The knowledge of interstellar grain properties is extremely
 important for assessing the role of grains in heating/cooling
 processes, star formation, late stages of stellar evolution, and
 radiation transfer in the ISM.  Studies of the interstellar
 extinction curves in the Milky Way and the Large and Small
 Magellanic Clouds have shown significant variations from one
 galaxy to another, which may be related to the metallicity
 differences between the galaxies.  Magellanic-type dust is
 interesting because the Clouds have lower abundances of heavy
 elements and dust than the Milky Way. In this respect, they may
 resemble galaxies at high redshifts.
   The Magellanic Clouds are the nearest moderate-sized galaxies
 to our own galaxy and lie in a direction well out of the
 galactic plane. Therefore, they are relatively free of
 foreground extinction and present a unique opportunity for the
 study of dust properties in external galaxies. In addition, the
 distances to these external galaxies are with 50 kpc (LMC) and
 60 kpc (SMC) very accurately known.
   Although infrared spectroscopy is the most important
 tool for determining the dust properties, no such data for a
 broad wavelength range are available for Magellanic cloud
 sources. We selected one embedded newly born massive star and
 one embedded evolved object in each the LMC and SMC. We propose
 full SWS grating wavelength scans at a reduced spectral
 resolution from 2.4 to 45 micron to get information on the
 presence of silicate and ice grains, the existence of small
 particles and PAHs, and the presence of the 21 and 30 micron
 feature.