The mission of the Partnership for Education and Research in Materials (PREM) between the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez and the University of Wisconsin at Madison is to establish a permanent relationship between both institutions to foster collaborative research and education in the area of Materials Science and Engineering. The essential components of this partnership are the already successful and well established materials-related research and education infrastructure of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, including its Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) on Nanostructured Materials and Interfaces, the Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team (NIRT) on Epitaxial Magnetic Oxide Structures for Nanoscale Spin Devices, and the steadfast, growing initiatives in the field of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. This project will create a number of robust collaborative research groups in three topical areas, Spintronics and Nanostructures Magnetic Materials, Nanocomposites Synthesis and Characterization, and MgB2 Superconductors, sustained by a solid partnership in engineering materials education and outreach. One of the main overall contributions of the project will be to help crystallize the first MSE graduate program in Puerto Rico. This will open the doors to further MSE education in PR and foster MSE research in many areas. Puerto Rican MSE graduates will increase the number of Hispanics in the MSE field. Once this Master of Science's program is successfully in place at UPRM, a doctoral program in Materials Science would be a natural offshoot. This doctoral program will build on a solid foundation: the wealth of facilities and human resources developed and facilitated by this PREM proposal. UW's experience and partnership will be invaluable in this future venture. By raising awareness about MSE issues among different groups (university and school students and teachers and, indirectly, the general community) the project will create a fertile ground where this area of research will be further promoted in Puerto Rico. Potential impacts on the Puerto Rican economy will include: creation of well-trained body of professionals, exploration of novel research areas by existing and new companies, creation of new jobs in areas related to MSE, formation of a network of scientists and engineers working on MSE related projects, and improvement of K-12 education. The existence of high-level MSE researchers at UPRM linked with first-rate research US universities will generate possibilities to foster more national and international materials scientific meetings in Puerto Rico. This will create a hub for research on advanced materials to be recognized nationwide
