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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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Early NED Registration Speeds Badge Issuance
Applicants, DPSAC and Sponsoring ICs are all Beneficiaries
DPSAC News wants to remind its readers, particularly the administrative community, to register new employees, contractors and affiliates into NED as early as possible so they can get their ID badge as soon as possible upon joining the NIH workforce. The BenefitsOnce applicants for a badge have been registered into NED (which AOs can often complete well in advance of the new hire arriving at NIH to start their job), the individual can complete several steps of the badging process BEFORE they arrive for their first day of work! 1. Complete e-QIP (if required): DPSAC will reach out to new hires before their first day so that the individual can complete e-QIP. This also provides DPSAC ample time to review the individual's forms to ensure they are filled out correctly. 2. Get enrolled: All new hires must be enrolled to get an ID badge. If the person is in the local area, he/she can come to the DPSAC enrollment office (or local security office for remote NIH employees) to be fingerprinted and photographed before their first day of work. Individuals who complete both of these steps should be eligible for an ID badge on their first day of work! Applicants who show up for orientation but are not yet in NED will leave DPSAC without a badge, plus, they will be required to go through the NIH Gateway center each day they come to work to get screened and issued a visitor's pass. Unfortunately, this scene will play out for the individual each day that s/he is without a PIV card. Through vigilance and the timely registration of new employees (including contractors and affiliates being reclassified as FTEs) in NED, AOs can help their customers get badged quickly and avoid the hassles caused by these delays. Note: see also the related FAQs section below that clarifies certain misconceptions about registering a new employee into NED early.
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Summer Students are NOT Extended Visitors
This article first appeared in the June 10, 2015 DPSAC News
DPSAC recently learned that some individuals accepted into the NIH Summer Student program are being advised by their AOs to fill out Extended Visitor forms. This is not advisable. Summer students are required to have a Restricted Local Access (RLA) badge which is issued by DPSAC, not the NIH Police.
Unfortunately, these students are showing up at the NIH Police or DPSAC carrying an incomplete Extended Visitor form and expecting to be issued their ID badges. Regrettably, DPSAC (or the Police) have to turn them away because they have not been entered into NED. Some of these individuals learn that they can't get a badge only after they have spent considerable time waiting in line to get enrolled.
Before a summer student can be issued a badge -- all summer students are issued an RLA badge -- their AO needs to enter them into NED. Once they are entered into NED, they will receive notification from DPSAC to come in to be identity proofed, fingerprinted and photographed. Soon after this process is completed, the individual will again be notified advising them to come to DPSAC to pick up their RLA badge.
DPSAC strives to provide outstanding service to each of its customers, including making the badging experience as efficient and convenient as possible. But surprises sometimes do occur that will delay the badge issuance process. DPSAC wants to remind the administrative community that they can help their arriving students (and DPSAC) expedite the badging process and avoid such unwanted surprises by entering the students into NED. They can do this even before the student arrives at NIH.
In anticipation of the influx of new arrivals (nearly 1300 students are expected to arrive over a two to three week period in June and July) and the added demands on DPSAC's enrollment and badging staffs, DPSAC has temporarily expanded its enrollment and badging capabilities.
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IMPORTANT -- Cybersecurity Incident Information Update
The following e-mail, dated June 27, 2015, from Rich Southers, Deputy Director, Office of Human Resources, OD, NIH is being circulated across NIH to ensure that the entire NIH workforce is kept up to date on the security breach at the Office of Personnel Management.
OPM announced a cyber-intrusion on June 4, 2015 affecting personnel records for approximately 4 million current and former federal employees.
OPM launched an investigation to determine its full scope and impact of the breach. On June 8, it was learned that it was likely that OPM systems containing information related to the background investigations of current, former, and prospective Federal government employees, and those for whom a federal background investigation was conducted, may have also been taken.
OPM is continuing its investigation to determine the type of records that may have been compromised and the population of individuals affected.
When the investigation is complete, OPM will announce a notification plan for individuals whose information is determined to have been compromised, in addition to the 4 million already known to have been affected.
As the investigation continues, federal staff, including many NIH staff have begun to and will continue to received notification that their records were compromised as part of the original known 4 million affected.
Please note, these notifications are being sent via e-mail from CSID - a company contracted by OPM and specializing in identity theft protection and fraud resolution. This notice is legitimate. The e-mail will come from this address: [email protected].
