and effectiveness trials, as well as regulatory issues relevant to the approval and implementation of device-based methods such as neurofeedback intervention.
• Sound Tracks: A Journey to Belonging: On April 16, 2024, NIMH and the Office of National Autism Coordination held a special event  in honor of Autism Acceptance Month. The event featured autistic photographer, Blair Bunting; autistic violinist and music educator, Laura Nadine; and neurodivergent filmmaker, John Shaffer, along with a screening of their film, “Sound Tracks.”
• Practice-Based Suicide Prevention Centers Meeting: On April 10, 2024, the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research (DSIR) hosted a virtual meeting to hear from the directors of the seven NIMH-supported Practice-Based Suicide Prevention Research Centers. The Practice-Based Suicide Prevention Research Centers are integrated, transdisciplinary research programs aimed at developing, refining, and testing effective and scalable approaches for reducing suicide rates in the United States. During the meeting, program directors provided an overview of each of their projects and discussed strategies to achieve their common mission.
• Impact of Technology and Digital Media on Child and Adolescent Development and Mental Health: On April 4–5, 2024, the NIMH Division of Translational Research and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development co-hosted a hybrid workshop. Participants discussed the current state of and future directions for research on the positive and negative effects of technology and digital media on the development and mental health outcomes of infants, children, and adolescents. The program included individual talks and panel discussions with experts in technology and digital media; early development, including childhood and adolescence; and physical and mental health.
• Second NIMH 75th Anniversary Symposium: On March 18, 2024, NIMH continued its 75th Anniversary celebration with a symposium, “Amplifying Voices and Building Bridges: Toward a More Inclusive Future” that was attended by in-person and virtual participants. The event featured presentations from experts in health equity, sociology, psychiatry, and public health on topics such as inclusion in research, disparities in health and access to care, and mental health workforce diversity.
• Changing Minds & Advancing Lines: Why We Must Keep Pushing for Mental Health Equity: On February 20, 2024, the NIMH Division of Extramural Activities hosted Daniel Dawes, J.D., senior vice president and executive director of the Institute of Global Public Health at Meharry Medical College, as a guest speaker in the NIMH Director’s Innovation Speaker Series. In the virtual seminar, Mr. Dawes explored the crucial link between mental health and systemic health through the lens of equity and discussed how we can learn from past issues to achieve greater mental health equity moving forward.
• Advancing the Science on Peer Support and Suicide Prevention: On February 8 and 12, 2024, the NIMH DSIR hosted a virtual meeting that brought together experts in peer support suicide prevention. Discussions related to conceptual frameworks, recent advances in effective interventions, strategies across the crisis services continuum, digital and telehealth applications, and considerations for youth and equity.

Electronic Research Administration (eRA) Activities

Electronic Grant Application Submission News

• Guidance on Marking Changes in Resubmission Applications: NIH issued updated guidance, effective May 25, 2024, regarding marking changes in resubmission applications (NOT-OD-24-061 ). Applicants should not use markups in Resubmission applications to identify changes from a previous application. Instead, applicants should note major changes in the Introduction attachment.
• Guidance for Videos Submitted as Application Materials: In certain situations, the use of video technology can be critical in conveying key aspects of a grant application. Effective March 12, 2024, NIH no longer accepts audio or video files submitted on CD or DVD (NOT-OD-24-067 ). Applicants planning to submit audio or video content must send digital files by email to the assigned Scientific Review Officer.

NIH-Wide Grant News

• Reporting Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Plan Activities in the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR): On May 9, 2024, NIH informed the extramural research community of planned changes to the RPPR instructions to address the NIH DMS Policy (NOT-OD-24-123 ). Upon pending approval from the Office of Management and Budget, NIH will issue new DMS RPPR questions that align with the NIH Final Policy on Data Management and Sharing, to include updates on the status of data sharing, repositories, and unique identifiers for data that have been shared. The updated NIH RPPR Instruction Guide will be posted to the RPPR  page upon approval. NIH plans to implement the new questions for RPPRs submitted on or after October 1, 2024.
• Continued Extension of Certain Flexibilities for Prospective Basic Experimental Studies with Human (BESH) Participants: On May 6, 2024, NIH published guidance to further extend interim policy flexibilities regarding registration and results reporting for NIH-funded BESH research submitted in response to designated BESH funding opportunities (NOT-OD-24-118 ). This guidance applies to BESH research responsive to designated BESH funding opportunities with application due dates through September 24, 2025.
• Cooperative Agreements Information Now Available on NIH RePORTER: RePORTER now offers information about cooperative agreements through its advanced search feature . Cooperative agreements differ from grants in that they involve substantial staff involvement from the federal awarding agency (indicated by a ‘U’ in the activity code or mechanism as in U01, U54).
• Reminder: Simplifying Review of Research Project Grant (RPG) Applications: On April 4, 2024, NIH published additional guidance to provide the community with a high-level overview of upcoming changes  to the peer review of most RPG applications submitted for due dates on or after January 25, 2025 (NOT-OD-24-084 ; NOT-OD-24-285 ; NOT-OD-24-286 ). The simplified framework is designed to enable peer reviewers to better focus the scientific and technical merit of proposed research projects, mitigate the effect of reputational bias, and reduce reviewer burden by shifting policy compliance activities to NIH staff. Please visit the NIH webpage on Simplifying Review of RPG Applications  for additional background information, frequently asked questions, and resources.

