The Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research (CPPR) is an industry/university cooperative research center (I/UCRC) focusing on critical parameters in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. CPPR was founded in 1995, as one of over 80 such Centers established by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the only one devoted to pharmaceutical processing research. The Center comprises four Universities – Purdue University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Puerto Rico, and the University of Minnesota.

Faculty members from departments of engineering (chemical, mechanical, civil, agricultural and biological), chemistry, and health sciences have joined with faculty from the core pharmaceutics-related departments in each of the four universities to provide interdisciplinary teams to solve today’s pharmaceutical processing challenges.

The CPPR has an Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) consisting of representatives of member companies that provide annual funds to be distributed to the research projects given priority by IAB members. Faculty, often in consultation with IAB members, propose projects that are presented at the bi-annual scientific conferences. IAB members provide mentorship for the projects to ensure industrial relevance.

The CPPR approach is to combine industrial relevance with academic rigor in its projects. The combination translates into scientifically sound know-how, transferred to companies in an industrially appropriate time frame. The CPPR works toward its goals through continuously enhancing its educational objectives and adapting them to the existing industrial environment. Research projects provide our graduate students with first-rate training on a scientific approach to formulation and process research, producing scientists with a fundamental understanding of scientific areas of critical industrial relevance.