Badging Process: Background Investigations Vs. Security Clearances

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 3, 2021 Issue of DPSAC News

In this issue:

Badging Process: Background Investigations vs. Security Clearances
Provide Your Feedback to the DPSAC Office
FAQs – Will the applicant receive a copy of their background investigation once it is completed?
Badge Processing Times
Helpful Tips: Avoiding Additional Delays in Processing New Hires
AOs Who Wish to Obtain Sponsor Authority

Badging Process: Background Investigations vs. Security Clearances

DPSAC would like to remind our readers the difference between a background investigation and a security clearance. In summary, when issuing any badge that provides the subject with unescorted access, the badge holder must go through some level of background investigation. Very few of the NIH staff require security clearances. The security clearance process is a separate process from the background investigation process. Staff needing a security clearance would require a minimum of a Tier 3 or Tier 5 level background investigation to request a security clearance.

A badge holder can be one of the following tiers:

Tier 1 (Formerly NACI or level 1) – non-sensitive position.
Tier 2 (Formerly MBI or level 5B) – public trust position.
Tier 3 (Formerly ANACI or level 2) – non-critical sensitive national security position. This investigation makes the staff member eligible for a secret clearance.
Tier 4 (Formerly BI or Level 6) – public trust position.
Tier 5 (Formerly SSBI or Level 3) – critical sensitive national security position. This investigation makes the staff member eligible for a top-secret clearance.
Tier 5+ (Formerly level 4) – a select designation for staff needing TS/SCI security clearances. Only a very select few positions are within this scope.

From these tiers, a Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 4 would only require a background check, while a Tier 3 and a Tier 5 would require a background investigation and may require a security clearance. If a security clearance is needed, the position duties would reflect the need to access classified materials in the position description. Please read this article to better understand the difference between a background investigation and a security clearance.

In order to ensure that everyone understands the necessary steps for pre-screening, the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) would like to encourage you to please read this article. Be sure to send all FieldPrint requests to ORSFingerprintService@mail.nih.gov.

Q. Will the applicant receive a copy of their background investigation once it is completed?

A. When DPSAC completes an individual's background investigation, the individual will receive an e-mail from DPSAC's database letting them know the investigation is complete. For federal employees, their employee personnel file (eOPF) will be updated as well. Individuals may request a copy of their investigation file under provisions of the Privacy Act. If the individual has any further questions, feel free to refer them to this section of the DCSA website, which includes information about background investigations.

Badge Processing Times

For the AUG/SEP/OCT time frame, the average processing time for issuing an ID badge is 23.4 calendar days.

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: Judie.Kuo@nih.gov. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Want to share some feedback?

We at DPSAC would love to hear from you regarding any feedback you may have for our office and how we can continue to improve. As part of your feedback, please answer the following survey questions here. This should not take more than two (2) minutes. Thank you for taking the time to provide such feedback, as your thoughts are very valuable to us.

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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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