The Federal University of Santa Maria is situated in the city of Santa Maria, in the central part of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is located 290 Km west from the State Capital, Porto Alegre. Established in 1961, UFSM is a governmental, regionally oriented University which has as main purpose to perform teaching, research and extension activities. UFSM has as mission professional formation, generating and cultivating science and technology in the interest of regional development and the transmission of universal knowledge. It was the first Federal University established upstate in Brazil.