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.

October 24, 2018 Issue of DPSAC News

In this issue:
  • NED to Enforce System Access Requirements for NED Portal Users with the AO Role
  • NED Now Uses OPM's 5-Tier Background Investigation Standards and Naming System
  • Play it Safe When Using Space Heaters in NIH Buildings

NED to Enforce System Access Requirements for NED Portal Users with the AO Role

According to an October 12, 2018 e-mail from the NED Team to the AO and AT community, NED will be enforcing the below system access requirements for NED portal users with the AO role .

System Access Requirement
An individual's current Position Designation Type in NED must be designated to a Moderate Risk Public Trust position requiring a Tier 2 (or higher) background investigation, and the background investigation must, at a minimum, have been initiated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)/National Background Investigation Bureau (NBIB).

For any questions related to this requirement, please contact the NED Team at: nedteam@mail.nih.gov .
NED Now Uses OPM’s 5-Tier Background Investigation Standards and Naming System
The recent deployment of Maintenance Release v4.3.2, incorporated the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) / National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) "Tier" nomenclature and values system into the NED Portal.

For a detailed description of the five tiers and their corresponding background investigations, visit the DPSAC website at:  https://go.usa.gov/xQKgR .
Q. I have customers asking what they need to do if they forget their PIV card but need to use their card to access "sensitive applications" on their computers. How does NIH handle this?

A . According to the NIH Office of the Chief Information Officer, the short answer is "do not forget your PIV card."

Most users will need to learn how important it is to *always* have their PIV card with them if they need to access 'sensitive' applications. The U.S. Military as well as many public and private organizations have adopted this policy for their workforces.

Those who forget their PIV Card can contact CIT to request an exception in order to use their user name and password for that day.
Play It Safe When Using
Space Heaters
in
NIH Buildings
The following fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, ORS.

Each year at this time, questions arise concerning the use of space heaters at NIH- owned facilities. The guidelines that follow below do not pertain to NIH leased facilities.

Please be aware that if you work in a leased facility, there may be more stringent requirements from the building owner and/or the local fire-safety "Authority Having Jurisdiction." Please check with your Office of Research Facilities (ORF) Facility Manager ( https://orfapps.od.nih.gov/BuildingsandFacilityManagers.asp ) before purchasing or using a space heater in any NIH leased facility.             

Before a space heater can be considered for an NIH owned facility, any difficulties in regulating or maintaining a comfortable temperature must first be directed to ORF to have a building engineer attempt to make mechanical adjustments to the heating system. If it is determined by ORF that an area cannot be adequately heated, written approval will be provided by the ORF Facility Manager assigned to the building to support the purchase and use of a space heater in designated areas only.

Space heaters are not permitted, under any circumstances, in laboratories, patient care units, or clinics.

Prior to installing any space heater, ORF must also verify that the electrical service to the area is adequate to safely accommodate the heater. Space heaters can easily overload electrical circuits in a building, therefore, additional circuits may need to be installed.

If electrical work is required, the occupant's IC should initiate a work request. If ORF has available funds and it is clear the building is not capable of providing reasonable levels of heat (70 degrees) in that particular room, ORF will fund the electrical work.

The Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services, does not endorse any particular brand or manufacturer of space heaters; however, a convection-type heater is preferable. Convection models slowly warm the air around them and pose less of a burn hazard since their surface temperatures are generally lower.

Do NOT lend your ID badge to anyone! Lending your ID badge is prohibited. The issuance of ID badges is based on strict identity proofing and the determination of one's suitability for a specific position classification. To do so is a criminal offense!

Return Your Badge When Leaving NIH
If you plan to leave the employ of NIH, whether you’re an employee, contractor or affiliate, you will need to turn in your HHS ID Badge (or RLA Badge) to your Administrative Officer so that s/he can deactivate your badge in NED. The AO will turn over the deactivated badge to the badging office.

Ad ministrative 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 e-mail 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.  
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. 

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Office of Management
Office of Research Services
Division of Personnel Security and Access Control
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