MRSEC Capital Equipment Purchasing Policy

1. ALL MRSEC capital equipment requests must be approved by the Executive Committee prior to purchase. All capital equipment purchases must be charged to the MRSEC shared facilities account number, but this number is to be used only by the MRSEC office.
2. Sharon Emde will submit a sub-org request to Financial Operations (budget and finance) for each piece of capital equipment once approved by the Executive Committee. The corresponding sub-org together with the capital equipment account number will be placed on all orders by Sharon as described below.
3. Approved MRSEC capital equipment orders must be placed via the Accounting Office in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and the MRSEC office as follows:


• 1. Submit the order electronically at: https://www1.cems.umn.edu/dept/purchasing2/index.php Log in by entering your University of Minnesota Internet ID (X.500 username) and password. If you have problems accessing the purchase request web pages, please contact Jim Pirie (jdp@umn.edu or 4-2548).
• Complete the order form with all pertinent information EXCEPT for the account number/sub-org (type in zeros in the area org fields, which will satisfy the requirement to enter SOMETHING, and Sharon will complete that portion when the order is provided to her for approval). The "COMMENTS" box at the bottom of the form should contain your delivery address. In the "JUSTIFICATION" box, describe how item/s will benefit the project. You MUST include answers to the "5 W's": Who will be using the item; What is the item; Why is the item necessary for the MRSEC project; When will the item be used; and Where will the item be used. Your order will be delayed if there is no justification.
• Once you have completed the order form, click "SUBMIT ORDER" at the bottom. In a few seconds, a printable order form will appear on the screen.
• This printed copy (together with bids and/or other pertinent attachments*) must then be provided to Sharon Emde in 489 Amundson Hall (6-0713) for approval and placement of the appropriate account number and sub-org; she will then process the order as soon as possible.
• Shop charges associated with a piece of capital equipment funded by MRSEC must go through Sharon insuring that the proper account number and sub-org are charged and the services will be capitalized.

*As a reminder, anything above 10K will need to go out on bid. If you DO NOT want your capital equipment item to go out on bid, you will need to complete a "Request for Exception to Regents Purchasing Policy" (a.k.a. sole source request). To locate this document, link to the following address: http://purchasing.umn.edu/ and click on "forms/documents", "Exceptions to Regents' Purchasing Policy", and then "Click for Exceptions to Regents' Purchasing Policy form (.pdf)". This pdf is interactive so can be completed on the computer and signed by the requesting MRSEC investigator. This completed and signed document MUST accompany the order to Sharon.

Beginning FY2000, the capitalization level for equipment is $2,500 and greater (also includes improvements which increase the value or extend the useful life of equipment and must have a useful life of at least one year).