First,I call the contract officer at the agency and ask if they intend
 to issue a wage determination.  Usually, they don't have clue what
 that means and they have to ask someone else.  Usually they don't
 intend to issue one so you're off the hook.  If they do intend to
 issue one, it will be attached to the actual contract when you receive
 it, you can take exception to it in the cover letter accompanying the
 response to the RFP.  If there are only faculty and professional type
 people on the project then it doesn't apply.  It only applies to
 non-exempt (people who are entitled to overtime) people.  In my 16
 years of being a research administrator, and having lots of DOD
 contracts, I've never had a contract that it applied to.  There were
 contracts that, if they had had non-exempt people on them, I would
 have been in big trouble because the state in which I lived paid wages
 less than the wage determinations would have been.  Most states pay
 above what the feds have established in the wage determinations as the
 minimums.  Good luck

 Mary Husemoller
 Director, OSPA
 University of NV, Reno
 702-784-4040

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Wage Determination (Service Contract Act)
Author:  Research Administration Discussion Group
<xxxxxx@health.state.ny.us> at smtplink-unscs
Date:    11/13/96 3:28 PM

I am interested in any information you may have out there on a =
University's exemption from the Service Contract Act (wage =
determination).  Because salary & wages are determined by the =
University, based on whatever payroll system (HAY, etc.) and the =
University is a State Funded Institution of Higher Education, how do you =
exempt your self from wage determiniations when responding to RFP that =
have wage determinations in them?

a response through the discussion group or my email =
(xxxxxx@email.uah.edu) will be appreciated.