March 2, 2016 issue of the DPSAC NEWS

In This Issue

Spotlight on...Fellows

Exchange Program Facilitates Collaboration between NIH and its Neighbors at Walter Reed.Military Medical Center& the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences

Helpful Tips

News Briefs - New NED Training Videos

NED Training Schedule for Remainder of FY '16

Safety Corner

HHS ID Badge Scorecard

Past Issues

Contact Us

Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC),

Office of Research Services

Personnel Security

Helpdesk: 301-402-9755

E-mail: orspersonnelsecurity@

mail.nih.gov

Access Control

Helpdesk: 301-451-4766

E-mail: facilityaccesscontrol@

mail.nih.gov

This is the tenth in a series of articles spotlighting position classifications that the NIH uses to determine the type of badge it can issue. Based on the individual's classification, s/he will be eligible for either an HHS ID Badge (also known as a Personal Identity Verification or PIV Card), a Restricted Local Access (RLA) Badge or an NIH Legacy ID Badge.

Determining an individual's correct classification is an important first step in the badge issuance process since it helps ensure that each person requiring access to NIH facilities and resources is vetted appropriately and qualifies for one of the three badge types.*

Classification: Fellow

(as this classification appears in the NED portal)

Who is a Fellow?

Fellows are individuals who receive NIH stipends. This classification includes Visiting Fellows (NIH Intramural Visiting Fellow Program or VFP Program), Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellows and Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA) Fellows.

VFP Fellowships

NIH Intramural Visiting Fellow Program (VFP) Fellowships are established for the principal benefit of non-immigrant foreign national participants and to provide opportunities for developmental training and practical research experience in a variety of disciplines related to biomedical research, medical library research and related fields.

VFP Fellowships are designed to provide research training "for which fellowship support is not provided under Section 487 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (Title 42 United States Code, Chapter 6A), and which is not residency training of physicians or other health professionals.

Title 42 Section 209 (f) and (g) : Title 42 is the term commonly used at NIH to reference human resources appointing authorities that appear in Title 42, 209 (f) and (g) External Web Site Disclaimer of the United States Code. Title 42 is a flexible hiring mechanism that allows NIH to attract and retain staff with outstanding scientific, technical and clinical skills. NIH staff should visit the Title 42 page NIH Access Only and "TITLE 42. THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE CHAPTER 6A. THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES GENERAL PROVISIONS RESPECTING NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES" for information on Title 42.

All VFP Fellows are non-immigrant, foreign nationals who possess valid work authorization issued by the appropriate federal agency. Non-immigrants are defined as those who are not Citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents of the United States.

IRTA and CRTA Fellowships

These fellowships are exclusively for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. All U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card holders") should apply for an Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA), or, if with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for a Cancer Research Training Award (CRTA).

The Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellowship Program is designed to provide advanced training and practical research experiences to investigators early in their professional careers. IRTA Traineeships are established for the principal benefit of the participant and to provide opportunities for developmental training and practical research experience in a variety of disciplines related to biomedical research, medical library research and related fields.

Traineeships are designed to provide research training "for which fellowship support is not provided under Section 487 of the PHS Act, and which is not residency training of physicians or other health professionals."

The IRTA Program encourages the participation of individuals from groups who are underrepresented in biomedical research: women, persons with disabilities and individuals of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds.

Who is NOT a Fellow?

* Guest Researcher is a scientist, engineer and student who IS permitted to engage in scientific studies and investigations using NIH facilities. Under this program, these individuals further their own research by using equipment and resources that are otherwise unavailable to them. They provide no direct services to NIH. They may not have any patient contact.

* Collaborator (Clinical and Non-Clinical) is a non-NIH employee or trainee employed by or associated with an outside organization who performs clinical and/or non-clinical research or rotations at or for NIH pursuant to an agreement. Collaborators include individuals on a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) or any other type of agreement.

* Special Volunteer is an individual who provides research services, direct patient care, clerical support, technical assistance or any other necessary services to NIH. This classification includes FAES and The Children's Inn personnel.

* Clinical Rotator is a medical or dental student who participates in a four- to twelve-week clinically oriented elective rotation in one of the specialty fields and biomedical disciplines at the NIH.

Type of badge issued to Fellows

Figure 1

All VFP Fellows and IRTA/CRTA Fellows who are Lawful Permanent Residents will be issued a Restricted Local Access (RLA) badge with an orange stripe (Figure 1).

NIH RLA badge expirations can coincide with the expiration of the individual's appointment or visa, however, all RLA badges are valid for a maximum of three (3) years.

