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If an issued NIH HIV research award payment is delayed, start with your institution’s sponsored programs or grants office: it controls authorized payment requests and can trace whether the hold is at NIH, in the HHS Payment Management System (PMS), or within the institution. Check the award’s Notice of Award (NoA), confirm the PMS request status and justification, then contact the NIH Grants Management Specialist named for the award if needed. HIV research awards do not have a separate payment process in the NIH guidance cited here; the NoA and its terms govern the particular award.
First identify which payment is delayed
These are different situations, and the right next step depends on which one applies:
- The application is still pending: It is not yet an issued award, so payment-tracing steps for an existing award do not apply. Ask the institution’s grants office about the application’s status and any official award notice.
- NIH has issued an award, but a PMS request is pending or missing: Have the institution’s authorized grants staff check the payment request and any review messages in PMS.
- The institution has received the funds but has not transferred them to the research team: Ask the institution’s grants office to trace its internal distribution. NIH sources do not provide a diagnostic process for an institution-specific transfer delay.
This guidance is for NIH awards. A foundation, another federal agency, or an international funder may use different payment rules; follow that funder’s award agreement and contact its grants administrator.
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What to do about an issued NIH award
- Read the current Notice of Award. Check the payment method, period of performance, award-specific conditions, and named contacts. NIH award terms vary, and the NoA incorporates conditions that apply to the individual award. See NIH’s Notice of Award guidance.
- Ask your institutional sponsored programs or grants office to trace the request. The recipient organization controls authorized requests. Ask whether a request was submitted, when, for what amount, and whether it is pending, returned, or otherwise needs action.
- Check the request and its justification in PMS. NIH’s Grants Policy Statement, revised March 2026, requires a detailed justification explaining why the funds are being drawn and how they will be used during the period of performance, so NIH staff can review the request through Defend the Spend (DTS). Confirm with authorized institutional staff that the required explanation was included and that any follow-up has been answered. The policy establishes this review requirement; it does not establish that DTS caused a particular delay or how long review will take. See NIH payment guidance.
- Contact the NIH Grants Management Specialist for award-specific questions. NIH directs recipients to the specialist listed in the eRA Commons Status screen; check the NoA as well for award-specific contacts and conditions. For drawdown, cash management, or Federal Financial Report (FFR) disbursement-reporting questions, NIH policy points to the Payment Management System (PMS) and the Payment Management Services (PSC/PMS) support channel.
- Keep a case record. Note the NIH grant number, PMS subaccount or award document number, amount, request date and status, period of performance, any error or review message, and the dates and responses from the institution and NIH. NIH specifies some of these details for a late-payment request; the rest make it easier to track the case and explain it consistently.
How NIH payment timing and routes work
NIH grant payments are routed through HHS’s centralized PMS. The NoA specifies the method for a particular award, which may include SMARTLINK II/ACH or a cash request, including reimbursement, depending on the award. NIH generally uses advance payments, but its Grants Policy Statement says recipients should draw funds as needed, no more than three business days before they are needed. That is a cash-management rule, not a promise that a pending request will be processed within three business days.
For payment requests, NIH’s Grants Policy Statement says: “NIH grant recipients are required to include a detailed justification explaining why the funds are being drawn and how the funds are being used during the period of performance when submitting payment requests to PMS in order for NIH staff to conduct a timely review and approval within the Defend the Spend (DTS) system.” This is the policy’s requirement; it does not identify the cause or expected resolution time for any individual delayed request.
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If the award period has ended
NIH says a recipient may request payment from PMS up to 120 days after the period-of-performance end date for the PMS subaccount. This is the stated draw window, not an automatic extension of the award or a guarantee that a late request will be paid.
Within 120 days
Ask the institutional grants office to check the PMS subaccount’s status and submit or trace the request under the award’s terms. The 120-day window is measured from the period-of-performance end date of the PMS subaccount.
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For a rare drawdown not completed in time, NIH requires a prior-approval request to the Institute or Center Grants Management Specialist listed in the NoA before submitting the payment request in PMS. The request must include:
- PMS subaccount or award document number
- NIH grant number
- Amount requested
- Justification for the late request
- Steps being taken to prevent a recurrence
NIH considers these requests case by case. The late-draw instructions also emphasize timely, accurate expenditure reporting and reconciliation between PMS cash transaction reports and NIH expenditure reports. The Authorized Organization Representative or designated institutional reporter certifies the FFR’s accuracy and completeness. NIH’s NOT-OD-23-086 directs late-draw inquiries to the FFR Reconciliation and Financial Support Center within OPERA.
Closed PMS documents
The late-draw instructions do not apply to Closed documents, where funds are no longer available to draw. NIH may consider requests for closed documents tied to a public health emergency, natural disaster, or similar event; this is an exception for consideration, not an assurance of approval. Ask the Grants Management Specialist about the appropriate route before submitting anything.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who to contact
- Institutional sponsored programs or grants office: Start here to trace the award, authorized PMS request, and any internal distribution.
- NIH Grants Management Specialist: Use the contact listed in eRA Commons Status and the NoA for award-specific terms, conditions, and escalation.
- PSC/PMS: Use the payment-system support channel for PMS drawdown, cash-management, and FFR disbursement-reporting questions. NIH’s award-conditions page lists the Division of Payment Management at (301) 443-1660 for payment inquiries; verify current contact details on the NIH award-conditions page.
When you contact anyone, include the grant and PMS identifiers, requested amount, request date and status, relevant end date, and the exact message or issue. Keep the inquiry factual and ask what action or documentation is needed next.
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