Last Updated: July 31, 2026 Reading Time: 9 min

NIH's Office of Human Resources has posted the date. For employees who received RIF notices in mid-May, the NIH RIF August 2026 separation date is August 12. That date starts a chain of eight deadlines, and several of them close for good within 60 days. This guide walks through each one, what it costs to miss it, and the dollar amounts at stake.

The Full Deadline Chain, August 12 Through Next Year

Every date below comes from NIH's official RIF Impact page or the controlling OPM, MSPB, and TSP rules. Print this table.

Date What happens What to do
Aug 12, 2026 Separation takes effect; MSPB clock starts Save your SF-50 and SF-8 the day you get them
Aug 13, 2026 Earliest day NIH recommends filing for unemployment File a UCFE claim with your state agency
Aug 24, 2026 FEDVIP dental and vision coverage ends Line up replacement dental/vision if needed
Aug 28, 2026 Final regular paycheck arrives Confirm the amount against your last LES
Sep 11, 2026 MSPB appeal deadline (30 days) File at mspb.gov if you're contesting the RIF
Sep 13, 2026 Lump-sum annual leave payout arrives by this date Verify hours × hourly rate
Sep 25, 2026 Free 31-day FEHB extension ends Decide TCC vs. Marketplace vs. spouse plan NOW
Oct 11, 2026 FEHB TCC election AND ACA Marketplace SEP close One of these must be done or you're uninsured
~Oct/Nov 2026 TSP loan repayment window (~90 days) closes Repay or accept a taxable distribution
Aug 12, 2027 ICTAP hiring priority expires Use the priority year aggressively

The two bolded rows are the ones that permanently foreclose options. Everything else is money arriving or coverage lapsing on a schedule.

The Money That Arrives Automatically

Two payments come without any action from you:

  • Final paycheck: August 28, 2026, the next regular biweekly payday.
  • Annual leave lump sum: by September 13, 2026. Every unused annual leave hour is paid at your hourly rate. Sick leave is not paid out, though it's restored if you return to federal service. Estimate the check with the Annual Leave Payout Calculator.

File for unemployment on August 13, the day after separation. Federal employees use UCFE, administered by your state's unemployment agency, not OPM. You'll need your SF-50 and SF-8.

NIH RIF MSPB Appeal: The September 11 Deadline

You have 30 calendar days from your effective separation date, or from the date you received the agency's written decision, whichever is later. For August 12 separations, that lands on September 11, 2026.

An NIH RIF appeal argues the separation was done wrong: your retention standing was miscoded, your veterans' preference wasn't credited, your competitive area was drawn improperly, or bump and retreat rights weren't honored. It does not argue the RIF was a bad idea.

Two things worth knowing:

  • If you and NIH agree in writing to try alternative dispute resolution, the filing window extends to 60 days.
  • Filing an NIH RIF MSPB appeal is free and doesn't require a lawyer, though these cases are technical. Our RIF Survival Guide covers what a retention register error looks like.

NIH RIF Severance: What Your Payout Is Worth

NIH severance follows the standard OPM formula under 5 U.S.C. 5595: 1 week of basic pay per year of service for your first 10 years, 2 weeks per year after that, plus an age adjustment of 10% of that base for each year you are over 40. The cap is 52 weeks of pay, and it arrives bi-weekly, not as a lump sum.

Here's the FedTools analysis using 2026 GS pay tables for the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington locality (33.94% adjustment), at step 5:

Profile Base severance Age adjustment Total payout
GS-12, 12 years, age 45 14 weeks ≈ $30,968 +50% ≈ $15,484 ≈ $46,452 over ~7 months
GS-13, 15 years, age 48 20 weeks ≈ $52,700 +80% ≈ $42,160 ≈ $94,860 over ~18 months
GS-14, 20 years, age 52 30 weeks ≈ $93,450 +120% ≈ $112,140 ≈ $161,980 (52-week cap)

Three caveats. Severance is fully taxable ordinary income and cannot be rolled into your TSP or an IRA. Payments stop the day you return to any federal job. And if you're eligible for an immediate annuity, you don't get severance at all. That rule sets up the retire-or-severance choice below.

Run your own numbers in the Severance Pay Calculator before you plan around an estimate.

The DSR Question: Retire Instead?

An involuntary separation triggers Discontinued Service Retirement eligibility if you are:

  • Age 50 or older with at least 20 years of creditable service, or
  • Any age with at least 25 years

DSR means an immediate FERS annuity instead of severance. For the GS-14 in the table above, a 52-week severance check near $162,000 sounds large, until you compare it against a pension paying out for 30+ years plus retiree FEHB for life. For most DSR-eligible employees the annuity wins decisively, but the answer depends on your high-3, your years, and whether you'll land another job with health coverage.

