Two Permissions on Different Records
Carryover concerns using a remaining balance in a later budget period. An extension of time concerns changing the activity or award end date. These concepts help identify questions for the agreement owner; neither permission follows from the existence of unspent money.
| Permission | Record It Changes in This Teaching Model | Question It Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Carryover | Authorized later-period budget and conditions for the earlier balance | May this balance be used in that later period? |
| Extension of time | Authorized award end date | May the work continue beyond the existing end date? |
Four Hypothetical Combinations
Every amount, period and permission below is invented. Period 1 ends December 31, 2026 with 12,000 USD unspent. Period 2 has a 30,000 USD budget, and the award originally ends June 30, 2027. In this model, “no carryover” means the earlier balance cannot be used after December 31. “Extension yes” means an explicit change to September 30, 2027 with no additional funds. These are hypothetical terms, not any donor's rules.
| Carryover Permission | No Extension Permission | Extension Permission Granted |
|---|---|---|
| No carryover permission | Earlier 12,000 USD is not usable after December 31; Period 2 budget stays 30,000 USD; end stays June 30 | Earlier balance still not usable after December 31; Period 2 budget stays 30,000 USD; end changes to September 30 |
| Carryover explicitly permitted | Hypothetical authorized Period 2 budget becomes 42,000 USD; end stays June 30 | Hypothetical authorized Period 2 budget becomes 42,000 USD; end changes to September 30 |
The carryover calculation is 30,000 + 12,000 = 42,000 USD. It is an authorized-budget illustration, not evidence of cash availability or transfer. The time change adds July, August and September: 31 + 31 + 30 = 92 days. The extension adds no funding in either extension cell.
The Practical Mistake
“We have more time” does not answer “may we use that earlier balance?” Conversely, permission to carry a balance forward does not answer whether activities may run beyond the existing end date. A pending request is different from a granted permission. Unspent funds alone establish neither an extension justification nor authority.
Human Boundary
The authorized agreement owner checks the actual award, conditions, exceptions and recorded decisions. This matrix grants no permission and supplies no request procedure. The extension request resource addresses a separate drafting task.
Source Scope
NIH's March 2026 policy, sections 8.1.1.1 and 8.1.1.3, distinguishes carryover and extension within NIH awards; award terms and exceptions control. ORIP's carryover guidance, checked November 1, 2026, distinguishes requests and revised awards for its specified mechanisms. Neither supplies the matrix's invented permissions. The Charity Commission's 2011 partnership checklist and November 2020 decision guidance provide England and Wales agreement and decision-record context, not worldwide award rules.