Work in Progress: Interuniversity Research Partnership in Nanomanufacturing

The paper describes the initial phase of a collaborative program in research and education in the realm of nanomaterials and nanomanufacturing between the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM) and the University of South Florida (USF). The first year of activities of a UPRM professor working on a Sabbatical leave at USF with a group of nanomaterials researchers in implementing this collaborative pilot program is illustrated. The timeline and the feasibility of the project over the next three years as well as a plan for qualitative and quantitative evaluation are formulated. Finally, the broader impact, both scientific and educational, of the collaborative venture on the community as a whole is envisioned. As a work-in-progress report some of the future work that is not presented in this short written version will be illustrated in the formal oral presentation during the FIE conference. Numerical figures will be presented after completion of the first phase in a year