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 6, 2020 Issue of DPSAC News
In this issue:
  • Fingerprint Requirement Delayed, But NOT Eliminated, Due to COVID-19
  • New Opt-In Form Enables NIH Contractors with No Logical Access to Get 'AlertNIH' Messages via Personal Email and Cell Phones
  • What is Being Done About Expiring ID Badges During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
  • NED 5.2 Release Incorporates Several New Badge Tracking Status Messages
  • NIH Director’s Second Virtual Town Hall Meeting - Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • FAQs - Why does the NED badge tracking have two messages in bold text?
  • AOs Who Wish to Obtain Sponsor Authority
Fingerprint Requirement Delayed, But NOT Eliminated
Due to COVID-19
DPSAC will contact individuals who must submit fingerprints for their background investigation once the deferral is no longer valid
The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) issued Federal Investigations Notice 20-03 on March 30, 2020 advising agencies of the temporary deferral of fingerprint requirements to submit background investigations effective April 6, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This waiver applies to background investigation submission requirements only and does not apply to HSPD-12 PIV Badge/RLA Badge Credentialing requirements, which still require capturing biometric fingerprints. The key word in the notice is 'deferral' (as opposed to elimination) of the required fingerprints. Those individuals whose investigations were submitted without fingerprints as part of this waiver will still be required to provide fingerprints for their background investigation once the waiver is no longer valid (in accordance with federal guidelines).
 
Once the temporary fingerprint deferral waiver is no longer valid, DPSAC will contact individuals whose investigations were submitted without fingerprints in order to have them complete the required fingerprints for their investigation. Please note that individuals will not be issued a PIV badge until they complete PIV Enrollment on an Enrollment Workstation which includes submission of fingerprints. While the background investigation can proceed without fingerprints, there is no ability to issue a PIV badge without fingerprints. I ndividuals who already possess an ID badge must still submit fingerprints for their investigation if contacted by DPSAC. Failure to do so will result in the ID badge being deactivated.  [PT([1]  

In addition to delaying fingerprints, DCSA has made operational changes to mitigate COVID-19 impacts to include conducting interviews via telephone for most investigations. If NIH staff have been contacted by a DCSA investigator and have concerns they can verify the investigator’s name by visiting: https://www.dcsa.mil/mc/pv/mbi/vi/
New Opt-In Form Enables NIH Contractors with No Logical Access to Get 'AlertNIH' Messages via Personal Email and Cell Phones
There are approximately 3,700 contractors/tenants across the NIH who have physical access to NIH campuses, but no logical access. Consequently, those individuals are unable to access NED in order to “opt in” to receive AlertNIH messages to their personal email and cell phones. The Division of Emergency Management (DEM), ORS, recently announced a work-around that allows AOs/ATs to accept the “opt in” for these individuals to receive AlertNIH messages using the new Emergency Notification System Opt-In and Opt-Out Request Form : https://oma.od.nih.gov/Lists/DMSFormsList/Attachments/678/NIH-3004.pdf .
 
How to Manage the New Request Forms
According to Jordan Southers, Director, DEM, communication of the Emergency Notification System Opt-In and Opt-Out Request Form would be facilitated by supervisors, project officers, CORs and word of mouth. All ICO Emergency Coordinators are aware of this new functionality. The form is publicly available (NIH network not required) and a link is on the AO’s view of the Opt-in page in NED, as well as on the Division of Emergency Management’s alert.nih.gov site. There is no automated process in NED for notification of AO required action. 
 
If you have any questions please contact the Division of Emergency Management at orsdem@mail.nih.gov .
What is Being Done About Expiring ID Badges During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
DPSAC News is reprinting portions of this article that first appeared in the April 22, 2020 DPSAC News. You can read the entire article by clicking on the following link: Expiring ID Badges .

A lot of people are wondering what is happening to individuals whose ID badges are expiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. DPSAC has been working alongside CIT and HHS staff to identify a variety of possible alternatives. The following message (indicated in italicized text in the accompanying full article and updated to reflect the most current deadlines ) was sent to all NIH staff on Friday April 10, 2020. The key thing to remember is that DPSAC will be contacting individuals with expiring ID badges. Each person will have the option to complete the renewal process now or extend the certificates on their badge to June 30 .

