Payment Request Instructions for NHPRC Awardees

Introduction

NHPRC awardees must maintain their System for Award Management (SAM) registration throughout the award process. Payment cannot be made to an organization whose SAM registration has expired. Before submitting a payment request, confirm that your organization’s SAM registration is current. Details can be found at https://sam.gov. 

Payments are made via electronic funds transfer, usually within 30 days of submitting a payment request.

FAQs 

Q: How will my organization receive the award funds?

A: Payments are not disbursed automatically. You must request payment using the Standard Form SF-270. Payments are made via electronic funds transfer to the account associated with your SAM registration.

Q: How often can I request payment?

A: Payments should be requested no more than once a month; and for multi-year awards, we recommend that awardees request reimbursement at least annually. Most NHPRC awardees request payment on a quarterly basis.

Q: How long does it take to be paid?

A: Payments are usually made within 30 days of submission. Errors can delay processing time, so please double-check your arithmetic and award details before submitting.

Q: Do I need to submit receipts, timesheets, and similar documentation along with my payment request?

A: You do not need to submit proof (such as receipts, etc.) to NHPRC as part of a payment request. However, all project expenditures must be verifiable, and you should retain documentation until 3 years after the award is closed out.

Q: Can I get help filling out the SF-270 form?

A: Line-by-line instructions are available below. If you have questions not answered by this guidance, please email nhprc@nara.gov.

Submitting a Payment Request

To request grant funds, you must complete and email the Request for Advance or Reimbursement, Standard Form SF-270 as a PDF to nhprc@nara.gov. Payments are not disbursed automatically. 

Errors in your payment request will result in payments being held until the form is corrected or until additional information is received.

Common errors that delay reimbursement:

• Overdue narrative and/or financial reports
• Use of a form other than the SF-270
• Payment forms submitted to incorrect email address
• Requesting reimbursement for expenses incurred outside the period of performance
• Incorrect calculations on the SF-270 

For reimbursements: Submit your reimbursable request based on actual expenditures. Reimbursement funds may be requested up to 90 days after the project’s period of performance has ended.

For advances: NHPRC will advance up to three months' worth of anticipated expenses.

• Advance dates: Advances may be for up to three months from the date that the request is submitted. 
• Advance explanation: When submitting your payment request, add an explanation for the advance payment request in the email body. Please note how advanced funds correspond with the approved budget and project schedule as well as the expected cost share for the advance period.

SF 270 Instructions

Box 1a. Type of Payment Requested: Advance or Reimbursement
Select if you are requesting ADVANCE funds (up to 3 months from today’s date) and/or a REIMBURSEMENT.

Box 1b. Type of Payment Requested: Final or Partial
If this is the last or only payment request select FINAL. If you anticipate submitting a subsequent payment request, select PARTIAL.

Box 2. Basis of Request
This is the method used to record costs in your organization’s accounting ledgers.

• If your organization recognizes expenses only as you pay them, select CASH.
• If your organization recognizes expenses before paying them, select ACCRUAL.

Box 3. Federal Sponsoring Agency
Enter "NHPRC"

Box 4. Federal Grant Number 
Enter the award number assigned by the NHPRC (e.g., PD-100000-24). If you have multiple grants with NHPRC, please ensure this payment request corresponds with the
correct award number.

Box 5. Partial Payment Request
If this is the first payment request for this award, enter “1”. Number subsequent payment requests sequentially (i.e. enter “2” when submitting a second payment request).

Box 6. Employer Identification Number
Enter your organization's nine-digit Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as the Tax Identification Number (TIN), assigned by the IRS.

Box 7. Recipient’s Account Number
If your organization assigns its own ID number to track awards, you may enter it here. This is an optional field and can be left blank.

Box 8. Period Covered by this Request
The “FROM” (starting) date should reflect the earliest date for which the costs reported were incurred. This date cannot be prior to the start date of the award’s period of performance. All costs must be incurred within the approved period of performance.

The “TO” (ending) date cannot be after the end of the award’s period of performance, and it should be in the future only if you are requesting an advance on Line 11d. If requesting an advance, this date should be no more than 3 months from today.

Box 9. Recipient Organization
Enter your organization’s name and address as it is registered in SAM.

Box 10. Payee
Please leave this field blank. Any updates to the organization’s payment details must be submitted through SAM.

Box 11. Computation of Amount of Reimbursements/Advances Requested 
Totals will not auto-calculate. Please check that all arithmetic is correct before submitting this form. 

• Line 11a. Total program outlays to date. Enter all allowable project costs that have been incurred and/or paid by the date you provide in the “as of” field. The “as of” date should be no later than the date of your payment request submission. Report actual expenditures; do not simply reiterate your original project budget. All costs claimed must be allowable and expense documentation (e.g., contracts, receipts, invoices, payroll records, cancelled checks) must be maintained and available for submission upon request.
• Line 11b. Less: cumulative program income: Enter all gross income earned that is directly generated by a supported activity or earned as a result of the NHPRC award (i.e., meeting registration fees). If the awarded project has not yielded any program income, enter “0”.
• Line 11c. Net program outlays (Line 11a minus line 11b): Calculate the difference between Line 11b and Line 11a. Program income must be used to reduce Federal costs.
• Line 11d. Estimated net cash outlays needed for an advance period: Include funds here only if you are requesting an advance of NHPRC funds to cover expenses expected to be incurred within 90 days or less from the date you submit this form, as reflected in Box 8. If you are requesting reimbursement, enter “0”.
• Line 11e. Total (sum of Lines 11c and 11d): Calculate the sum of Line 11c plus Line 11d.
• Lines 11f and 11g: Non-Federal and Federal shares of amount on Line 11e. Separate the total into the portion covered by cost share funds (Line 11f, Non- Federal Share) and the portion covered by grant funds (Line 11g, Federal Share). The sum of Line 11f + Line 11g should equal the Total reflected in Line 11e. Note that Line 11g cannot exceed the amount of your award. If your organization is not currently meeting its cost share obligation, provide a brief explanation in the email body when submitting your payment request.
• Line 11h. Federal payments previously requested: Enter the total NHPRC funds previously drawn down on this award.
• Line 11i. Federal share now requested (Line 11g minus Line 11h): Calculate the difference between Line 11g and Line 11h. Line 11i represents the amount you are now requesting. If this field is left blank, you have not requested a payment. 
• Line 11j. Advances required by month: Please leave this section blank; the NHPRC does not offer prescheduled advance payments.

Box 12. Alternative Computation for Advances Only
Please leave this section blank. Organizations requesting an advance payment must complete Box 11. 

Box 13. Certification
Complete all four fields in this section. This form must be completed and signed by a responsible fiscal agent for the award.

Once complete, email the SF-270 as a PDF to nhprc@nara.gov. Keep the original in your files. Please do not mail.