Materials Science and Engineering is an interdisciplinary field which is based on the correlation between the materials microstructure and their properties and processing.  From an engineering perspective, we design the material’s microstructure to hold certain properties. Recently there is a focus on materials with a microstructure on the nanometer length-scale. Thus, materials scientists and engineers design materials as well as manufacturing processes for the microelectronics industry, develop advanced metals and alloys, polymers and plastics, modern ceramic materials, composites, materials for batteries, fuel cells and photovoltaics, and methods and materials to prevent corrosion. The research programs will develop cutting edge research in the fields of electronic materials, materials physics, nano-magnetism and spintronic materials, materials for energy applications, structural materials and their characterization by quantum beams, polymers and soft materials.