32 CFR § 21.565 - Must DoD Components' electronic systems accept Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) numbers?
The DoD Components must comply with paragraph 5.e of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy directive entitled, “Requirement for a DUNS number in Applications for Federal Grants and Cooperative Agreements.” 2 Paragraph 5.e requires electronic systems that handle information about grants and cooperative agreements (which, for the DoD, include Technology Investment Agreements) to accept DUNS numbers. Each DoD Component that awards or administers grants or cooperative agreements must ensure that DUNS numbers are accepted by each such system for which the DoD Component controls the system specifications. If the specifications of such a system are subject to another organization's control and the system can not accept DUNS numbers, the DoD Component must alert that organization to the OMB policy directive's requirement for use of DUNS numbers with a copy to: Director for Basic Research, OASD(R&E), 3040 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–3040.
2 This OMB policy directive is available at the Internet site http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_docs.html.