The Advanced Technology Center for Surface Engineered Materials (ATC-SEM) is a bold experiment in research management. Scientists from its five member institutions work independently within a central framework for overall planning and for the allocation of resources. Access to areas of expertise beyond the compass of the individual institutions more than offsets the logistical problems inherent in the distributed nature of the organization.

ATC-SEM had its origins in 1988 as one of a number of Advanced Technology Centers established by a grant from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology after approval of the Jobs, Education, and Competitiveness Bond Act. All the ATCs are dedicated to improving the competitiveness of New Jersey's industry through the application of technology.

The ATM-SEM is administered through Associated Institutions for Material Sciences (AIMS) which has six member institutions, five of which are universities. AIMS also administers other multicampus programs in New Jersey, including the New Jersey NASA space grant consortium and a SEMATECH Center of Excellence. The hallmark of each program is a collaborative effort which transcends the capabilities of any of the individual campuses. The consortium member institutions span the private, public, and industrial sectors and comprise the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Rutgers (the State University of New Jersey), Stevens Institute of Technology, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and David Sarnoff Research Center (an independent contract research center).