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 7, 2020 Issue of DPSAC News

In this issue:
  • Reminder to NED Portal Users (AOs and ATs): Moratorium on New NED Registrations from October 7 – October 16, 2020
  • DPSAC Main Bethesda Badging Office Will Close from 12 PM to 1 PM Starting October 5, 2020
  • All Staff Eligible for Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing
  • DPSAC Guide to Common e-QIP Errors
  • FAQs: Completing the PDT; How Do I Renew My PIV Card (HHS ID Badge) During the COVID-19 Pandemic? 
  • AOs Who Wish to Obtain Sponsor Authority
Reminder to NED Portal Users: (AOs and ATs):
Moratorium on New NED Registrations from October 7 – 16, 2020
No New Registrations May Be Entered into NED
Between October 7 and October 16, 2020
The NED Team recently announced that NED Release 5.3 is scheduled to go live on Monday October 19, 2020. This release introduces a redesign of the NED Portal Activate/Register functionality. The NED team sent out weekly emails to remind the AO/AT community of this release.

In preparation for the NED v5.3 deployment:

  • Beginning October 7 – October 16, no new individuals may be entered into NED. This functionality will be disabled.

  • If you have already started a NED registration, you have until October 16 to sponsor the individual. If you do not, you will need to resubmit the registration after the moratorium has ended.
 
How does this affect NED Portal users during this period?
AOs/ATs will not be able to access the Activate/Register option from the NED Portal menu bar. However, users can still perform other actions on initiated registrations:

  • AOs/ATs can access the Activate/Register tasks on which they are working by selecting them from the Inbox.
  • AOs can approve submitted registrations.
  • Sponsors can sponsor approved registrations.
  • DPSAC will receive sponsored registrations.

In order to minimize the impact of this temporary moratorium, AOs/ATs may want to start new registrations before October 7 and make sure individuals are sponsored no later than October 16.

Is the NED Portal affected in any other way?
No. No other functions performed by NED users will be affected.

AOs/ATs will be able to access all other options from the NED Portal menu bar as these tasks will remain unaffected:
  • Updates
  • Transfers
  • Deactivations
  • Modifications
  • Badge Renewals

What is the timeline?

October 7 - 16 -- AOs/ATs will be temporarily blocked from entering new registrations but
will still be able to continue working on any registrations they started before October 7.
October 16 – Submitted registration tasks must be approved and sponsored by this date.

October 16, 5 p.m. All unsponsored registration tasks are deleted. Note: These tasks cannot
be saved or recovered.

What happens if a task is deleted?
A deleted task cannot be restored. AOs/ATs will need to start new registrations in NED once NED Release v5.3 goes live on October 19. 

Questions?
Please contact the NED Team at: nedteam@mail.nih.gov.                                                                       
DPSAC Main Bethesda Badging Office Will Close from 12 PM to 1 PM
Starting October 5, 2020

Building 10, Room 1C52 (S. Lobby) Hours of Operation Remain Unchanged
Beginning Monday, October 5, 2020, the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) main offices located in Building 31, Room 1B03 will close daily from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. to give staff time for lunch. Operating hours at Building 10, Room 1C52 (South Lobby) remain unchanged. 
 
Hours of Operation and Contact Information

Building 31, 1B03: Badging services will continue to be offered by appointment only, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Note: the office will now be closed for lunch from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. 
If you need to contact DPSAC to schedule an appointment or if you need assistance, please email ORSPersonnelSecurity@mail.nih.gov or call 301-402-9755.
Building 10, Room 1C52 (South Lobby): The Clinical Center South Lobby location (Room 1C52) continues to offer daily appointments for high-risk customers Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. The office is closed for lunch from 11:40 a.m. - 12:40 p.m.
 
Facility Access Control Helpdesk: 301-451-4766 (available 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.)  

