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

November 20, 2019 Issue of DPSAC News
 In this issue:
  • DPSAC Invites You to Check Out Its New, Improved Website
  • New Tracking Points in the NED Portal Badge Tracking Module Coming Soon!
  • Will Make the Badge Tracking Process More Informative and Transparent
  • Remote Enrollment & Badging Services Suspended Except for PIN Resets, Certificate Renewals
  • NIH Non-FTE to FTE Reclassification Guidance
  • DPSAC Continues Deactivating PIV Badges of Individuals Who Have Not Completed All or Part of Their Required Background Investigation
  • Marijuana Still Considered a Controlled Substance under Schedule I of the Controlled Substance Act
  • Helpful Tips - Avoiding Additional Delays in Processing New Hires, and more
Check Out DPSAC's Newly Revised Website at: www.idbadge.nih.gov
DPSAC invites you to check out its new and improved website at: www.idbadge.nih.gov.

Among the site's many changes:
 
  • A new navigation structure to help users easily find the information they need, whether to enroll as an NIH employee, contractor or affiliate, obtain access to NIH facilities or the NIH IT network or be issued their federal ID credentials (PIV Card or RLA Badge).

  • Services are presented in easy to follow, step-by-step sequences, beginning with an introductory ‘Know Before You Go’ section designed to help answer many of the basic questions newly- arriving employees and contractors may have about background investigations, the badge issuance process at NIH, and a host of other topics before they visit the DPSAC offices.

  • Users can navigate the Personal Identity Verification and Badging processes from start to finish with the help of easy-to-follow visual aids.
 
  • A ‘Resource’ section includes a review of the investigation requirements for a position (i.e. how positions are properly classified and designated within the Federal Government) as well as Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) investigation billing rates, acceptable identification documents, relevant policies and regulations, resources and training for administrators and more.

  • The website's main page highlights DPSAC News as one of three clickable rotating 'carousel' features; past issues will continue to be archived. 

If you have suggestions on how we might improve the website, please contact the DPSAC News editor Lanny Newman at: Lanny.Newman@nih.gov  
 
New Tracking Points in the NED Portal Badge Tracking Module Coming Soon!
Changes to Make the Badge Tracking Process More Informative and Transparent
The NED 5.2 Release tentatively scheduled for late January/early February includes several new tracking points that will be added to the NED Portal Badge Tracking Module. Currently, the NED tracking points do not provide any insight on the status of the background investigation forms that are part of a badge request (when applicable). 

With the NED 5.2 Release, the following tracking points will be added:

  • Waiting for DPSAC to send background investigation paperwork

  • DPSAC sent background investigation paperwork

  • Waiting for applicant to complete background investigation paperwork

  • Applicant completed background investigation paperwork

  • Waiting for DSPAC to review background investigation paperwork

  • DPSAC completed review of background investigation paperwork

  • Waiting for applicant to correct background investigation paperwork

  • Applicant corrected background investigation paperwork

  • Waiting for DPSAC to finalize investigation paperwork and authorize ID badge issuance

If the individual has not yet been enrolled (fingerprinted & photographed), the message will also include language stating that the applicant must complete enrollment. 

These messages are designed to give NED users and badge applicants a better understanding of what actions are required, and by whom, to successfully complete the background investigation. Currently throughout this part of the process, NED only displays the message “Waiting for DSPAC to authorize ID badge issuance.” 

As these additional tracking points reveal, often times the authorization requires action on the part of the individual as well as the administrative staff.
Remote Enrollment & Badging Services Suspended Except for PIN Resets and Certificate Renewals 
All remote enrollment and badging services are suspended except for PIN resets and certificate renewals until further notice. If you have any questions, please contact DPSAC at 301-402-9755 or ORSPersonnelSecurity@mail.nih.gov .

Please note: For purposes of enrollment and badging services, the following NIH locations are considered NIH 'satellite' facilities and NOT ‘remote’ facilities:

  • Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (Ft. Detrick), MD (formerly NCI-Frederick)
  • Bayview Biomedical Research Center (Baltimore, MD) 
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Research Triangle Park, NC)
  • Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID (Hamilton, MT)
DPSAC Continues Deactivating PIV Badges of Individuals Who Have Not Completed All or Part of Their Required Background Investigation
To ensure that NIH is compliant with all applicable background investigation and credentialing regulations, the Division of Personnel Security & Access Control (DPSAC) recently began deactivating the PIV badges of individuals who have not completed all or part of their required background investigation.

DPSAC will be deactivating badges on a continuous basis. Individuals impacted will receive an email that their badge has been approved for deactivation.

To prevent the loss of physical and logical access to NIH facilities and information systems, individuals should contact DPSAC immediately at 301-402-9755. Once a badge has been deactivated, individuals must complete all the investigation requirements before the badge is approved for reactivation. Badge reactivation typically occurs within 24 hours of approval.

NIH Non-FTE to FTE
Reclassification Guidance
The following email from the NED Team was recently sent to the NIH Administrative community to provide guidance regarding the reclassification of non-FTEs to FTEs:                                               

To: NED AOs/ATs
From: NED Team
Subject: NIH Non-FTE to FTE Reclassification Guidance
Contact: NED Team ( nedteam@mail.nih.gov )
 
Reclassifying a non-FTE (except Fellow) to FTE 
Update the person’s classification from non-NIH FTE to NIH FTE using the Update function in NED.
This step will notify DPSAC of the change, so they can initiate a background investigation for the
NIH FTE position if needed. Please do not modify the person’s EOD date during the reclassification
process as NED will revoke the person’s current badge.

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: 
·  NED Team at nedteam@mail.nih.gov for questions about entering or updating information in NED
·  DPSAC Team at orspersonnelsecurity@mail.nih.gov for questions about background investigations
·   FPS Team for questions about FPS, by opening a help desk ticket for NBS FPS team.
 
Sincerely,

NED Team

Marijuana Still Considered a Controlled Substance under Schedule I of the Controlled Substance Act
In recent years, several states and the District of Columbia have decriminalized the use of marijuana, allowing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes and/or for limited recreational use.
 
These changes to state law have raised questions about whether federal employees in these jurisdictions may use marijuana as provided for in state law. 
 
Federal law on marijuana remains unchanged. Marijuana is categorized as a controlled substance under  Schedule I of the Controlled Substance Act.   Under the scheduling system, the Federal Government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, meaning it is perceived to have no medical value and a high potential for abuse.
 
The use of marijuana can still impact the ability for someone to be found suitable for federal employment. 
 
* The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 is the federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of certain narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, anabolic steroids and other chemicals is regulated under federal law.  
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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