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The Pallet Foundation supports projects that will contribute to the improvement of the wood packaging industry. Our goal is to invest in sound research relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities. To know more, visit: https://palletfoundation.org/projects/apply-for-a-grant/

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The Pallet Foundation supports projects that will contribute to the improvement of the wood packaging industry. Our goal is to invest in sound research relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in one of these main focus areas:

Market information which helps the wood pallet and container sector identify and differentiate itself

Environmental impacts and performance of wood and wood packaging

Scientific advancements specific to industry issues.

Projects that relate to one of the focus areas are given first consideration. We also fund projects in other areas that are compelling and help to advance the sector. We accept applications throughout the year, from the U.S. and internationally. However, you must submit your proposal in English and use U.S. Dollars in your budget.

Eligibility

The applicant must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or government agency that is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded. Examples include universities, school districts, research facilities, federal/state/local government agencies, as well as other non-profit organizations or trade associations. The Pallet Foundation does not award grants directly to individuals.

Application Process

Within the online application, we will ask you a few basic questions. You will then be required to upload a. PDF or Word document that contains the following elements:

Project Personnel – As the person creating the draft application, you will automatically be assigned to the proposal as the Principal Investigator (PI). If there are Co-PIs on the project, you may include them in your document.

Proposal Summary – Information about the project is requested, such as the project title, start and end dates, the central research question(s), and a 200-word project summary with the project’s significance to the industry. The proposed project duration can be up to 5 years.

Project Methodology – Include a brief description of the approach you will use to answer the research question(s)

Budget and Budget Justification – Your project’s total budget should include a brief narrative that describes that specific expense. You may also include an itemized break-down of each cost to justify the overall budget.
We value collaborative research and give special consideration to projects that involve and contribute matching funds.

Proposal Supplemental Narrative – You can add any additional information, fact sheets, or brochures (as .PDF files) to further describe the project.

Project Team – A description of the team should identify the roles, responsibility, and knowledge base of the PI, Co-PI(s), and any supporting researcher(s). In the case where your project includes Co-PIs and other supporting researchers, this document should describe how the team will work together to complete the research project, briefly highlighting what each team member will contribute to the project.

Review Process and Criteria

The Pallet Foundation uses a peer review process for all eligible submissions. The Pallet Foundation Trustees and internal staff review each project. We evaluate projects based on the connection to the goals included in the Pallet Foundation Strategic Plan the importance of the topic to its field, the quality of the research question(s), and the direction of inquiry.

The Foundation accepts proposals continually, and project proposals must be submitted at least 120 days prior to any meeting of the Trustees. For information on timing for next meeting contact the Project Contact.

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The applicant must be affiliated with a non-profit organization or government agency that is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded. Examples include universities, school districts, research facilities, federal/state/local government agencies, as well as other non-profit organizations or trade associations. The Pallet Foundation does not award grants directly to individuals.

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The NWPCA and the Pallet Foundation invest heavily to stay on top of relevant trends that advance safety in the supply chain and encourage the reuse and conservation of materials.

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From their first use in the 1920s, wooden pallets have played a critical role in the world economy. Every day, there are an estimated two billion pallets in the United States alone, with 80 percent of all U.S. commerce carried on wooden pallets.

To better understand pallet design and its load, the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) helped found the Pallet and Container Laboratory on Virginia Tech's campus in 1976.

In 1984, the Pallet Design System™ (PDS) Version 1.0 was released, and it was the culmination of reliability-based design and methodology created by researchers. Every year, each new version of PDS incorporates the latest data, engineering, and technologies, which result from NWPCA's ongoing commitment to research and development. Tens of millions of dollars have been expended on PDS, not only for software development but also in research toward increased understanding of the relationships between the design and performance of wood pallets and the entire unit load.

The NWPCA and the Pallet Foundation invest heavily to stay on top of relevant trends that advance safety in the supply chain and encourage the reuse and conservation of materials. Packaging professionals can create and explore design options and get instant, accurate engineering analyses with the software.

