Review of NIH Position Classifications and Corresponding ID Badges and ID Credentials
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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 IT resources is vetted appropriately and qualifies for one of the three badge types.

Each classification also governs whether the individual will be entered into the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED), the type of background check to be administered, who will conduct the background check (DPSAC or the NIH Police) and the life cycle of the badge (i.e., less than six months, up to a year, up to 3 years or up to 5 years).

Spotlight #11: Summer Students
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• Clinical Rotator (typically a medical or dental student) who participates in a clinically-oriented elective rotation, usually over a 4- to 12-week period, in one of the specialty fields and biomedical disciplines at the NIH.
• Collaborator 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. This includes individuals on a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) or any other type of agreement.

Note: Research Collaborators include but are not limited to scientists, engineers, physicians and other scientific or health care providers who are engaged in research collaboration with the NIH intramural research program (IRP) staff and are authorized by NIH to engage in scientific studies and investigations with IRP staff using NIH facilities."

Type of badge issued to Summer Students

Summer Students are issued Restricted Local Access (RLA) ID badges This badge them physical access to NIH facilities and logical access to NIH IT and Network services.  

All RLA badges issued to Summer Students expire on September 30 of the year issued. 

Are Summer Students entered into NED?

Yes. Administrative Officers/Administrative Technicians (AOs/ATs) will notice when registering an individual in NED that Summer Student is not a stand-alone Classification listed in the NED drop down menu. Rather, Summer Student is an attribute of certain position classifications.

Selecting certain classifications will prompt the NED portal user to indicate whether the individual is a Summer Student (Yes or No). Other classifications do not offer this prompt. Classifications that offer the Summer Student prompt include: "NIH FTE - including GS, SES, Title 42, etc", "Fellow," "Special Volunteer" and Guest Researcher. Examples of classifications that do not offer the Summer Student option include: "NIH FTE - Commissioned Corps (CC)" and "Contractor."

When the NED Portal user selects a classification and affirms that the individual is a Summer Student on the NED registration screen, the classification defaults the individual to an RLA badge. AOs/ATs will enter the individual who qualifies for student designation into NED and will sponsor him/her for an RLA badge.

This badge will provide the student with physical access to the NIH Bethesda campus (and with logical access to the NIH Network and IT services, if deemed appropriate).

Who processes the badge requests for Students?

DPSAC enrolls Summer Students and issues their RLA Badge.

What background investigation is required for Students?

Summer Students entered into NED will be sent to DPSAC for fingerprinting. Upon receipt of a favorable fingerprint check, DPSAC will issue these individuals an RLA badge.

How long is the badge good for?

RLA badges issued to Summer Students, who usually arrive at NIH between April and June, will expire on September 30 of the year issued.

What else should you know about Students?

• Get fingerprinted early -- The arrival of approximately 1500 Summer Students over a six- to eight- week period in April and May can place a significant burden on DPSAC staff who enroll and issue badges to these individuals. To lighten this load and help the arriving students avoid badging delays, DPSAC encourages ICs to have their Summer Students come to NIH for fingerprinting before the first day of work. Summer Students who are fingerprinted by DPSAC at least one week before their first day and receive a favorable result may be issued a badge on their first day at NIH. DPSAC maintains enrollment and badging services on the NIH campus in Building 31 and in the South Lobby of the Clinical Center.
• Provide personal information -- Summer Students will have the option to provide their personal information via a secure online NED portal or by completing Form HHS 745, Part A, and returning it to their AO/AT. If they elect to complete an HHS 745, the AO/AT should then use the completed form to create and/or update the student's NED record.
• Minors -- Summer Students under the age of 18 must also provide parental/legal guardian consent to their Program Office/Administrative Officer. DPSAC is not involved in obtaining or processing legal consent for Summer Students under the age of 18.
• Summer Students at Remote Locations -- Summer Students who will be reporting to remote locations [Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-Research Triangle Park (NIEHS-RTP), etc.] will receive fingerprint checks administered by appropriate local security staff. DPSAC will review the results of the fingerprint check and notify the students when they have been authorized for an RLA Badge. These remote locations will have local badging stations. Summer Students working at these locations should contact their local security office for information on where to obtain an RLA Badge and/or schedule an appointment.
• Foreign Summer Students -- Foreign Summer Students will be processed through the Division of International Services (DIS); however, they too will undergo a fingerprint check. For more information, please see: http://dis.ors.od.nih.gov.

A full description of badging procedures and policies for NIH Summer Students is posted on the DPSAC website here.

Disposition of a Summer Student's ID Badge 

When Summer Students end their employment/affiliation with the NIH, they must turn in their badge to their AO/Sponsor. The AO/Sponsor must return the badge to DPSAC in Building 31, Room 1B03. For more information on turning in badges, please look here.

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 here.