Here are the most recent NIH badging statistics from HHS as of June 6, 2014:

* This figure represents 96.2% of individuals who have been sponsored.

New Employees, Contractors and Affiliates Must Complete & Submit e-QIP to DPSAC Before PIV Card Can Be Issued!

1. Fingerprint checks are adjudicated
2. e-QIP and related forms necessary to conduct a background check are completed and submitted by the individual to DPSAC
3. e-QIP and related forms are reviewed by DPSAC and released to OPM (new requirement)*

Soon after being entered in NED, the new employee, contractor or affiliate will receive an email with the subject line: **MANDATORY** RE: Background Investigation Forms.  

Individuals who have the appropriate investigation on file will not be required to complete new forms.

Once the online forms are complete, the individual must click the "Release Request/Transmit to Agency" button or NIH will not receive the forms.

Important: the individual must complete and submit these online forms within 7 calendar days of receipt (instructions are provided via e-mail) and prior to their first day. The forms can be filled out on any computer with web access.

* These new policies were issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in conjunction with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

If an LWS is not available in your IC or your immediate area, and you work in the greater Bethesda or Rockville area -- please call 301-451-4766 or 301-402-9755 to schedule an appointment with the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control located in Building 31, Room B1A26 or in Building 10, South Lobby, Room 1C52.    

The following message was sent to all DC-area NIH staff on June 6, 2014 

Some public areas in and around NIH buildings have become cluttered with unsightly and unsafe materials, trash, surplus furniture and equipment. Employees leave items behind in atriums. Loading docks become storage areas or dumping grounds. Hallways become extensions of offices and laboratories, at the expense of safety and egress.

During the months of June, July and August, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the NIH Bethesda Campus will undergo a "Clean Sweep" of common spaces in many buildings.  

Led by the Office of Research Facilities (ORF) and the Office of Research Services (ORS), the team will focus on recycling, removing debris, moving unwanted items to surplus, and clearing common areas, leaving behind a safe and 'clutter free' building.  

Personnel will include representatives from facility management, waste and recycling disposal, occupational safety, the fire marshal's office, and other support personnel and volunteers.

The clean sweep will include only the common, public spaces in buildings such as atriums, hallways/corridors, and loading docks. This activity will not include bathrooms, private hallways, offices or laboratories. Leased facilities and child care centers are not involved. Buildings that are scheduled for major renovation or decommissioning, temporary structures (such as a trailer), or those facilities considered sensitive or high containment will not be part of this exercise. This activity only pertains to the NIH Bethesda campus.

Tentatively, the (clean sweep) schedule for buildings is as follows:

June - Buildings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6A/B, 8, 13, 16.

July - Buildings 15K, 30, 31 A/B/C, 38, 38A, 41, 45, 49, 50, 60.

August - Buildings 10, 12, 14, 28 A/B, 35, 37.

In addition to this e-mail, facility managers will communicate with building occupants at least a week in advance to let them know before the 'sweep' will be coming to their building.  

A safety and facility 'advance' team will arrive the week before to identify problem areas and items will be tagged prior to removal and every attempt will be made to notify staff before items are removed. This should give employees ample opportunity to move items out of common areas.  

If you knowingly have an item in a common space that should not be there but is too large to move or you need additional assistance, please put a message on the sign alerting staff who to contact.

This is not an opportunity for employees to move your unwanted office or laboratory supplies or equipment into the hallways. The facility managers and staff will identify 'new' materials added to public spaces and contact occupants to have items returned.

Once complete, 'before' and 'after' pictures will be presented, encouraging occupants to keep these clean common areas 'clean.' ORF Facilities Managers will monitor targeted areas to ensure they remain the way they were intended.

If you are interested in volunteering to work with the team, especially for your own building, please contact Ken Ryland at kenr@mail.nih.gov.

For questions about this e-mail, please contact your facility manager, using the following list, http://orf2.od.nih.gov/AboutORF/BuildingsandFacilityManagers.asp, or contact the ORS Information Line at orsinfo@mail.nih.gov or 301-594-6677.

Thank you for doing your part in helping the NIH become a safer, cleaner place, for our employees and our visitors - especially in your own building!