DPSAC News: What is the Difference Between Background Investigations and Security Clearances?

DPSAC News

A bi-weekly newsletter from the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control

Providing timely information to help keep NIH safe and secure.

May 5, 2021 Issue of DPSAC News

In this issue:

Badging Process: Background Investigations Versus Security Clearances
Next Steps in Processing the Clinical and Graduate Medical Education Fellows
FAQs - Will the applicant receive a copy of their background investigation once it is completed?
Badge Processing Times
Helpful Tips: Avoiding Additional Delays in Processing New Hires
AOs Who Wish to Obtain Sponsor Authority

Badging Process: Background Investigations Versus Security Clearances

In order to ensure that everyone understands the necessary steps for pre-screening, the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) would like to encourage you to please read this article. We would like to make a brief update that all FieldPrint requests must be sent to ORSFingerprintService@mail.nih.gov.

As a kind reminder, a badge holder can be one of the following tiers:

Tier 1 (Formerly NACI or level 1) – non-sensitive position.
Tier 2 (Formerly MBI or level 5B) – public trust position.
Tier 3 (Formerly ANACI or level 2) – non-critical sensitive national security position. This investigation makes the staff member eligible for a secret clearance.
Tier 4 (Formally BI or Level 6) – public trust position.
Tier 5 (Former SSBI or Level 3) – critical sensitive national security position. This investigation makes the staff member eligible for a top-secret clearance.
Tier 5+ (Formerly level 4) – a select designation for staff needing TS/SCI security clearances. Only a very select few positions are within this scope.

From these tiers, a Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 4 would only require a background check, while a Tier 3 and a Tier 5 would require a background investigation and may require a security clearance. If a security clearance is needed, the position duties would reflect the need to access classified materials in the position description. Please read this article to understand the difference between a background investigation and a security clearance.

Next Steps in Processing the Clinical and Graduate Medical Education Fellows

Do you have a Clinical or Graduate Medical Education (GME) Fellow looking to complete their fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)? Please be sure to read our full article with specific details that will help you smoothly guide these fellows and help them receive their badge in a timely manner.

As a reminder, the fellow must have been registered and sponsored in the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) System by yesterday, May 4, 2021. The Division of Personnel Security & Access Control (DPSAC) will not be able to start the fellow’s prescreening without this. Next steps include checking in on your fellows, as they must complete DPSAC's prescreening requirements no later than June 1, 2021, which is four weeks prior to their July 1 start date. Be sure to also send DPSAC a list of all fellows to provide status of prescreening completion/entrance on duty (EOD) readiness prior to June 1, 2021.

Factor in any additional processing time for Foreign Nationals and any additional processing time required for coordination of rotational duties. This includes Walter Reed Rotations, which require a Tier 3 investigation before obtaining access to their facility. Read more about the Walter Reed Rotations here.

Please help these fellows complete everything necessary for prescreening, so DPSAC can complete the process in a timely manner. We thank you for your assistance in transitioning these fellows into the NIH.

Q. Will the applicant receive a copy of their background investigation once it is completed?

A. When DPSAC completes an individual's background investigation, the individual will receive an e-mail from DPSAC's database letting them know the investigation is complete. For Federal employees, their employee personnel file (eOPF) will be updated as well. Individuals may request a copy of their investigation file under provisions of the Privacy Act. If the individual has any further questions, feel free to refer them to this section of the DCSA website, which includes information about background investigations.

Badge Processing Times

For the FEB/MAR/APR time frame, the average processing time for issuing an ID badge is 20.7 calendar days.

Avoiding Additional

Delays in Processing

New Hires

Processing times are often delayed due to reasons outside of DPSAC control, which include, but are not limited to:

Incomplete or not submitted OF-306
Candidate response time
Issues requiring clarification by the candidate
Untimely submission of initial e-QIP or corrected e-QIP

How the AO and HR communities can assist:

By ensuring all required documents have been uploaded into HR's 'Onboarding Manager' prior to establishing a NED account
By entering candidates as early as possible but no later than 8 weeks prior to their Entry on Duty (EOD) date
By working with DPSAC to ensure candidates respond in a timely manner to inquiries

ALT cards -- should be returned to the IC ALT card coordinator - NOT to DPSAC.

Administrative Officers (AOs) who wish to obtain sponsor authority must complete the sponsor training. To access the training module, click on: Sponsor.

Upon completion, the AO should sign and email a copy of the certificate found at the end of the training module to Alex Salah at: salaha@ors.od.nih.gov.

Upon receipt of the certificate, Mr. Salah will authorize the AO as a Sponsor.

Note: ONLY individuals with an Administrative Officer role in NED are eligible to be HHS ID Badge/PIV Card Sponsors.

Are there topics you would like to read more about in future issues of DPSAC News?

Please send your suggestions to: Judie.Kuo@nih.gov. Your input is greatly appreciated.

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A biweekly e-newsletter from the National Institutes of Health, Office of Research Services, Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (ORS/DPSAC) to keep its readers informed of personnel security and access control policies and practices designed to safeguard the NIH and its workforce. DPSAC is responsible for verifying personal identity, validating suitability, reviewing background checks, authorizing facility access and issuing ID badges for NIH personnel.

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