This proposal provides the initiative for a new era of materials science where magnetic field driven forces are coupled with materials synthesis and processing to produce new materials. Magneto related phenomena have special relevance to the fields of functional materials and biosciences, where the engineering outcomes are often a result of multifunctional couplings. The use of high magnetic fields in combination with a wide range of processing techniques could lead to new phenomena, materials and manufacturing routes. The proposal identifies four main research areas of interest where strong magnetic fields can be employed to engineer a wide range of materials - texturing, synthesis, processing and self-assembly.

*Texturing. Many of the materials that we use are polycrystalline (ceramics, polymers, metals). The crystal structures may have highly anisotropic properties. This means that for many applications, in a particular orientation, the properties of single crystals would be superior. Texturing allows us to maximise the level the functionality by creating preferred orientation in polycrystalline materials.

*Synthesis. SMFs can affect chemical reactions quantum mechanical effects (Zeeman interactions), thermodynamics (equilibrium of chemical reactions), and macroscopic forces. Precision macromolecular engineering has become one of the major challenges in synthetic polymer chemistry. High-field magnets will allows us to induce perfect molecular ordering.

*Processing. Magnetic field is a thermodynamic parameter that can change the free energy of a system, and can therefore affect nucleation, solidification, grain growth, atomic ordering and degree of crystallisation, (especially in nanostructures), morphology and growth rate of crystallites. In the case of ferromagnetic materials, SMF can induce significant changes in the processability of the materials. For example, in the Fe-C system it produces a shift in the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition of +3C/T with a considerable increase in the carbon solubility limit.

*Self assembly. Molecular self-assembly is becoming increasingly important in the development of new biomaterials because it offers a great platform for constructing materials with a high level of precision and complexity. Externally applied fields, such as magnetic field, can be used to direct the self-assembly of molecules and to introduce hierarchical organisation in supramolecular materials. The magnetic field can interact selectively with the assembling components, promoting local organisation, which can then be propagated via the interaction between components.

The above four research areas support four of the UK governments Eight Great Technologies - advanced materials, energy and its storage, synthetic biology and regenerative medicine. The initial projects will involve 14 research groups from 7 universities, and the expectation is that the user base will be broadened from day one.