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 8, 2019 Issue of DPSAC News
 In this issue:
  • New-Hire Processing Delays
  • DPSAC Prescreening for New Hires and Classification Changes - Guidance for Administrators
  • Summer Interns Advised to Get Fingerprinted Early
  • FAQs: More on Converting Non-FTEs to FTEs
  • Helpful Tips

New-Hire Processing Delays

DPSAC is currently experiencing delays in processing new hires. The delays are attributed to a spike in requests for badges due to security enhancements for network accounts, a surge in badge renewals, an influx in NIH hiring, as well as DPSAC internal processing changes relating to the prescreening of new hires and reinvestigation of current employees. DPSAC’s current processing time for new hires is averaging 6 weeks.

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 onboarding prior to establishing a NED account
  • By entering candidates as early as possible but no later than 6 weeks prior to their Entry on Duty (EOD) date
  • By working with DPSAC to ensure candidates respond in a timely manner to inquiries. 

DPSAC Prescreening for New Hires and Classification Changes -- Guidance for Administrators
­­ The NIH Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC)’s core mission is to ensure the NIH workforce is comprised of suitable federal employees, contractors and affiliates, per governing federal author­­ities and directives .

In order to carry out its mission, DPSAC manages tasks that are essential to ensuring the security of the NIH workforce, as well as the integrity and efficiency of the NIH. 

Included in those tasks, DPSAC is charged with prescreening employment applications, submitting background investigation requests, authorizing and issuing Personal Identity Verification (PIV) and Restricted Local Access (RLA) credentials, and adjudicating background investigations in order to make suitability determinations for much of the NIH workforce.

DPSAC prescreening process
DPSAC begins the prescreening process after a candidate has been issued a conditional offer for employment, and once the Administrative Officer has sponsored the individual for a badge in the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED).

Due to current processing delays, DPSAC encourages administrators to sponsor employees at least six (6) weeks ahead of their Entry on Duty (EOD) date to ensure DPSAC has enough time to process all personnel successfully.

All new federal applicants, contractors, affiliates and current NIH personnel converting to federal positions must undergo DPSAC prescreening prior to being authorized for EOD, issued a Final Offer Letter, issued a PIV/RLA badge, or granted access to NIH Facilities/Information Systems.

The following must be completed as part of DPSAC prescreening:

- Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306)
  • Federal applicants must complete the OF-306 in 'Onboarding Manager' prior to the AO sponsoring the FTE badge
  • Contractors/affiliates will receive the OF-306 for completion from DPSAC during the prescreening process
- Current fingerprinting

- Completion of all background investigation requirements if a new background
investigation is required (i.e. electronic questionnaires for Investigation Processing and
all associated forms)

If an individual does not pass the DPSAC prescreening process, fails to respond to DPSAC requests for information or is found unsuitable for their position, DPSAC will deny/revoke the PIV/RLA badge and notify HR or the program office. These individuals should not be allowed to continue working at NIH.

Individuals undergoing a classification change from non-federal to federal employment at NIH
Individuals converting from non-federal positions (e.g. contractor, fellow, etc.) to federal positions at NIH must be treated as if they were brand new to NIH with regard to DPSAC Prescreening .
 
DPSAC cannot begin prescreening non-federal to federal conversions until the Administrative Officer performs an 'Update' task” in the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) to change the classification to “FTE.” Once the update is made, a case will be opened in DPSAC's system  to start prescreening.

Warning:  Administrative/Program staff or HR staff should never grant authorization for Entry on Duty (EOD) or send a Final Offer Letter to an individual converting to a federal position until DPSAC has satisfactorily prescreened the individual for his/her new federal position . AO’s/HR/Program staff are not authorized to grant EOD or send Final Offers based on a previously issued non-FTE badge or favorable determination on a background investigation for the non-FTE position.
 
The newly converted federal employee will undergo prescreening as if they were brand-new to NIH and will be required to submit a new set of fingerprints, a new Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) in 'Onboarding Manager' and submit all requirements for the background investigation if a new investigation is required. Upon favorable completion of all these steps, and once DPSAC makes a favorable prescreening determination, DPSAC will send a manual notification to HR to notify that the individual has passed prescreening clearance.
 
Performing an ‘update’ task to change the classification to FTE in NED will not disrupt the current non-FTE badge. The current badge will be active until:

  • The new FTE badge is issued
  • The expiration date is reached
  • The NED account/badge manually is disabled by the AO
Helpful Tips for ICs with Students Arriving for NIH's 2019 Summer Internship Program
DPSAC encourages all Institutes and Centers (ICs) to advise their incoming students to make their enrollment and badging appointments  as soon as possible  to avoid any delays in the ID badging process.
 
Get fingerprinted early 
Processing badges for approximately 1,200 individuals over a six- to eight-week period can place a significant impact on the DPSAC staff. To avoid badging delays, DPSAC requests the ICs to have their summer students fingerprinted before their first day of work at any of  NIH's Enrollment locations .
 
 Summer students who are fingerprinted by DPSAC at least one week prior to their first day and receive  favorable results may be issued a badge on their first day at NIH.


Q. How should the AO enter the classification change to FTE without disabling the current badge until the FTE position Entry on Duty (EOD) date commences?

A. Use the 'update' task in NED to update the classification to FTE. Please consult with the NED team on any questions related to the update task.


Q. When entering an 'update' task to change an employee classification, does changing IC, Position Sensitivity Level (PSL) or other data affect whether the badge will remain active until the new FTE badge is issued?

A. Changing IC, PSL, etc. will not disable the current non-FTE badge. The current non-FTE badge will remain active until the new FTE badge is issued.


Q . If the individual is converting from non-FTE to FTE and also is switching Institutes (ICs), which Institute is responsible for making the conversion -- the giving ('original') Institute or the receiving ('destination') Institute?

A . The receiving (destination) Institute will receive an update task once the transfer is completed and can update the information at that time (classification, work info, SAC, etc.). However, the prescreening process cannot start until the employee classification has been changed to FTE. The non-FTE/Contractor can remain employed by the original IC as a non-FTE until an official EOD and offer letter have been provided to the new FTE. The employee can remain active at the giving IC until the agreed upon last day prior to transfer to the new IC.

Note: As long as the non-FTE is not deactivated in NED during the transfer process, the current non-FTE badge will remain active until the new FTE badge is issued. This should not occur until the EOD provided by the HR specialist.  
Do NOT lend your ID badge to anyone! Lending your ID badge is prohibited. To do so is a criminal offense! The issuance of ID badges is based on strict identity proofing and the determination of one's suitability for a specific position classification.

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.


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 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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