"I think the greatest asset of PDS is our ability to use it internally, so from a quality standpoint we can put something in front of our builders and our workers, and they know exactly what we need, down to the number of nails, the types of nails we are using, the type of wood, the thickness of the wood," commented Steve Yelland, JFR Holdings.

A few years ago, PDS even received a nod from the USDA BioPreferred Program®, certifying that PDS meets the strict requirements of the USDA program and allows PDS-users into the program.

Today, PDS software is known as the international standard of pallet design. Since 2018, PDS has added several new languages to its user interface, along with 20 new international wood species. The ability to use PDS in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish, along with regional sourcing for design and print specifications of wood packaging, has dramatically increased the efficiency of pallet production and workforces, at the global level.

PDS helps with pallet production by taking away the guesswork out of the deck board placement on a custom pallet, which significantly helps in the quality control phase. Customers see a significant reduction in product damage and increased safety throughout the unit load handling system.

The Pallet Design System™ (PDS) helps with overall pallet performance so that goods can continue to move around the world, safely and sustainably. PDS is just one project of the Pallet Foundation. Learn more about all the projects of the Pallet Foundation.

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From their first use in the 1920s, wooden pallets have played a critical role in the world economy. Every day, there are an estimated two billion pallets in the United States alone, with 80 percent of all U.S. commerce carried on wooden pallets.

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To unify the wood packaging industry, the Pallet Foundation delivers the latest science and technology that allow our businesses to succeed. We work with partners and invest heavily in projects to improve the safety of our industry and our environment.

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We identify critical data gaps and trends by funding research whose answers have the potential to enhance the economic, environmental, and safety benefits of our industry. Wood pallets are the most recovered, refurbished, and recycled packaging product on the planet, and more than 173,000 people and their families are a part of the community.

Pallet Design System™ (PDS)

PDS software is the international standard of pallet design. Packaging professionals can create and explore design options and get instant, accurate engineering analyses with the software. We invest heavily to stay on top of relevant trends that advance safety in the supply chain and encourage the reuse and conservation of materials.

Nature's Packaging®

We focus on delivering tools and resources for the supply chain to assess better and to understand their carbon footprint, the importance, and the connection of wood packaging to forest health. Backed by sound science, Nature's Packaging® gives our industry the tools to take a more proactive role in telling our story and celebrating wood as a sustainable choice.

We believe that education is critical to the next generation of packaging designers to understand the environmental attributes of wood and the tools available to build a better, safer pallet. We provide packaging schools with the Pallet Design System™, and we support the work of students who seek innovative solutions in design and unit load.

Our workers and our industry are essential in delivering our food, household, medical and business supplies worldwide. We are committed to safety throughout the supply chain. We support research and the technology to ensure that goods are moved around the world, quickly and safely, on nearly 2 billion pallets every day.

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We identify critical data gaps and trends by funding research whose answers have the potential to enhance the economic, environmental, and safety benefits of our industry. Wood pallets are the most recovered, refurbished, and recycled packaging product on the planet, and more than 173,000 people and their families are a part of the community.

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National Wooden Pallet and Container Association | Pallet Foundation

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National Wooden Pallet and Container Association | Pallet Foundation

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To unify the wood packaging industry, the Pallet Foundation delivers the latest science and technology that allow our businesses to succeed. We work with partners and invest heavily in projects to improve the safety of our industry and our environment. Formed in 1996, the Pallet Foundation has also consistently supported testing, data collection and analysis for the Pallet Design System™ and other related research projects. To Know More, Visit: Pallet Foundation

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Pallet Foundation - Critical research. Ensure safety, sustainability, throughout the global supply chain.

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Our workers and our industry are essential in delivering our food, household, medical and business supplies worldwide. We are committed to safety throughout the supply chain. We support research and the technology to ensure that goods are moved around the world, quickly and safely, on nearly 2 billion pallets every day.