Our office is wrestling with the annual MBE/WBE forms required by EPA, which
are due the end of this month (as well as at close out).  Our current
process entails staff in Sponsored Programs reviewing the EPA prime awards
and any subcontracts with EPA flo through.  Based on this review, we
complete all sections of the form except box 5d, "Actual MBE/WBE Procurement
Accomplished this Reporting Period," and Box 6, "Comments".  We then send
the form with detailed instructions and a tip sheet to the Principal
Investigators and request they work with their accounting staff to compile
the information and fill out these two boxes.  They are instructed to then
return the form to Sponsored Programs for signature and forwarding to EPA
and/or institutions from which we have received subcontracts.
We have recently met with the University Purchasing Department to determine
if completion of this form falls more in their realm than the PI obtaining
the information.
I welcome hearing from folks to know how other institutions handle this
requirement.  Faculty frequently do not understand the intent of the form,
how to compile the information, plus the data returned is often
questionable.

Mary Selby
Senior Research Administrator
Sponsored Programs
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523
970 491-5574
FAX 970 491-6147

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