Funded Research Expands Opportunities for Softwood Lumber
The SLB invests in research in areas that stand to have the most direct benefits for the softwood lumber industry. The goal of these investments is to fuel innovation and to increase consumption of softwood lumber products. Expansion into new and emerging markets, including mid-rise and tall buildings, will result in greater demand and increased value for softwood lumber products.
The SLB has funded applied research as part of its broader softwood lumber promotion program since July 2012 and as a key means to multiply overall return on investment to the industry. To date, the SLB has delivered tremendous impact in developing and using research to address market barriers, increase awareness of the benefits of softwood lumber among building professionals, and, most importantly, increase the consumption of softwood lumber.
Organizations may submit project proposals to the SLB at any time. Please review our evaluation criteria and guidelines prior to submission.
To learn more about perennial funding opportunities such as the Mass Timber Competition or matching funds for the Wood Innovations Grant, please read on.
Mass Timber Competition
Jointly funded by the SLB and USDA Forest Service, the Mass Timber Competition is designed to expand the use of mass timber in the United States and showcase mass timber’s application, practicality, commercial viability, and role as a natural climate solution that reduces the carbon footprint of the built environment.
The 2025 Mass Timber Competition: Building Sustainable Schools awarded $1.8 million to support projects that accelerate the adoption of mass timber in the United States, with a dedicated focus on K–12 educational environments. The selected projects will demonstrate how biophilic design with mass timber can strengthen academic performance, improve teacher and staff well-being, and create healthier, more resilient learning spaces for students. This marks the third cycle of the competition, which has already advanced a range of innovative mass timber projects nationwide.
Now completed, the 2022 and 2023 Mass Timber Competitions disbursed a total of $2.6 million to help project teams overcome barriers to using a new building material and system. Winning teams generated valuable data, shared learnings, and resources that will help new mass timber projects arise.
The five-story mass timber Evergreen Charter School, a winner of the 2022 Mass Timber Competition, has completed construction and begun a biophilia impact study.
Follow the status of the Mass Timber Competition winning projects on the Mass Timber Competition page.
Expanding Markets with Accelerator Cities Programs
The Bunker Hill Housing Redevelopment, which was awarded a grant through the Boston Mass Timber Accelerator program, includes a six-story affordable housing project built with a CLT floor and roof system and a nine-story mass timber and steel hybrid building.
The SLB’s Accelerator Cities program advances innovation in wood design and construction by connecting local officials, federal agencies, non-profits, and building professionals. The accelerators amplify SLB’s investments with additional funding from the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, and other programs for a total investment of more than $1 million. The SLB announced new city-led programs in Portland, Oregon, and Santa Monica, California, in 2025.
These upcoming programs build on the success of completed and active accelerators in Boston, New York City, and Georgia, that have directly supported 41 innovative wood projects.
By positioning lumber-based structural systems as a key solution for sustainable, scalable, and affordable development across the United States, the SLB’s Accelerator Cities program is laying the groundwork for broader adoption of wood construction in key markets, helping to drive demand for lumber and grow market share in multifamily and nonresidential construction.
See accelerator city success stories and learn how new cities can apply for funding on the Accelerator Cities page.
Wood Innovations Grant Projects
Several projects funded in previous years by USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations Grants and supported by matching funds from the SLB have made significant progress—opening up new market opportunities for the softwood lumber industry. Updates include:
- The SLB is supporting architecture, engineering, fire safety, building code, sustainability, and preconstruction-cost analyses for two mass timber high-rise residential developments from The Neutral Project, including a 14-story wood development in Madison, Wisconsin, dubbed Baker’s Place. Madison-based Angus-Young Associates is the architect and structural engineer for the mixed-use development, and Michael Green Architecture is the project designer.
- Another one-of-a-kind project to receive funding was an all-wood, three-story building in Portland, Oregon, designed by Waechter Architecture, demonstrating just how much of a building can be constructed using exposed timber components (pictured below).
- Blast testing research conducted by science and engineering consulting firm Karagozian & Case is being funded to investigate whether reinforced CLT can meet Department of State protective design requirements cost-effectively. It’s expected this research will be able to show how mass timber can be used to build blast-resistant structures, opening new markets for building types such as courthouses, embassies, federal facilities, and emergency call centers.
- The structural engineering firm Equilibrium has launched a suite of CLT design tools. These interactive spreadsheets helps engineers design CLT floors, roofs, and walls to meet the latest building codes and standards with greater speed and accuracy.