​In accordance with the Suitability Reinvestigation Requirements in the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations section 731.106 (5 C.F.R. 731.106), 731.106(d) (1) requires incumbents of Public Trust positions to undergo Suitability reinvestigations at least once every five years. Therefore, NIH's Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) has been going through a process of submitting and adjudicating reinvestigations for the NIH population occupying public trust positions at the Tier 2 (T2) and Tier 4 (T4) levels. To help mitigate this process, the HR Staff population is next in undergoing these reinvestigations if an investigation is out of scope [more than five (5) years old].

In June 2018, OPM issued a variation to the regulation at 5 C.F.R. 731.106 to temporarily extend the periodicity of public trust reinvestigation from five (5) years to seven (7) years. However, as of April 2021, OPM has advised that the two-year extension period for reinvestigations of individuals at the T2 and T4 levels has expired, adjusting the period of reinvestigations from seven (7) years back to five (5) years.

Due to such changes, the adjusted period for public trust reinvestigations will necessitate an increased need for reinvestigations among the NIH's population. DPSAC will be engaging with your populations to begin the required reinvestigations and appreciate your cooperation as we go through this process. These reinvestigations will require individuals to go through the investigative process including completing the e-QIP form and fingerprinting. Additionally, having an investigation that is within scope will be a requirement when it is time for individuals occupying public trust positions at the T2 and T4 levels to be enrolled in Trusted Workforce (TW).​​