How Mental Health Research is Funded and Where LifeInSight Comes In
National Institute of Health (NIH) has an annual budget of over $30 billion, $1 billion of which is allocated to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The NIMH divides its budget amongst various mental health clinical research initiatives, career development programs, and small business grants. Not to mention, over the years funding has declined overall. The amount of public funding available to researchers like our scientists is dwindling. Simply put, there just isn’t enough money to go around. Also, NIH and NIMH grants must be applied for and awarded. The grant writing and application process can take several months, sometimes over a year, with the application being passed from person to person, department to department. And this lengthy process is not a guarantee that funding will be awarded. Grants also must be used by the organization they are awarded to, drastically limiting the amount of collaboration between research organizations. Donations to this non-profit organization will allow our researchers to collaborate and share information, despite being at different universities.

So many advancements have been made in technology, anatomy and physiology, genetics and gene mapping, and we know more about how the brain works than we ever did before. We are very capable of making discoveries and developments when it comes to mental health, but these research studies require funding. One in five Americans deals with mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and depression. This research has the potential to change millions of lives, and it shouldn’t be held back by lack of funding. That’s why LifeInSight is committed to raising fund for this important research. With your help, we can make bridge the gap between results and federal funding. By combining funds from the NIH and NIMH, private foundations, other charitable organizations, and LifeInSight, our team of scientists can continue their life-changing work. Tags: alzheimer research, cognitive neuroscience, dementia research, cognitive research, mental health awareness month,brain and behavior research foundation