The PUPR has a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Missouri-Columbia (for ten years) - Through this agreement PUPR has five faculty members in Missouri who they will return to PUPR in the next year and a half. There are also five students from PUPR doing graduate studies at University of Missouri-Columbia it is hoped that on conclusion of their PhD they will return to PUPR as faculty members.

Our MOU with the University of Missouri-Columbia is such that we expect that fifty (50) PUPR Faculty members with MS will get their PhD during the ten years of duration of this MOU.

MOU with Virginia Polytechnic University (Virginia Tech) - One faculty member has already completed his PhD studies. Additionally, Virginia Tech has sent to PUPR several members that work at PUPR as faculty, and in collaboration with PUPR Faculty in research activities.

Additionally, there are several faculty members in other Universities finishing their PhD’s like University of Michigan, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras, University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez and University of Pennsylvania.

The Scientific Research and Development Department of PUPR has been in charge of establishing external with other universities as well as collaborations with National Laboratories.

• Argonne National Lab – an MOU was signed to promote research and technology transfer mainly in the environmental area.

During Summer 2000-2001 four faculty members from PUPR participated in Scientific Research in different National Labs: NASA – John Stennis in Mississippi, NRL Washington DC, NASA Langley Space Center in Virginia and White Sands, New Mexico. Additionally about 25 students participated mainly in NASA Goddard, Oak Ridge National Lab, North Pacific Lab and other laboratories of the Department of Energy, Defense and NASA.

• The Scientific Research and Development Department has obtained equipment with more than $2,000.000 for the establishment of an Advanced Plasma Center at PUPR. As soon as the physical space has been identified we will perform experiments mainly with practical applications of Plasma primary for the Pharmaceutical Industry; one of research will be the Uses of Plasma to the Sterilization of Pharmaceutical Products Medical Devices and Tools.
• PUPR has established a collaboration program with the first National Laboratory (NRL) mainly in the area of Plasma Processing and Space Plasma. Several NRL researchers are already working with PUPR faculty in Plasma Processing Research and in Space Plasma.
• The Scientific Research and Development Department, supports and encourages faculty members from other engineering, architecture, and management schools to participate in scientific research. One of the most important areas in which the department research has been helping the PUPR Faculty is with information about opportunities to access graduate and in some cases, assist in the proposals writing.

Although the average success of proposals is 20 to one, PUPR has had an above averages performance rate. Evidence of successful proposals are:

Fifty PhD Scholarships for PUPR Faculty and Students at University of Missouri during ten years. Minor and Cusp Plasma Machine with Components valued at $ 2,000.000 to UM-C

• Grant Advisor

• NASA Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium

• University of Missouri

• Argone National Laboratory

• US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

• Virginia Polytechnical Institute (Virginia Tech)

• Florida International University (FIU)

• Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL)

• NASA's Langley Research Center

• Goddard Space Flight Center

• Kennedy Space Center

• Johnson Space Center

• National Science Foundation (NSF)

• National Institute of Health (NIH)

• Department of Energy (DOE)

• Department of Defense (DOD)

• Department of Education (DEd)