Is there a free place to look up DUNS numbers for other institutions?

Thanks!

Debbie

Deborah (Debbie) L. Smith, Ed.D.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Research

UT Health Science Center

910 Madison, Suite 823

Memphis, TN 38163

901 448-4823 voice

901 448-7600 fax

xxxxxx@uthsc.edu

From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] On Behalf Of Molly Daniel
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 1:46 PM
To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] Dun & Bradstreet numbers - preventing authorized editing

Thanks, Bob.

When I use the Federal branch of the D & B (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform), I am able to update information about our organization rather easily. So easily, in fact, that I am concerned that others may also be able to do this and alter information that is linked with the CCR. How do I prevent this?

Regarding SAM - I do not clearly understand the purpose of ORCA. If an organization has no contracts (grants only - we are not a vendor), is it required to develop and ORCA record?

--------------------------------

Molly Daniel

Grants Specialist

Planning Department

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center

1000 Health Center Drive

Mattoon, IL 61938-9253

voice 217-258-2195, fax 258-4135

email: xxxxxx@sblhs.org

From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] On Behalf Of Robert Beattie
Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 1:24 PM
To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] Dun & Bradstreet numbers - preventing authorized editing

Be sure you are dealing with the Federal branch of the D & B. The commercial branch will want to take money from you.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/grants/duns_num_guide.pdf

also info here

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

There are at least 300 entities with The University of Michigan in their name among the DUNS number list, a real pain. Also many with the official name, Regents of the University of Michigan. I could never convince the Financial office that there should be some action taken to protect the official name, at least. We did not even try to get branch numbers of other legal entities. The Feds using DUNS has led to many issues not anticipated, I think.

Maybe the new SAM will help fix up things.

https://acquisition.gov/SAM/sam.html

Bob

On Oct 18, 2011, at 12:40 PM, Molly Daniel wrote:

I never got a reply to my question regarding Dun & Bradstreet numbers, and I'm still wondering....

The DUNS number is free ... but, is an organization required to purchase any services from Dunn & Bradstreet in order to prevent any unauthorized changes to the organizational information linked with that number?

There are multiple DUNS numbers established for organizations with the same name as ours, but we of course use only one of those for CCR. No one seems to know how, why or when the others were created. I am being told that to be able to update our organizational information in the DNB database (and to secure it with a password to prevent others from doing so), there is an annual fee. Calls to DNB customer service seem to generate marketing tactics on their end. I'd just like to sort out what is minimally required to keep our registration in CCR "pure."