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Contact Us
Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC),
Office of Research Services
Personnel Security
Helpdesk: 301-402-9755
e-QIP: 301-402-9735
Appointment Line: 301-496-0051
E-mail: orspersonnelsecurity@
mail.nih.gov
Access Control
Helpdesk: 301-451-4766
E-mail: facilityaccesscontrol@
mail.nih.gov
 
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NIH Begins Issuing the New Restricted  Local Access (RLA) Badge
On July 14, 2014 NIH began issuing the new NIH ID credential - the Restricted Local Access (RLA) badge - to NIH staff falling into one of three categories:
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NIH Temporarily Unable to Issue 'Extended Visitor Badges' to Persons Requiring a Background Check
Due to several issues experienced recently with our ability to access the FBI's criminal history database, we are temporarily unable to issue extended visitor badges to persons requiring a background check. ORS is working diligently to establish an alternate means of conducting the required criminal history checks. This alternative procedure is expected to be online by September 1.
Alfred C. Johnson, Ph.D.
Director
Office of Research Services
National Institutes of Health
301-496-2215
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Don't Let Your PIV Card Expire While on Travel or Extended Leave
Employees, contractors and affiliates who will be traveling (or plan to be away from their duty station) for extended periods of time should make sure that their badge does not expire during their absence.
If an individual's badge is scheduled to expire during a prolonged absence, they should contact DPSAC or their AO to have their badge renewed in advance.
Once a badge expires, it is deactivated and the individual will no longer have physical or logical access to NIH facilities or NIH networks. They will need to repeat the full enrollment and badge issuance process when they return to their duty station to restore their access privileges.
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Proper Handling of PIV Cards When Staff Separate or Leave NIH
DPSAC wants to remind AOs who clear employees, contractors or affiliates for separation or transfer that they must collect that person's PIV Card (HHS ID Badge) and return it to DPSAC once they have deactivated the individual's NED record. DPSAC would also like to remind staff that the badge should not be altered in any way.
The HHS ID Badge is government property and needs to be returned in the same condition as it was issued. AOs are asked not to cut the PIV Cards in half or punch holes in them before returning them to DPSAC.*
* NIH employees, contractors and affiliates must use NIH Form 2737-2 (Rev. 11/12)- Clearance of Personnel for Separation or Transfer in order to obtain proper separation/transfer for their position. Under 'Item 7, Items to be Cleared,' the Clearance Official coordinates with the AO to note which clearance points are applicable by checking them under "Check if Applicable."
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HSPD-12 Program Office Announces the NED Training Schedule for October, 2014
The HSPD-12 Program Office will be offering basic and advanced NED classes on Tuesday, October 14, 2014. This training is designed to help beginners and advanced users quickly master NED in a hands-on computer lab environment. All classes are FREE!
How to Enroll
The NED courses are posted on the CIT Training site where visitors can view availability for any class and receive a confirmation immediately after registering. The catalog of NED classes is posted at
http://training.cit.nih.gov/coursecatalog.aspx under "General Seminars."
When you see a course you want to take, just click on the course name (listed in the right column of the table). You'll be taken to the HHS Learning Management System (LMS) where you can register for the course online.
To log onto the HHS Learning Management System you can use either your PIV card and PIN or your NIH credentials. If you experience any difficulties accessing the LMS, please contact the CIT Training Program at 301-594-6248 or send an e-mail to: cittraining@mail.nih.gov.
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News Briefs
 New e-QIP Policy Becomes Effective October 1, 2014
Effective 1 October 2014, DPSAC will no longer issue PIV cards (HHS ID Badges) to individuals who have not completed their Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) and had DPSAC staff review the documents for submission to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
This new federal policy stipulates that NIH employees, contractors and affiliates must have completed their e-QIP forms to obtain a PIV card. If DPSAC determines the application forms are incomplete, the documents will go back to the individual for completion.
Individuals who do not complete their e-QIP prior to their Entry on Duty (EOD) day will not receive a PIV card until the e-QIP online questionnaire and associated release forms are reviewed and released by DPSAC to OPM.