Model the annuity side in the FERS Retirement Calculator and compare it to your severance figure before you sign anything.

Health Insurance: Three Doors, All Closing October 11

Your FEHB coverage doesn't end with the NIH RIF on August 12. You get a free 31-day extension through September 25, 2026. After that:

  1. Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC). Keep your exact FEHB plan for up to 18 months, but you pay the full premium plus 2%, with no government share. Election deadline: October 11.
  2. ACA Marketplace. Losing FEHB opens a 60-day special enrollment period, also closing October 11. Depending on your income after separation, premium tax credits can make this cheaper than TCC.
  3. A spouse's plan. Job loss is a qualifying life event for their coverage too.

Compare what you were paying against the full unsubsidized premium with the FEHB Calculator. Sticker shock at 102% of the total premium is common, so check the Marketplace quote before defaulting to TCC.

Dental and vision end sooner: FEDVIP coverage stops August 24, twelve days after separation.

Your TSP: One Trap, Three Options

The trap first. If you're separated in the NIH RIF with an outstanding TSP loan, you have roughly 90 days from when TSP is notified of your separation to repay it in full. Miss that and the balance becomes a taxable distribution, plus a 10% early-withdrawal penalty if you're under 59½ and didn't separate in or after the year you turned 55. We cover the mechanics in What Happens to Your TSP After a RIF.

Then the ordinary choices: leave the money in TSP if your balance is over $200, roll it to an IRA, or withdraw it (taxable, possibly penalized). There's no deadline pressure on these, so don't make that decision in the same week you're managing everything else. Project what your balance does over time in the TSP Calculator.

ICTAP: Your One-Year Hiring Priority

For one year after your NIH RIF separation, through August 12, 2027, ICTAP gives you selection priority over almost all other applicants for competitive-service vacancies at other agencies, at or below your former grade, in your local commuting area, as long as you're rated well-qualified. Agencies must clear ICTAP candidates before making most other hires.

It only works if you use it: the priority applies to jobs you actually apply for, with your RIF documentation attached. The details, including how CTAP differs, are in our CTAP and ICTAP rights guide. For the wider context on the HHS downsizing this RIF belongs to, see HHS Lost 20,000 Staff.

Calculate Your Severance Before You Decide Anything

Every NIH RIF decision above gets easier with your real numbers in front of you. Use the free Severance Pay Calculator to get your estimated payout in under a minute, then compare it against the FERS Retirement Calculator if you're anywhere near DSR eligibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NIH RIF separation date in 2026?

August 12, 2026, per NIH's Office of Human Resources. Notices went out on or around May 15, 2026, an 89-day notice period. Every downstream deadline, from the MSPB window to health-coverage elections, keys off August 12.

How long do I have to file an MSPB appeal after the NIH RIF?

30 calendar days from the effective date or from receipt of the agency's written decision, whichever is later, which means September 11, 2026 for this RIF. A written ADR agreement with the agency extends it to 60 days. Missing the deadline waives the appeal permanently.

What happens to my FEHB after separation?

Your plan continues free for 31 days, through September 25, 2026. Then you choose between TCC (your same plan, up to 18 months, at 102% of the full premium), an ACA Marketplace plan, or a spouse's coverage. The TCC election and the Marketplace special enrollment period both close October 11, 2026.

When do my final paycheck and leave payout arrive after the NIH RIF?

The final paycheck comes August 28, 2026, on the normal biweekly cycle. The lump-sum payment for unused annual leave arrives by about September 13, 2026. Sick leave is not paid out.

Am I eligible for NIH RIF severance, and how much?

Generally yes with 12+ months of continuous qualifying service, unless you're eligible for an immediate annuity. Formula: 1 week of pay per year for the first 10 years, 2 weeks per year after, plus 10% of that base per year over age 40, capped at 52 weeks. A mid-career GS-12 lands near $46,000; the cap for a senior GS-14 is roughly $162,000.

Can I retire instead of taking severance?

Yes, if you're 50+ with 20 years of service or any age with 25 years. That's Discontinued Service Retirement: an immediate FERS annuity plus retiree FEHB. You forfeit severance if you take it, and for most eligible employees the annuity is worth far more over a lifetime.

Sources: NIH OHR RIF Impact page, OPM Severance Pay fact sheet, MSPB Appeals Q&A, TSP.gov, U.S. Department of Labor UCFE program.