See also Locating a Badge Enrollment and Issuance Work Station for other locations offering Badge Services.                 
All Staff Eligible for Asymptomatic
COVID-19 Testing
The NIH Clinical Center recently announced that it is offering asymptomatic testing to all staff for SARS-CoV-2. While this program was launched with the focus on those already working on site, the Clinical Center has sufficient capacity to provide testing for those who have not returned yet. The program is voluntary but strongly encouraged for those working onsite. Staff must complete the safety video and guidance prior to coming on campus for asymptomatic testing.

Contractors are eligible if they have completed the safety video and guidance and if the prime contract has been modified to support asymptomatic testing at NIH. If you are a contractor interested in participating, please check with your supervisor.

Staff are required to notify their supervisor if they want to get a test at NIH during work time. Staff who come to NIH for testing are not authorized to enter their workspace or any other locations within NIH facilities. Entering your workspace or any other locations within NIH facilities continues to require advance approval from your supervisor.

If, after receiving approval from your supervisor, you want to participate, follow the steps to register. You will need to know your NED ID (it’s the same as the 10-digit Personal Identifier on the back of your PIV card) to enroll. (NOTE: Please use either Chrome, Firefox, IE Edge, or Safari web browsers. To access the site you need to be on NIH VPN, NIH IC CITRIX or an NIH Workstation.)

Please review the asymptomatic testing information on the NIH Intranet and the Frequently Asked Questions page of the NIH Guidance for Staff on Coronavirus intranet site before registering.
DPSAC Guide to Common e-QIP Errors
A Valuable Reference for Applicants Preparing to Complete e-QIP
DPSAC News publishes this information periodically to assist individuals who are planning to complete e-QIP.

It is essential to complete e-QIP with 100% accurate and error-free information. Failure to do so can lead to extended processing times and can delay NIH badge issuance and employment start dates.
 
DPSAC encourages individuals to review its “Guide to Common e-QIP Errors” before completing their e-QIP questionnaire so that they can avoid such delays. The administrative community can also use the 'Guide' to help applicants navigate the e-QIP process.

DPSAC’s Case Review team carefully reviews each e-QIP questionnaire submitted by the applicant and works with the applicant to correct any errors before releasing the form to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). Once the agency completes the investigation, it reports its findings back to DPSAC for adjudication.
 
The Guide identifies common errors occurring in four major sections of the questionnaire:
1.     Identifying Information 
2.     Residence, Education, Employment, References, Selective Service 
3.     Additional Information (including Employment Information) 
4.     Applicant Responsibility (e.g., answering DPSAC correspondence for corrections or additional information in a timely fashion)
 
To view the Guide, please click here.

Note: the top of the Guide offers three additional links:
1. the e-QIP Application site
2. e-QIP Frequently Asked Questions
3. e-QIP Applicant Click-to-Sign Instructions
Q: My IC is bringing on a new Research Fellow. NED now requires the completed output from the Position Designation Tool (PDT). Should I just send the PDT link (https://pdt.nbis.mil/) to the new person and ask her to fill it out?

A: No! Individuals being brought on at NIH should not be asked to complete the PDT. The PDT should be completed by the AO, Human Resources, Supervisor, Project Officer, etc. -- i.e., whoever is in the best position to know the duties of the position, the potential damage that could be caused by the position and the amount of supervision that should be required.  

Q. How do I go about renewing my PIV Card (HHS ID Badge) during the COVID-19 pandemic? 

A. DPSAC offers badging services Monday through Friday. Please note: DPSAC will continue to require appointments, with availability between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. 

Note: Starting October 5, 2020, DPSAC will close its Building 31/Room 1B03 offices between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. for lunch.

If you need to contact DPSAC to schedule an appointment, please email ORSPersonnelSecurity@mail.nih.gov or call 301-402-9755. DPSAC staff is available to answer email and phone inquiries Monday – Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

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: Lanny.Newman@nih.gov. Your input is greatly appreciated.
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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