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What is PREM?

Building Capability in Materials Research

The Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) program fosters long-term collaborations between universities and NSF’s Division of Materials Research (DMR)-supported centers. It enhances research opportunities through faculty and student exchanges, student mentoring and professional development, educational opportunities and training in state-of-the-art experimental, theoretical and computational materials development techniques. PREM supports students, postdocs, and faculty while advancing materials research and education.

Engaging Talent

We focus on identifying, recruiting and supporting a cohort of talented individuals in materials science through targeted outreach, mentorship, professional development and research engagement.

Fostering Growth

Our outreach and partnership initiatives ensure a collaborative environment that empowers long-term growth and a broad spectrum of perspectives that strengthen our field.

Impacting our World Through Materials Science

Our members conduct interdisciplinary research and develop new knowledge and technologies that impact the fields of biomedicine, energy, nanotechnology, electronics, and sustainability.

PREM Network on LinkedIn

Connect with our network, get the latest updates, and engage with our community.

Upcoming Events

Credit: Paul Wasneski/Wikipedia

2025 NDiSTEM Conference

NDiSTEM is the largest multidisciplinary and multicultural STEM conference in the country. The NDiSTEM Conference is a gathering which serves to equip, empower, and energize participants for their academic and professional paths in STEM.

Thu Oct 30, 2025 - Sat Nov 1, 2025

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Science and Technology of Emerging Materials Symposium (STEMS 2025)

Don’t miss the 2025 Science and Technology of Emerging Materials Symposium (STEMS). The symposium is organized by the PREM Center for Quantum Materials Innovation and Education Excellence (CQMIEE) at UCF and aims to bring together scientists with research interests in quantum materials and their applications in electronics, photonics, energy, environments, and biology.

Sat Nov 15, 2025, 9:00AM - Sun Nov 16, 2025, 5:00PM

University of Central Florida

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Credit: King of Hearts/Wikipedia

2025 MRS Fall Meeting and Exhibit

The 2025 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit will take place November 30-December 5, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts, at the Hynes Convention Center and adjacent Sheraton Boston Hotel. The world's foremost international scientific gathering for materials research, the MRS meeting showcases leading interdisciplinary research in both fundamental and applied areas presented by scientists from around the world. Abstract submissions are due by June 18, 2025 at 11:59 pm ET.

Sun Nov 30, 2025 - Fri Dec 5, 2025

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News

Aug 5, 2025

Texas State University Student Wins Prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

By Lane G Fortenberry, Texas State University

A Texas State University undergraduate student has been awarded a Barry Goldwater Scholarship, one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for future scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.

Feb 19, 2025

PREM Program Celebrates 20th Anniversary

By Divya Abhat

2024 marked the 20^th anniversary of NSF’s PREM program. The PREM community celebrated this milestone at the NSF PREM Research Scholars Summit, held at the recent Materials Research Society meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.

Jan 23, 2025

Texas State University Hosts STEM Field Trip for Local Students

PREM Web Team

Texas State University welcomed elementary and high school students for a STEM-focused field trip filled with hands-on experiments, lab tours, and campus exploration. The event aimed to inspire curiosity and a passion for science in the next generation. Image: Atkins CAST High School 12th grade group attends STEM Field Trip at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. Photo courtesy of Tania Betancourt.

Dec 6, 2024

PEAQS Center Uses Light to Measure Silicon Membrane Thickness

PREM Web Team

The PREM PEAQS center recently published a paper, “Real-time optical thickness determination for producing ultra-thin silicon membranes using anisotropic potassium hydroxide etching” in MRS Advances.

Dec 3, 2024

Karen Lozano Featured at Women’s in Materials Science & Engineering Keynote Breakfast

PREM Web Team

At the ongoing 2024 PREM Scholars Summit, Karen Lozano, keynote speaker at the event discussed her work as PREM PI at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Dec 2, 2024

Students Help Students at CAMPS 2024

By Paul Dailing

Clark Atlanta University PhD candidate Allea Campbell was looking for a place where she could network job opportunities, meet peers, and brainstorm possible applications for her research into covalent organic frameworks. So she went to CAMPS. “This seemed like a place where I can connect with other people who have different ideas that I can bring to my research,” she said. The student-led Conference Across MRSEC-PREM Schools (CAMPS) is held each year at a different university affiliated with two National Science Foundation (NSF) programs – Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC), which supports interdisciplinary research on materials science, and Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM), which is designed to enhance diversity in materials research and education. The NSF funds the yearly event.

Nov 26, 2024

Texas State University PREM Director Selected as Emerging Leader

By Divya Abhat

Tania Betancourt, Texas State University Director of PREM CIMA, has been selected as one of AIMBE’s 17 Inaugural Emerging Leaders for her exceptional contributions to medical and biological engineering. This recognition by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) highlights Betancourt’s remarkable contributions to biomedical engineering and her dedication to innovation and mentorship.

From Research Highlights

Explore our latest research that's shaping the future of DMR

Dive into cutting-edge projects and collaborations pushing the boundaries of discovery.

See all Highlights

Enhanced active matter photocatalysis via Gold Nanoclusters

¡MIRA!-PREM: Sparking Curiosity In Materials Science!!

Texas State University, San Marcos

Surface Reconstruction of Metal Oxide Oxygen Evolution Catalysts

Texas State University, San Marcos

Conference Across MRSEC and PREM Schools (CAMPS)

Integration of a Novel Biomembrane into a Lung-on-a-Chip Microfluidic Test-Platform

Our Community

Meet the talented researchers and educators driving innovation in materials science

Yuanxi Wang

Assistant Professor, University of North Texas

Jie Ling

Raul Castaneda

Research Associate, New Mexico Highlands University

Maren Roman

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Andrew McGhie

Associate Director at The Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM), University of Pennsylvania

Nikoleta Theodoropoulou

Associate Professor, Texas State University

Jared Ashcroft

Pasadena City College

Stefan Zollner

Department Head, New Mexico State University

Kytai Nguyen

Professor, University of Texas at Arlington

Mircea Chipara

Professor, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - Edinburg Campus

Nelson Cardona Martínez

Professor, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Xinle Li

Assistant Professor, Clark Atlanta University

Vijay K. Rangari

Professor, Tuskegee University

Kesete Ghebreyessus

Associate Professor, Hampton University