The e-mail contains a PIN code which allows the recipient to sign up for free credit protection through CSID Protector Plus for 18 months. If you receive an e-mail from CSID and you are unsure of the legitimacy, you may access CSID Protector Plus enrollment through the OPM website.
If you believe you have received a suspicious e-mail. Contact the NIH IT Service Desk or the NIH Incident Response Team. OHR will continue to update information related to the breach as it becomes available via our website here.
Rich Southers
Deputy Director
Office of Human Resources
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NED Training Schedule: July - September, 2015
Whether you are new to NED or an advanced NED user who needs to hone your NED skills, the HSPD-12 Program Office has a training program for you. These classes are 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 will be taken to the HHS Learning Management System (LMS) where you can register for the course online.
To log on to 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: [email protected].
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News Briefs
OPM Memo to Federal Workers: U.S. Government Still Considers Marijuana an Illegal Drug
The following memo from Katherine Archuleta, Director, OPM, was published on Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Recently, 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.
As the Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Suitability Executive Agent, I am responsible for issuing standards and guidance to agencies to ensure that appropriate suitability determinations are made for positions covered by the suitability regulations in title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, part 731 (5 C.F.R. part 731).
I am also responsible for issuing guidance to agencies on maintaining a Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The purpose of this memorandum is to set out guidance in these areas.
Federal law on marijuana remains unchanged. Marijuana is categorized as a controlled substance under Schedule I of the Controlled Substance Act.
Thus knowing or intentional marijuana possession is illegal, even if an individual has no intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense marijuana.
In addition, Executive Order 12564, Drug-Free Federal Workplace, mandates that (a) federal employees are required to refrain from the use of illegal drugs; (b) the use of illegal drugs by federal employees, whether on or off duty, is contrary to the efficiency of the service; and (c) persons who use illegal drugs are not suitable for federal employment.
The Executive Order emphasizes, however, that discipline is not required for employees who voluntarily seek counseling or rehabilitation and thereafter refrain from using illegal drugs.
Involvement with marijuana may be considered when agencies make suitability determinations for covered positions under 5 C.F.R. part 731.
Drug involvement can raise questions about an individual's reliability, judgment, and trustworthiness or ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules and regulations, thus indicating his or her employment might not promote the efficiency or protect the integrity of the service. However, the individual's conduct must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Under 5 C.F.R. 731.202(b)(2), criminal conduct - including a violation of the Controlled Substances Act - may be the basis for an unfavorable suitability determination.
In determining whether employment of an individual with a history of criminal conduct related to that individual's possession of marijuana will protect the integrity or promote the efficiency of the service, the following considerations under 5 CFR 731.202(c) will always be relevant and should be taken into account: (i) the nature and seriousness of the conduct, (ii) the circumstances surrounding the conduct, and (iii) contributing societal conditions.
Under 5 C.F.R. 731.202(b)(6), illegal use of narcotics, drugs, or other controlled substances without evidence of substantial rehabilitation may also be the basis for an unfavorable suitability determination.
However, the focus of this factor is not on whether the individual has been involved in conduct in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, i.e., possession, manufacturing, distributing or dispensing drugs or controlled substances.
Rather, an unfavorable suitability determination citing this factor must establish that the individual illegally used the drug and has not been substantially rehabilitated from his or her use.
Heads of agencies are expected to advise their workforce that legislative changes by some states and the District of Columbia do not alter federal law, existing suitability criteria, or Executive Branch policies regarding marijuana.
An individual's disregard of Federal law pertaining to marijuana remains adjudicatively relevant to suitability determinations and relevant for disciplinary actions. Similar guidance regarding national security guidelines was provided by the Security Executive Agent to agency heads on October 25, 2014.
Lastly, it is important to note that it is also the policy of the Federal Government to offer appropriate prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation programs and services for federal civilian employees with drug problems.
OPM is responsible for developing and maintaining guidance and policy for agencies related to these programs, in cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and other relevant agencies. Federal agencies must establish and maintain such programs to assist employees with these problems, consistent with 5 C.F.R. 792.105.
Agencies may direct questions pertaining to this memorandum as follows:
Employees should contact their agency human resources offices for assistance.