Figure 2

IRTA/CRTA Fellows who are U.S.
citizens will be issued an HHS ID Badge

(PIV Card) with a green stripe
containing the letter "G" running
horizontally below the individual's photo (Figure 2).

This badge is identical to the PIV Card issued to

Contractors. The HHS ID Badge (PIV Card) is valid for a

maximum of five (5) years.

Please note that any Fellow (VFP or IRTA/CRTA), regardless of citizenship
status, who will be at the NIH for less than six (6) months will receive an RLA badge that is valid for up to six (6) months.

The gold-colored computer chip on the face of the PIV Card and RLA badge stores data for identification (NOT personally identifiable information or PII). This badge allows for physical access to the NIH campus and to controlled facilities. It also can be enabled for logical access (if required) to NIH IT services.

Are Fellows entered into NED?

Yes. The applicant must be sponsored in the NED Portal by a PIV-approved sponsor before he or she can be enrolled and issued a badge.

Who processes the badge requests for Fellows?

Once an Institute or Center (IC) Administrative Officer (AO) with sponsor authority enters the Fellow-applicant into NED, the individual will make an enrollment appointment with DPSAC.

Note: VFP Fellows will be instructed by NED to visit the Division of International Services (DIS), ORS before they can schedule an enrollment appointment.

What background investigation is required for Fellows?
Fellows will be required to submit fingerprints and complete e-QIP (unless these items are already on file) in order to be issued a PIV Card or RLA badge. All Fellows will undergo a background investigation commensurate with their roles and responsibilities.

Enrollment is a three-step process in which the applicant is identity-proofed, fingerprinted and photographed. Once enrollment is completed, and the applicant has completed and submitted his or her e-QIP forms and any required attachments to DPSAC (or the person's e-QIP is on file), the applicant can proceed to the DPSAC badge issuance office to obtain a PIV card.*

DPSAC submits the individual's fingerprints and completed e-QIP forms to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) where the necessary and appropriate background investigation will be conducted.

Note: Foreign nationals who have been in the country for less than three (3) years will undergo a National Agency Check (NAC) investigation. Once these individuals have been in the country for three (3) years, they will be required to undergo a second background investigation that is commensurate with their position sensitivity level (as determined in NED).

*In the PIV process, the Sponsor acts on behalf of NIH to request an Applicant be issued an ID badge. Sponsor training must be completed and a signed certificate submitted to the HSPD-12 Program Office before a PIV Sponsor can request a badge for an applicant.

How long is the badge good for?

HHS ID Badges (PIV Cards) have a maximum lifecycle of 5 years. NIH RLA badge expirations can coincide with the expiration of the individual's appointment or visa, however, all RLA badges have a maximum lifecycle of 3 years.

What else should you know about Fellows?
Fellows, like Contractors, will receive a PIV card with a green stripe. While a badge with a green stripe is commonly referred to as a 'Contractor' badge, it is, in fact, the badge issued to all non-FTE individuals who are eligible for a PIV card (e.g., Fellows, Guest Researchers, etc.).

VFP Program

If Fellows in the VFP program do not have a Social Security Number (SSN), they cannot initiate e-QIP until an SSN is obtained. AOs should remind their VFP applicants to apply for an SSN as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary delays in completing the badging process.

According to NIH Policy Manual 2300-320-3 9 NIH Intramural Visiting Fellow Program (https://oma1.od.nih.gov/ manualchapters/person/2300-320-3/), "Service is a by-product of the VFP Fellowship unlike Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Research and Clinical Fellowships, where service is a dominant part of the training objective.

VFP Fellows may not be assigned official supervisory responsibilities or sign documents on behalf of the U.S. Government (such as requisitions)."

Eligibility and Types of VFP Fellowships

VFP Fellowships are available only to foreign nationals on a valid United States non-immigrant, work-authorized status. Please refer to the Manual Chapter's "Section C: Program Structure" for a detailed explanation of Postdoctoral and Pre-doctoral VFP Fellowships.

Program Administration of VFP Fellowships

Direction and management of the VFP are a joint responsibility of the Office of Intramural Research (OIR), Office of the Director (OD), and the Division of International Services (DIS), Office of Research Services (ORS), Office of Management (OM), OD. The OIR and Board of Scientific Directors establish policy, and the DIS administers the program and provides immigration services according to immigration law.

The roles and responsibilities of each of these Offices and Divisions is spelled out in Section D (Program Administration) of the NIH Policy Manual 2300-320-3 (https://oma1.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/ person/2300-320-3/).