For more information on all of these updates, please see the NIH eRA News page .

Questions? Contact the eRA Service desk . Note that contacting this help desk is the only way to document problems with an electronic grant application submission. Evidence of this contact is the only way to be eligible for any special consideration by the Center for Scientific Review Division of Receipt and Referral, should you run into a system problem with Grants.gov or with eRA that is beyond your control.

Director’s Messages

NIMH’s Director’s Messages provide insights into the latest topics in mental health research. As a part of NIMH’s 75th anniversary throughout the coming year, NIMH Director Dr. Gordon is inviting a range of guest contributions from NIMH divisions, offices, and teams for the Director’s Messages, each focusing on a different aspect of NIMH’s broad mission:

• Excellent to the “Core”: World Class Neuroimaging at NIMH (May 15, 2024): In this guest-written Director’s Message, staff from the NIMH Intramural Research Program highlighted how NIMH’s “core facilities,” or shared groups, for neuroimaging instruments have proven to be an effective way to facilitate breakthrough experiments and produce key findings.
• The Importance of Lived Experience Perspectives – Insights From the IACC (April 4, 2024): In honor of National Autism Acceptance Month, Dr. Gordon and Susan Daniels, Ph.D., HHS National Autism Coordinator and Director of the NIMH Office of National Autism Coordination, highlighted the important role that autistic people and their families play in helping to shape federal autism research, services, and policy via the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
• Decoding the Mind: Basic Science Revolutionizes Treatment of Mental Illnesses (March 21, 2024): In this guest-written Director’s Message, staff from the NIMH Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science highlighted NIMH's investments in basic neuroscience, genetics, and behavioral research that have helped improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illnesses.
• From Breakthroughs to Best Practices: How NIMH Transforms Research Into Real-World Care (February 26, 2024): In this guest-written Director’s Message, staff from the NIMH Division of Services and Intervention Research discussed past successes, current projects, and future directions in mental health research.

Science News

Here is the latest NIMH science-related news, including press releases, research highlights, feature stories, and institute announcements:

• Scientists Map Networks Regulating Gene Function in the Human Brain (May 23, 2024)
• Characterizing Childhood Irritability Across Ages and Stages (May 20, 2024)
• Basic Research Powers the First Medication for Postpartum Depression (May 14, 2024)
• Understanding the Underpinnings of Sensory Hypersensitivity in SCN2A-Associated Autism (April 29, 2024)
• Gene-Based Therapy Restores Cellular Development and Function in Brain Cells From People With Timothy Syndrome (April 25, 2024)
• Accelerating Science to Improve Early Autism Screening (April 23, 2024)
• Novel Treatment Helps Children With Severe Irritability (April 5, 2024)
• Revolutionizing the Study of Mental Disorders (March 27, 2024)
• Study Reveals Potential Neural Marker for Social Impairment in Psychotic Disorders (March 25, 2024)
• NIH Researchers Identify Brain Connections Associated With ADHD in Youth (March 13, 2024)
• Life with Schizoaffective Disorder (March 11, 2024)
• Dr. Joshua Gordon to Step Down as Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (February 29, 2024)
• Intervention Reduces Likelihood of Developing Postpartum Anxiety and Depression by More Than 70% (February 27, 2024)
• Decades of Dedication and Collaboration: Unraveling the HIV Mystery (January 29, 2024)

The NIMH Press Team wants to share the latest mental health research with the public. If you are working on NIMH-funded research that has been submitted to a journal for publication, please tell us about it. We might be able to help spread the word about your findings. Also, it is important to acknowledge NIMH's support of your research by citing your NIMH award  in journal articles and other communications.

Connect with NIMH

Sign up  for the latest mental health news, research advances, upcoming events, publications, clinical trials, meeting summaries, and more. In addition to our email newsletters and RSS updates, please also visit NIMH on X , Facebook , LinkedIn , Instagram , and YouTube , where we highlight science news, scientific meetings and events, funding and training opportunities, and other timely information.