The Forest Products Laboratory is a scientific research institution of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The laboratory cooperates with the University of Wisconsin-Madison in research directed toward the efficient utilization of forest products. Research programs deal with the basic characteristics of solid wood, wood fiber, wood chemistry, and other forest products, as well as improving methods of production, processing, handling, and the use of wood. The results of this research are used by private industry, public agencies, and the wood-consuming public. The laboratory offers unique facilities for research in the field of forest products and utilizes modern scientific and technical equipment.
Projects are of many different types ranging from theoretical, laboratory, to pilot plant scale.
Laboratory staff cooperate with university faculty in the conduct of research of mutual interest which relates to graduate programs. Students interested in pursuing a course of study dealing with forest products should contact the faculty member in the appropriate department. For a more complete description of graduate programs involving cooperative arrangements between the Forest Products Laboratory and various university departments, see the Graduate School Catalog.