IRTA/CRTA Program

Eligibility of IRTA/CRTA Fellowships The primary policy source for the NIH IRTA Fellowship program is located within NIH Policy Manual 2300-320-7.

This authority is exclusively for U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents.

Fellow, like Contractors, will receive a PIV card with a green stripe. Although the PIV card with a green stripe is commonly referred to as the 'Contractor badge,' it is, in fact, the badge issued to all individuals in non-FTE positions who are eligible for a PIV card (e.g., Fellows, Guest Researchers, etc.).

Training must be carried out at a facility of the NIH, but may be supplemented by additional training acquired at another institution, which is found by the Director to be directly related to the purpose of the traineeship and necessary to its successful completion. Training outside of NIH must not comprise a majority of the training.

According to NIH Policy Manual 2300-320-7, "Service is a by-product of the IRTA Program, unlike Research and Clinical Fellowships where service is a dominant part of the training objective.

Please note that IRTA Trainees may not independently engage in patient care activities (any clinically-related activity must explicitly be under the direct supervision and control of an NIH employee), be assigned official supervisory responsibilities, or sign documents (e.g., requisitions) on behalf of the Government."

IRTA opportunities are available through the following programs:

Postdoctoral
Pre-Doctoral (Graduate Partnerships Program [GPP] and Medical Research Scholars Program [MRSP])
Post-Baccalaureate
Technical
Student (Summer Internship Program [SIP] in Biomedical Research)

Disposition of a Fellow's ID Badge

When Fellows end their employment/affiliation with the NIH, they must turn in their ID badge to their AO/Sponsor. The AO/Sponsor must return the badge to DPSAC in Building 31, Room 1B03 or the local ID Badge issuance office.

Should you have questions about a classification, please call the DPSAC Helpdesk at 301-402-9755 or e-mail them at: orspersonnelsecurity@mail.nih.gov

*The 'NIH Badging Authority by Classification Table' containing brief descriptions of all position classifications can be viewed on the DPSAC website at:http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/badge/Pages/applying.aspx

Exchange Program Facilitates Collaboration between NIH and its Neighbors at Walter Reed
National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS)

The NIH Associate Director for Security and Emergency Response, William Cullen, recently sent the following e-mail to the NED Administrative Community announcing the adoption of an exchange program to facilitate collaboration between medical professionals from NIH, WRNMMC and USUHS in order to further their mutual research goals.*

Dear NED Administrative Community,

The Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences (USUHS), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), and The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have formalized the exchange program of personnel between the Bethesda Campus and Naval Support Activity Bethesda to facilitate collaboration of medical professionals to further mutual research goals.

The NIH has now standardized the badging process to allow NIH-sponsored personnel from WRNMMC and USUHS to be identified as Collaborators (Clinical or Non-Clinical) in support of the exchange and to be issued a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card (also referred to as an HHS ID Badge). Please note that foreign nationals (FN) and short-term staff will receive a Restricted Local Access (RLA) badge in lieu of a PIV card.

To initiate the processing for a PIV card to access the NIH campus, WRNMMC and USUHS participants must be sponsored by an authorized NIH Administrative Officer within the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) as a Collaborator (Clinical or Non-Clinical). The Collaborator classification was deemed appropriate for the personnel coming from USUHS and WRNMMC to collaborate with the NIH.

Any other ID badge issued by NIH (e.g. legacy, extended visitor) is not allowable for personnel covered by the joint agreement.

The NIH Badge Processing Instructions for USUHS and WRNMMC Personnel is attached for your reference and awareness.

[Please note that in order to initiate processing for an ID badge to obtain physical and logical access to NIH facilities, the IC Administrative Office will contact the WRNMMC or USUHS individual(s) and request the required personally identifiable information (PII) on an HHS-745 form to establish an NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) record].

WRNMMC and USUHS personnel who already have a PIV card in the capacity of a Special Volunteer, Guest Researcher, etc..., may stay in their present category until the badge expires. Once their badges have expired, they will need to be re-classified as Collaborator (Clinical or Non-Clinical) in NED.

WRNMMC and USUHS personnel who currently possess any other ID badge issued by NIH (e.g. legacy, extended visitor) will need to have their NED records updated to re-classify them as Collaborator (Clinical Non-Clinical). This update in NED will automatically initiate the process for them to receive a PIV card/HHS ID Badge or RLA badge (per the joint agreement between USUHS, WRNMMC and NIH.