To help the NIH administrative community manage this new policy, the HSPD-12 Program Office recently prepared a sample e-mail that ICs can adapt for their use. Please feel free to make this e-mail a regular part of your communications with your new hires to alert them to their responsibilities regarding e-QIP submission.
The May 28, 2014 issue of DPSAC News describes this new policy in detail: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs149/1104539806591/archive/1117438533324.html. ### NIH Director Sends Update Message to NIH Regarding Discovery and Disposition of Virus Vials on NIH Campus July 16, 2014 Dear Colleagues: As a follow up to the e-mail message that I sent you last Friday regarding the finding of vials of variola (smallpox) in an FDA laboratory on the NIH campus, I am writing to provide you with the latest update. While information was not immediately available to us regarding the specifics of the vials collected from that storage area due to a pending investigation, we now have received additional information and can confirm that the samples found in a laboratory cold storage room on campus, including those labeled as variola, were part of a 327 vial collection carefully stored in a total of 12 boxes. The vials were labeled as containing various infectious agents in addition to variola, such as dengue, influenza, Q fever, and rickettsia. All 327 vials were either safely transported to a secure storage area or have been destroyed. While an investigation continues regarding its origin, we believe that this collection of samples was most likely assembled during a period of time from 1946 through 1964 when standards for work with and storage of biological specimens were very different from today. All of the vials labeled as containing infectious agents were well packaged, sealed and intact, without evidence of leakage, and there is no reason to believe that anyone has been exposed to any of these agents. That said, the safety of NIH employees and the public is of utmost importance and overlooking such a sample collection for years is clearly unacceptable. We take very seriously this incident and our need to apply a number of responsive new precautionary measures. As you know, we are instituting a comprehensive search of our facilities to identify any other select agents, toxins, or hazardous biological materials improperly stored in any of our facilities, owned, leased, or through contract arrangements. We have developed a plan of action for the conduct of this search: it requires investigators to examine all freezers, refrigerators, cold rooms, storage shelves, and cabinets, as well as all other areas of storage such as offices associated with laboratories, to be sure that there are no further examples of potentially harmful materials that are being improperly stored. I will continue to keep you informed of any new developments. Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. NIH Director ###
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WiTS Reminder E-mail Helps the AO Community Prepare for New Employees
DPSAC News regularly runs articles to remind the administrative community of the importance of entering new hires into NED in advance of their entry-on-duty day and orientation to ensure that these individuals can be issued their new PIV Cards (HHS ID Badges) on their first day at NIH.
DPSAC News is reprinting here a recent WiTS reminder from OHR to the NIH administrative community also intended to help new employees experience a smooth on-boarding process:
The WiTS Project Team, HR Systems, Analytics and Information Division's (HR SAID) recently modified the "Prepare for New Hire" e-mail, which is a security investigation e-mail sent to Administrative Officers (AO) from WiTS. This modified e-mail provides more specific steps that the administrative community can take to ensure that new employees at NIH enter on duty in a smooth manner.
Previously, this e-mail notification was manually sent from WiTS by staff in the Client Services Division (CSD) and included a reminder to set up the new employees' profile in the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) so they could receive their badge.
With the recent modifications deployed in May, the "Prepare for New Hire" e-mail notification is now sent automatically from the system after the Tentative Job Offer Response and EOD Date fields are completed in the WiTS Appointment Action.
The notification is sent to the AO or IC Contact with a copy to the HR Specialist reminding them to create the new hire's NED profile, begin the security process, and ensure that any needed ethics requirements are completed prior to the EOD Date.
The e-mail notification also includes links for additional information on these processes.
To learn more about WiTS, please visit the Workflow information Tracking System (WiTS) at the NIH page on the OHR website.
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When using the new PIV Card readers -- remember to hold your PIV Card flat against the new card reader until it signals - with a green light and beep - that the gate has opened. Pulling the PIV card away too quickly may result in a misread.
