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

August 28, 2019 Issue of DPSAC News
 In this issue:
  • Guidance on Fellows Converting to FTE Status at NIH
  • Reporting Requirements for NIH Personnel in Sensitive Positions
  • FAQs: Answering Your Questions About SEAD-3 Reporting Requirements for Personnel With Access to Classified Information or Who Hold a Sensitive Position
  • Helpful Tips -- Avoiding Additional Delays Processing New Hires

Guidance on Fellows Converting to FTE Status at NIH

The NED Team recently published the following guidance as a short-term solution for processing Fellow-to-FTE conversions at NIH without causing issues with the Fellow's award and/or payment in the Fellowship Payment System (FPS):
 
---- Reclassifying a Fellow to FTE 
----- When changing a Fellow’s classification from Fellow to NIH FTE, the Fellowship
----- Payment System (FPS) will prevent the Fellow’s IC from creating, renewing,
----- transferring, or activating any type of award, as the person is no longer identified as a
----- Fellow. However, the person will continue to receive all their stipend payments for any
----- awards activated prior to the change in classification.

----- ICs are encouraged to create and approve award renewals to extend a Fellow’s
----- duration prior to changing the individual’s classification in NED. If the renewal is not
----- needed, it can then be cancelled. Awards of any type will not activate automatically;
----- nor can they be activated manually after the classification has changed. 

----- If the classification has been changed to NIH FTE in NED, the IC needs to enter an
----- NBS FPS help desk ticket to create, extend, or activate an award in FPS. The IC must
----- include the Fellow’s name and HHS ID, award number, and details regarding the
----- required actions. The NBS FPS team will coordinate with the IC and OFM to manually
----- process the action. Please enter “Assistance with Fellow to FTE” in the short
----- description of the ticket and include instructions to triage to the NBS FPS team
----- directly.

---- Please contact: 



  • FPS Team for questions about FPS, by opening a help desk ticket for NBS FPS team
 
As for a long-term solution, DPSAC, the NED and FPS Teams are working on a change to the NED system that will allow DPSAC to conduct the necessary pre-screening prior to the effective date of the classification change.

The proposed change will require the AO to submit a “scheduled classification change,” which would trigger a new DPSAC case to start pre-screening. The classification would remain ‘Fellow’ in NED until the date the scheduled change goes into effect. This change would allow DPSAC to conduct the necessary pre-screening without causing issues with the FPS system and the Fellow’s record.

As of today, there is no target implementation date for the proposed change. Stay tuned as DPSAC continues to work with the NED team to remedy the issue. 

Reporting Requirements
for NIH Personnel
in Sensitive Positions
In December 2016, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) established Security Executive Agent Directive 3 (SEAD 3) which entails reporting requirements for individuals with active national security clearances, security clearance eligibility, and individuals in sensitive positions. The three broad categories for SEAD 3 reporting requirements consist of Foreign Travel , Foreign Contacts and Self and/or Peer reporting activities

Individuals in sensitive positions are required to report theses activities using the following forms and submitting them to International@hhs.gov and SSO@hhs.gov :
All of the form-fillable PDFs are available on the HHS Intranet at:

Additional details regarding Security Executive Agent Directive 3 (SEAD 3) can be found online at:  https://www.dni.gov/files/NCSC/documents/Regulations /SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf
  
For FAQs relating to SEAD 3 Reporting Requirements for Personnel with Access to Classified Information or Who Hold a Sensitive Position, see immediately below. 
Answering Your Questions About
SEAD 3 Reporting Requirements 
SEAD 3 Reporting Requirements for Personnel with Access to Classified Information or Who Hold a Sensitive Position 

Q. How do I know if I'm designated as holding a "sensitive position?" 

A. All sensitive positions must be specifically designated by NIH as sensitive in accordance with Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1400 (or previously under Title 5 CFR 732). Your Human Resource office will know if your position is designated as sensitive and to what level.

There are three levels of sensitive positions: Non-Critical, Critical and Special. These levels are determined by the degree to which a compromise of accesses or information would cause a "material adverse effect on national security," based on the nature of the position. 

Q . I don't have access to classified information, but I do occupy a sensitive position. Why must I comply with these reporting requirements?

A. As part of the position designation process under Title 5 CFR Part 1400, NIH must determine what positions are considered sensitive and to what level. There are three position sensitivity levels, Non-Critical, Critical, and Special.

While you may not have access to classified information in your sensitive position, sensitive positions can impact national security. There is a direct correlation between position sensitivity, the investigation requirements, and clearance levels for access to classified information.  

Q. My job doesn't have a lot of official contact with foreign visitors, but I join a friend and his foreign business partners for lunch on occasion. Do I need to report this foreign contact?

 A . If the contact is limited to one lunch, this occurrence is not considered continuing contact and the foreign national contact would not normally be reported. However, if you believe the foreign visitor is inappropriately trying to obtain sensitive or classified information from you, then that interaction should be reported.

Please refer to the pamphlets Frequently Asked Questions for Employees and Frequently Asked Questions for Departments and Agencies for more SEAD 3 questions and answers. 
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 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.  
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 PIV or RLA badge to your Administrative Officer (AO) so that s/he can deactivate your badge in NED.

The AO will turn over the deactivated badge to the badging office.
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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