V/R

William Cullen

Associate Director for Security & Emergency Response National Institutes of Health

9000 Rockville Pike

Bethesda, Md. 20892

***

To view the Badge Processing Instructions for USUHS and WRNMMC Personnel, click on the link: Badge Processing Instructions.

* The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) is the nation's federal health professions academy--akin to the programs of the U.S. military academies at West Point, Annapolis and Colorado Springs. And like the academies, students are not charged tuition; they repay the nation for their education through service.

The USUHS curricula and educational experiences are similar to those of civilian academic health centers, with an emphasis on military health care, leadership, readiness and public health.

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center - Bethesda (WRNMMC) serves as the location of the headquarters for Joint Task Force National Capital Region/Medical, a tri-service task force providing command and control for most medical treatment facilities in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New Jersey.

The WRNMMC continues to provide all the services it provided as National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), having additionally absorbed many departments and services from Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC).

Helpful Tips

Do not lend your ID badge to anyone!-- lending out your ID badge is prohibited. The issuance of ID badges is based on strict identity proofing and the determination of one's suitability for a specific position classification.

AOs who wish to obtain sponsor authority -- must complete the sponsor training (see:http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/
Training/Pages/administrators.aspx) and e-mail a copy of your signed certificate to the NIH HSPD-12 Program Office at: hspd12@od.nih.gov. Upon receipt of the certificate, the Program Office will authorize the AO as a sponsor.

News Briefs

Two New NED Training Videos Now Posted to the DPSAC Website

DPSAC recently produced two new videos for NED users describing how to carry out a "Push Transfer" task and a "Pull Transfer" task in the NED Portal. Each four-minutes training module, posted on the DPSAC website under "Training" at http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Training/Pages/nedweb.aspx, demonstrates the steps to successfully complete these NED tasks.

NED Training Schedule: a Class a Month for the Balance of FY '16

New and relatively inexperienced NED Portal users with an Administrative Officer (AO) or Administrative Technician (AT) role are invited to take advantage of one of the hands-on NED training classes being offered (once a month) through the end of fiscal year 2016.

Each class will provide an overview of the NED Portal and the NIH business functions it supports from the perspective of a NED Portal user with the AO or AT role.

Upon completing the course, students will have a solid working knowledge of the NED Portal and be able to perform the following tasks: Register/Activate, Update, Modify, Transfer, Badge Renewal and Deactivate.

The course will also familiarize students with other aspects of the NED Portal so they can set their primary SAC coverage using Preferences, determine the status of a person's ID badge and/or network account request, look up and view information in a person's NED record and utilize NED reporting capabilities.

To register for one of the classes listed below, go to: http://training.cit.nih.gov/class_details.aspx?cId=NIHCIT-GN142

Safety Corner

Be Prepared for a Fire Emergency in Your Workplace!

This fire safety awareness article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, ORS.

The following steps will help ensure you are prepared and ready to take action if a fire emergency were to occur in your workplace.

Post the fire department emergency phone number by your phone. When on the NIH Bethesda campus, dial 911 from an office phone (or 301-496-9911 from a cell). For off-campus NIH facilities dial 9-911 from an office phone (or 911 from a cell phone).
Locate the nearest fire alarm manual pull stations from your work area and know how to operate them.
Know the sound of your building fire alarm system so you know when to take action if your building fire alarm system is activated.
Know at least two ways out of your work area.
Familiarize yourself with the building you work in so you know how to evacuate the building from wherever you are in the building.
Participate in evacuation drills and familiarize yourself with NIH Policy Manual 1430 - NIH Occupant Evacuation Plan (http://oma.od.nih.gov/manualchapters/management/1430/) so you understand your building's Occupant Evacuation Plan.
If you have a disability, participate in the Occupant Emergency Organization for your building. Discuss in advance with the Division of Emergency Management, Emergency Planning Coordinator (Phone: 301-496-1985) what assistance you will need to alert you and to help you leave your work area and get to a safe location.

If you have any fire safety issues or questions, please contact the Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services at 301-496-0487. For occupant evacuation planning issues or questions, please contact the Division of Emergency Management, Office of Research Services at 301-496-1985.

NIH badging statistics from HHS as of February 28, 2016

Sponsored: 37,113 Enrolled: 36,344 Issued: 35,3330*

*This figure represents 95.0% of individuals who have been sponsored.

Note: the Department reports weekly on the number of individuals who have been sponsored, enrolled and issued new HHS ID Badges for each OPDIV.

DPSAC News reports the latest Departmental figures for NIH in the first issue published for that month

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.