Know someone who could benefit from a subscription to DPSAC News? -- have them contact Lanny Newman ( newmanl@mail.nih.gov) with a request to be placed on the DPSAC News mailing list.
For information about the Restricted Local Access (RLA) badge -- visit: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/badge/Pages/Getting-RLA-Badge.aspx.
ICs that want to add LWS operators to the approved roster -- send a written request to Richie Taffet at: taffetr@mail.nih.gov. Your request should include the new operator's name, their IC, their NED number, as well as the operator's e-mail address, building/room and phone number.
Once Mr. Taffet has approved the request, he will forward the name(s) to HHSIdentityAdmins@deloitte.com to complete the approval process, add the name to the LWS operator roster and inform the IC that the individual is now approved to operate the LWS.
Need to make changes to the LWS operator directories? -- drop an e-mail to Lanny Newman, newmanl@mail.nih.gov, and let him know what needs changing (e.g., adding new operators or LWS locations, removing operators, etc.). Remember, before a new operator can be added to the LWS directory, s/he must first be approved by Richie Taffet (see preceding Helpful Tip).
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.
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FAQs
Q. During a suitability background investigation for a new hire at NIH, which name (married or maiden) does DPSAC and OPM use when checking with the person's college or university to confirm that they have graduated and received a degree?
A. DPSAC and OPM are obligated to confirm the degree if it is stated on the background investigation form. Same for all degrees claimed. OPM sends a request to the university asking for confirmation of the information provided on the background information e-QIP paperwork.
It is important that the individual indicate on the forms the name they used in college and graduated under. For example, a woman who graduates using her maiden name may have married and applied for a position using her married name. OPM sends a request to the university asking for confirmation of graduation using the name provided by the applicant in the background information e-QIP paperwork.
DPSAC and the OPM don't have a way of knowing under what name a person matriculates to any college or university other than the name indicated by the person. The name that DPSAC and OPM uses is whatever the applicant inserts on the e-QIP form.
Q. What is the process for replacing a lost ALT card?
A. The individual who lost the card should put in a ticket to the NIH Service Desk. This ticket will be routed to DPSAC staff who will terminate the lost ALT card and sponsor/approve the person for a new ALT card. DPSAC will then send the individual an e-mail stating that the new card is ready to be issued.
Once the individual has picked up the new ALT card from their IC ALT Coordinator, the ALT Coordinator will record the card as lost and record the newly-issued card.
Q. If I happen to drop my PIV Card while trying to position it on the new PIV Card readers (at one of the main campus perimeter entrances), am I expected to get out of my car to retrieve it?
A. No. If you happen to drop your badge under these circumstances, you should summon a nearby guard to help you retrieve the badge. Also, if you are having difficulty using the new reader, a guard will instruct you on how to properly position your PIV Card against the new reader.
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Safety Corner
Summer Storm Season
The Office of Human Resources recently distributed the following information item to the NIH community as a service to its NIH customers.
While the Atlantic hurricane season is off to an early start this year, it is expected by NOAA to be potentially less active than normal. A number of severe storms have already moved through the Washington, DC metropolitan area this summer.
Over the past three years, such summer storms have occasionally resulted in a change in the federal government's operating status.
Even when the weather doesn't impact our operating status, individual employees may be faced with emergency circumstances as a result.
Thus, we want to remind you all of the importance of being prepared.
Be telework ready:
- Ensure your employees know their tier designation;
- Check to see if any new employees are not yet on a
telework agreement; - Update staff contact information; and
- Communicate with all of your employees about your
expectations if an emergency should arise.
Important resources to review:
Should a natural disaster significantly impact our workforce, a recent OPM memorandum highlights flexibilities that are available to ensure we are able to continue operations.
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A biweekly e-newsletter from the Office of Research Services, Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (ORS/DPSAC) to keep you informed as NIH rolls out "Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12" (HSPD-12) establishing a common identification standard to better safeguard NIH and its workforce.
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