Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** after establishing the first forest…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** after establishing the first forest products laboratory in the university of puerto rico, we have identified specific educational and instructional needs to improve the laboratory's capacity to support the emerging forest products sector in puerto rico. First, our available laboratory space detrimentally limits our capacity for research and education, and the lack of key equipment hinders our productivity and capacity to develop engineered wood products for research and demonstrative purposes. These challenges that reduce operational efficiency and limit the potential for educational material development and interdisciplinary research opportunities. To address this, the objective of this proposal is (1) the remodeling and expansion of the laboratory's housing facility and (2) the purchase of a telehandler for the transport of tree trunks. Addressing these issues will significantly increase the laboratory's capacity to reach and broaden target audiences, and support interdisciplinary research in wood and forest products sciences.