Please know that for some individuals who choose to extend their current badge, the existing badge renewal task in NED will need to be terminated. In those instances, DPSAC will contact the servicing AO for the individual to let them know how to complete a new badge renewal task.
NED 5.2 Release Incorporates Several New Badge Tracking Status Messages
NED v 5.2, deployed March 30, 2020, incorporates several new status messages to help the NIH community know where they are in the badging process. Prior to this latest release, NED did not offer any insight into the completion of background investigation forms. The failure to fully and accurately complete these forms is often the reason for delays in the overall process. 

Please refer to the April 22, 2020 DPSAC News for a quick overview of the new status messages in NED
v 5.2. You can also review the new status messages by clicking here .
NIH Director's 2nd Virtual Town Hall Meeting -- Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Hopefully many DPSAC News subscribers had an opportunity tune in to the second Virtual Town Hall meeting hosted by NIH Director Francis Collins on April 24, 2020 to update the NIH community on NIH’s activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
For those who were unable to attend, DPSAC News wanted to make sure you are aware of some of the important news items and resources that were shared during the meeting. Dr. Collins was joined by Alfred Johnson, NIH Deputy Director for Management, Julie Berko, NIH Chief People Officer, and Colleen McGowan, NIH Associate Director for Research Services, all of whom helped respond to some of the many questions that had been submitted by NIH staff in advance. In fact, more than 740 questions were submitted, with the overwhelming majority focusing on when and how we get back to our physical work spaces and how we protect ourselves when that occurs.  

Here are some, but certainly not all, of the key issues reported at the meeting:

Maximum use of telework has been extended until May 31, 2020 to encourage continued social/physical distancing and safety.
Guidance on the return to the physical workspace is being developed.  

We will only return to our physical workspace when it is safe to do so, and even then it will be a calculated and phased approach. A variety of factors such as childcare, transportation, status of state stay-at-home directives, and other situations will be taken into consideration when evaluating the return to the physical workspace.  
 
Talk to your supervisor if you have medical issues and/or you are immunocompromised
Of great importance is that if you have any medical issues (particularly if you are immunocompromised) that need an accommodation, please talk to your supervisor to ensure your condition is taken into account and addressed before returning to work.
 
COVID-19 testing is available for the NIH workforce
COVID-19 testing is being offered by the NIH Occupational Medical Services (OMS), in a drive-through capacity. To get the test, you will need to request and complete a form provided by OMS. Th e Occupational Medical Services website provides more information on this process and an email address where you can request the form. OMS is responsible for approving the test. You need to be experiencing symptoms or be in a high-risk category or have been exposed to COVID-19. After OMS approval, you will be directed to the testing location to get the test. Approval is required before any testing can be done.
 
If you missed the event, you can watch the videocast by clicking on the link: NIH 2 nd Virtual Town Hall .
  
Videos offer valuable information and guidance regarding COVID-19
In a follow-up email to the NIH community following the Town Hall meeting, Dr. Collins noted that “many of the scientific questions that we received have been previously responded to by NIAID Director Tony Fauci in my Francis Collins: Home Edition videos, particularly Episode 2 and Episode 3 . Josh Gordon provides advice on dealing with stress in Episode 4 and Sharon Milgram shares tips on how we can foster our trainees in Episode 5 . And in last week’s Episode 6 , Colleen McGowan answered many questions about NIH actions related to screening and testing NIH staff for COVID-19. I encourage you to take advantage of the wealth of information available to you on the NIH Guidance for Staff on Coronavirus intranet page, including nine videos and more than 85 answers to Frequently Asked Questions .”


Q: Why does the NED badge tracking have two messages in bold text?
A: Any current status message will be shown in bold text in NED badge tracking. This often happens when the individual still needs to complete both enrollment (fingerprints/photograph) and his/her background investigation paperwork. In the screen shot above, you can see the individual has yet to complete enrollment or submit the investigation forms to DPSAC.
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. 

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Office of Management
Office of Research Services
Division of Personnel Security and Access Control
Keep up with the latest NIH updates