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FAQs
Avoiding Badging Delays with Timely Registration of New Employees into NED
The following questions and answers underscore the importance of timely action in registering a new employee in NED to clear the way for badge
issuance. The FAQs also address some common misconceptions about early registration in NED and the badging process.
Q. Can I put someone into NED even though that person's Entry On Duty (EOD) date is a few weeks off?
A. Yes you can! If that person is a contractor and will be converting to an FTE, it is likely that the person is already in NED and has a Background Investigation on file. In these cases, the AO will need to register them properly.
Q. If a contractor is converting to an FTE, can I, as an AO, register this person in NED as an FTE, using a future EOD date without causing the person's badge to be revoked?
A. Yes you can! A contractor badge (with the green stripe) will still work until that badge holder becomes an FTE on their EOD date and is issued an HHS ID Badge (PIV Card) with a white 'stripe.'
Foreign national contractors require special attention when they are converting to an FTE or are renewing their PIV card. Due to limitations in the HHS card management system, AOs who renew a PIV card of a foreign national or are converting a foreign national contractor to an FTE in NED will cause the individual's current PIV card to be immediately deactivated.
To help mitigate this problem, foreign nationals should make their badge enrollment and issuance appointments on the same day as the sponsorship action to help avoid any interruption to physical or logical access due to a deactivated badge.
AOs should reach out to their foreign national customers before starting the badge renewal or sponsorship task and explain the importance of picking up their new RLA badge on the same day that their PIV card is revoked. By coordinating the timing of these activities, the AO can help foreign nationals obtain their new RLA badges quickly and avoid any interruption to their access privileges at NIH.
Q. If a contractor who will be converting to an FTE has been entered into NED, can he or she make appointments for Enrollment and Badge Issuance even before their EOD date?
A. Yes s/he can! It's important that the person be entered into NED correctly, otherwise, the individual won't be able to get an appointment! Once the AO changes the position classification in NED and DPSAC has completed a "PIPS" check to determine the investigation requirements of a customer, the person can get an appointment.
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Safety Corner
 Enjoy Fireworks the Safe Way - At a Public Display
The following fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, ORS
The American tradition of parades, cookouts and fireworks helps us celebrate our nation's birthday on the Fourth of July. However, a joyful holiday can turn into a painful memory when children or adults are injured while using fireworks.
Although some fireworks are relatively safe with proper and careful use, others are illegal and present substantial risks that can result in damage to property and, more importantly, cause ear and eye injuries, amputations, severe burns and death. In fact, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), firecrackers experienced at close range can damage hearing permanently in an instant. The Division of Fire Marshal (DFM), Office of Research Services (ORS), urges everyone to put safety first when celebrating this Fourth of July. When using fireworks, things can go wrong very fast. Children, especially, can be injured quickly. Kids typically not only like to watch, but they also want to touch, feel and light the fireworks.
Rather than incurring any risks, the DFM urges you to celebrate and enjoy the holiday without lighting your own fireworks. Instead, attend one of the many public fireworks displays provided throughout the area. At these displays, certified and licensed pyrotechnicians are trained and experienced in the safe use of fireworks and will provide a safe, yet exciting show.
The following tips should help make a public fireworks display safer and more enjoyable:
- Stay far away from where the fireworks are exploding and wear earplugs if the noises are uncomfortably loud.
- Obey all monitors and ushers and respect the safety barriers established that allow the trained pyrotechnicians room to safely do their job. Resist any temptation to get close to the actual firing site. In fact, the best view of fireworks is from a quarter mile or more away.
- If unexploded fireworks fall to the ground, do not touch them and keep others away. If you happen to find any pieces which may not have exploded, immediately contact the local fire or police department.
- Pets, like their human companions, have very sensitive ears and the "booms" and "bangs" associated with fireworks displays can be quite uncomfortable - particularly to dogs. In fact, these loud noises can damage their ears too. Leave pets at home if you attend a fireworks show.
- Leave the lighting of all fireworks to certified operators. Even sparklers and other novelty items that are legal in certain jurisdictions can be dangerous. Enjoy the "Fourth" safely and attend a public display - it will provide the right kind of excitement!
If you have questions concerning fireworks safety, please contact the Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services at 301-496-0487. For hearing concerns, contact the NIDCD Office of Health Communication and Public Liaison at 301-496-7243. |
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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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