NSF Engines Development Award: Advancing mass timber technologies (OR, WA)

This NSF Engines Development Award is focused on creating a thriving ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest that will drive and coordinate research and education innovations in mass timber architecture, engineering, and construction, along with manufacturing and forest management, to address social and environmental challenges in housing, workforce development, equity, and natural resource stewardship. Mass timber products utilize small-scale dimensional lumber, wood veneer, and chips - fastened together to create robust structural materials that store carbon. Applying mass timber products in buildings can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of our nation’s-built environment while simultaneously improving forest health and mitigating catastrophic wildfires by using wood fiber from restoration projects involving selective harvesting of small-diameter logs. This Sustainable and Resilient Architecture, Engineering, and Construction in Mass Timber (RE-ACT) project promotes environmental resilience and U.S. global competitiveness through the increased use of sustainable mass timber products and their applications in buildings, including affordable housing. As a pioneer in mass timber, the Pacific Northwest is a natural epicenter for a regional ecosystem. Research and outreach by the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and Washington State University have propelled the region to its current leadership position in this emerging industry sector. The RE-ACT project will utilize an inclusive participatory needs assessment process to structure our stakeholder engagement. Partners include state and local governments, university researchers, economic development organizations, non-profit organizations, mass timber manufacturers, fabricators, contractors, and designers. Significant barriers to developing a globally competitive ecosystem include the training needed to grow the mass timber workforce, the limited current manufacturing capacity, and bottlenecks in timber supply, sawmills, and fabrication. Significant private investment is needed to attract, incubate, and accelerate new and existing businesses to grow the ecosystem. Industry growth in this sector requires a diverse, equitable workforce and the creation of new businesses that address social and economic inequities in rural and urban communities across the region. The Development Award will enable RE-ACT’s strategic planning process to identify the needs and opportunities related to use-inspired research in timber, to determine how best to translate innovations from materials to applications and commercialization, and to create the necessary workforce development and investment opportunities to launch a successful future NSF Engine. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.