NIMH Releases Strategic Research Priorities Update

October 12, 2016 • Science Update

To keep pace with rapid developments in research on mental illnesses, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recently released updates to its Strategic Research Priorities. These priorities serve as guidance to NIMH grantees, potential grant applicants, and staff for the design and implementation of future research.

Developed and reviewed by NIMH subject matter experts and leaders, these updates are designed to ensure that the NIMH’s priorities continue to advance research across the Institute’s four Strategic Objectives outlined in its 2015 Strategic Plan for Research, reflect the current state of the science, address gaps in research areas, and promote scientific discovery and service delivery.

The updated Strategic Research Priorities continue to emphasize the importance of research approaches that include the role of the environment, focus on prevention via early intervention, consider sex as a biological variable, address mental health disparities, and recognize global perspectives on mental health.

The Strategic Research Priorities continue to highlight NIMH’s ongoing commitment to data sharing, the use of common data elements, and priorities including the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project, the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, and the Institute’s experimental therapeuticsapproach.

NIMH updates its Strategic Research Priorities on an annual basis to provide timely guidance to investigators and promote rapid acceleration of scientific discovery.