If you receive NIH, CDC or other HHS grant payments and need to add a new bank account or change the one on file, HHS requires an SF-1199A Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form uploaded in the Payment Management System (PMS). The form has strict signature rules, and small mistakes get it rejected. Here's how it works.
When you need this
Enrolling a new bank account to receive grant payments
Switching banks or changing the account number
Changing the account type (checking or savings)
Changes to your organization name, EIN or address go through a separate PMS profile update.
What we need from you
Organization name exactly as it appears on your Notice of Award
Physical street address (no P.O. Box) and phone number
EIN from your Notice of Award
New account number and account type (checking or savings)
Awarding agency (e.g., National Institutes of Health)
Bank name, physical bank address (no P.O. Box) and routing number
Name and title of the person signing for your organization. They must have signature authority on the bank account.
How it works
We prepare the form. We fill in Sections 1 and 2 and send it to you.
You sign Section 1. Print it, sign in pen, date it, scan at 300 DPI or higher and send the scan back. Keep the original.
Your bank completes Section 3. Take the signed form to your bank. They fill in their details and sign in pen. Most banks need you to request this in person or through your relationship manager.
We review and submit. We check everything against the rejection list below and upload it in PMS.
We confirm. We let you know once PMS approves the new account.
Signature rules
HHS only accepts original pen-and-ink signatures, from both you and your bank. These all get rejected:
Typed names
DocuSign, Adobe Sign or any digital signature
Pasted or image signatures
Common rejection reasons
White-out, strike-throughs or any visible edits
Missing date next to a signature
A P.O. Box in your address or the bank's address
Payee name doesn't match your PMS registration or the account title at the bank
Both or neither of checking and savings checked
Any blank field in the bank's Section 3
A cropped or hard-to-read scan
If anything's off, we start over with a fresh form. Don't try to fix it by hand.
Timeline
Plan on about 2 to 3 weeks end to end. Your signature usually takes 1 to 3 business days, the bank 3 to 7, and PMS approval 5 to 10. Don't plan drawdowns to the new account until we confirm it's approved. A small test drawdown first is a good idea.
Don't mail the form to HHS. It has to be uploaded in PMS.