The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene (RFMH) is a private, nonprofit organization created in 1952 to assist and enhance the research and training objectives of the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene. RFMH itself is not a state agency. ¹

RFMH’s research helps to further the objectives of component agencies of the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, including the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). ²

Advocacy

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene supports research and programs focused on mental health and substance abuse. Its initiatives, funded by organizations like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), aim to advance understanding and improve prevention, treatment, and outcomes related to opioid addiction, drug abuse, and mental health disorders. These efforts include studies in neuroscience, behavioral science, clinical assessment, epidemiology, and HIV/AIDS-related behaviors, alongside training and teaching to enhance research methods and discover more effective ways to treat and prevent neurological and mental health conditions. ^{3 4}

In addition, the RFMH conducts research on ideologically left-of-center issues. In a government research grant awarded from 2022 to 2025, the RFMH received $1.1 million to test an “evidence-based, trauma-informed HIV prevention” program for non-white transgender women. ⁵

Background

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene is governed by a board of directors made up of administrators, government officials, and scientists who are independent from the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene. However, by an agreement with New York State, the RFMH has been authorized to oversee and manage all sponsored research conducted at the Department of Mental Hygiene’s central offices and its three research institutes. ²

Financials

In 2023, the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene reported $246,667,779 in revenues and $249,961,196 in expenses with $155,721,238 in total assets and 1,624 employees. ⁶

In 2023, the RFMH received $211,263,496 in government grants, or nearly 86 percent of total revenues. ⁷ A federal grant award analysis shows that the RFMH has received $903.9 million in awards in grants and subgrants from the federal government and its agencies over the years, with grant totals peaking at $72.9 million in 2021 alone. ⁸ For example, the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) has awarded a grant of $7,017,490 to the RFMH with an ongoing funding period from 2019 until 2026 for “adapting coordinated specialty care in the post COVID-19 era.” ⁹

In 2023, Columbia University donated $4,204,192 to the RFMH. ¹⁰

Leadership

The managing director of the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene is Robert E. Burke. ¹¹

Kelly Posner is a research scientist at the RFMH. In 2023 Posner was paid a salary of $649,301. ¹²

1.  Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene. “Employee Handbook Section 1.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://corporate.rfmh.org/human_resources/index.asp?page=handsect1.
2. Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene. “About the RFMH.” Accessed April 21, 2025. http://corporate.rfmh.org/corporate_info/index.asp?page=about_the_rf.
3. LinkedIn. “Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/company/research-foundation-for-mental-hygiene-inc-.
4. Candid. “Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc.” GuideStar. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/14-1410842.
5.  USAspending.gov. “Award: R01MH129285.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_R01MH129285_7529.
6. ProPublica. “Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc.” Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/141410842.
7. Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2024. Part 8, line E.
8. HigherGov. “Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene Inc. – Awardee Profile.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.highergov.com/awardee/research-foundation-for-mental-hygiene-inc-10292499/.
9. HigherGov. “Grant: R01MH120597.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.highergov.com/grant/R01MH120597/.
10. The Trustees of Columbia University In The City Of New York. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2023. Schedule 1, part 2, line 171.
11. LinkedIn. “Robert Burke.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/burke-robert-0b16a346.
12. Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). 2024. Part 7, section A, line 1.