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
March 11, 2020 Issue of DPSAC News
In this issue:
  • How to Update Your Information in NED - a Primer
  • DPSAC Guide to Common e-QIP Errors - A Valuable Reference for Applicants Preparing to Complete e-QIP
  • REAL ID Deadline: October 1, 2020 - Make Sure You are Prepared
  • FAQs - Do I Need a New PIV Card When I Move from FDA to NIH
  • Helpful Tips: Avoiding Additional Delays in Processing New Hires
  • AOs Who Wish to Obtain Sponsor Authority
  Updating Your Information in NED -- a Primer
Employees and contractors who wish to update their information in NED may do so via the NED Portal.
Users can access the NED portal using the direct link, https://nedportal.nih.gov , or via https://ned.nih.gov .

1.   When logging on using the direct link, https://nedportal.nih.gov , you will see a dashboard with several options, including “Self-Service – Update My Record” (see Figure 1) 
1 a. If you choose to log on using https://ned.nih.gov , you’ll have to click on the link ‘Update your information’ at the top left of the screen (Figure 2) to bring up the NED portal dashboard. *
Once you have clicked on the ‘Self Service – Update My Record’ dashboard, you will be redirected to the ‘Self Service – Overall Summary’ page. You will be able to make changes to three of the five sections:
Once you have entered your changes, hit “Submit” to complete the update of your NED record.

* There is no way to access the NED Portal from outside of the NIH network (except during initial account registration). The “Update Your Information” link in NED Search (ned.nih.gov) will not be present if NED Search is accessed outside of the NIH network, and trying to go to NED Portal outside of the network will result in an error page. The user must be on the NIH network (VPN or otherwise) to access the NED Portal and/or update their information . 

DPSAC Guide to Common e-QIP Errors

A Valuable Reference for Applicants Preparing to Complete e-QIP 
DPSAC has prepared a guide on how to successfully complete e-QIP entitled DPSAC Guide to Common e-QIP Errors. A nyone planning to complete e-QIP is encouraged to read this guide before completing the questionnaire. The administrative community will also find this publication helpful when counseling their customers. 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’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; and 3. e-QIP Applicant Click-to-Sign Instructions. 
REAL ID Deadline: October 1, 2020

204 Days Remain Until REAL ID-Compliant Credentials Required for Visitors Entering NIH  
NIH has begun an information campaign to ensure that its workforce and visitors to NIH will be prepared when the October 1 deadline arrives.

The Office of Security and Emergency Response and DPSAC have been placing articles in DPSAC News, the NIH Record and other NIH publications, and will continue to run new articles over the next several months. You should also start seeing table tents, flyers and posters in strategic locations across NIH campuses to remind staff and visitors of the coming deadline. Yes, NIH staff who forget their PIV card will also need a REAL ID-compliant ID to be admitted to the NIH.

Watch for additional information about REAL ID implementation as the deadline draws near.

To learn more about REAL ID, visit the Department of Homeland Security website at: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id .
Q. In a few weeks I’ll be leaving FDA to take a job at NIH. Will I need a new ID badge or can I use the Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card issued by FDA when I begin working at NIH?

A. Since you will be moving from one HHS operating division or OPDIV (FDA) to take a position at another OPDIV (NIH), you will need to be sponsored for a new badge by the Administrative Officer (AO) in the NIH Institute/Center you are assigned to.

Once your AO sponsors you, you will need to be enrolled and issued a new HHS ID Badge (PIV Card). Your new badge will contain digital certificates that will need to be updated periodically. 

The new NIH badge cannot be fully processed or issued until the FDA PIV Card is turned in and disabled in the system. However, your NIH AO can initiate the request to bring you on board at NIH prior to your leaving FDA. This will begin the NIH Prescreening process and assessment of whether you will need a new background check.

To read about the badging process, visit http://www.idbadge.nih.gov . This website describes in detail how to apply for a new HHS ID Badge (including enrollment and badge issuance) and the PIV process required of everyone issued a new badge.
 
Note: if you plan to continue working for FDA while working at NIH, you will keep your FDA PIV card, and your NIH Institute ALT Coordinator will issue you an ALT Card for access to NIH Systems. For physical access to the NIH campus, your Institute AO can put in a request to our Access Control group to program your FDA PIV card for NIH physical access.  
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: [email protected] . 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: [email protected] . 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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