RAT Chat - February 2026 # 1

Introducing... RAT Chat - Research And Technical Outlook for the Frame and Truss Sector 

Hello! My name is Rhianna Robinson and I am FTMA’s new National Research and Technical Manager. 
Late last year, Kersten walked the talk and advertised a casual 10 hour week industry/PhD placement as an outcome of the WoodSolutions industry-academia workshop. The question was asked, how can we invest in the next generation and why aren’t we getting more PhD students interacting with our industry? 
I applied for the position to learn more about the sector (knowing I’ll start my PhD soon(ish)), and I was excited that I was successful out of 33 candidates and started in November.  

Fast forward to late January 2026, I’m now employed 3 days a week for FTMA working Monday to Wednesday and have left my previous role as a Research Scientist (Forest Product Innovation) with the Qld Government. 

So what is my role at FTMA?

I’m here to help with all technical queries, research partnerships, student/industry placements or higher learning opportunities, grant application support and research and development needs. I’ve been in the timber industry for a decade and have a good grasp on all things wood science, engineered wood products (EWPs), preservative treatment optimisation, fire retardants, durability, traceability, circularity, decarbonisation, and relevant standards. As niche as it is, I’ve even had direct experience doing NATA accredited mechanical performance testing on timber, EWPs and nail plate withdrawal testing. So if there is something technical I personally can’t help with, I will know someone who can.

The purpose of the RAT Chat is to provide a monthly insight into the research and development that is underway or emerging for the frame and truss sector. 

Right now, we have a once in a generation, bipartisan commitment of $100m+ into research and development (R&D) under the Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) until 2030. This is in addition to other R&D initiatives like the Australian Research Council – Advance Timber Hub. I see it as my role to help secure and support as much R&D for the frame and truss sector as I can. I also want to ensure that the projects that attract funding are genuine, completed by practical teams and offer high value, bankable outcomes for the sector. If you have research needs in your business, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

For the first project update, FTMA in partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast (and with the support of over 20 fantastic partners), has applied for grant funding under AFWI. The proposed project will run for 3 years, with the goal of quantifying the decarbonisation potential of timber against its competitors. The motive behind the proposal is that I was sick of hearing about “green steel” and “green concrete” and I’ve been shocked how timber hasn’t been a leading part of the conversation to decarbonise the building industry. We need a method to directly compare materials at the project level in residential housing. We know timber is sustainable and stores carbon, but we need a way to move beyond just estimating emissions and move towards real data that can attract green financing opportunities and green building policy for the timber industry, that’s the vision. 

We have proposed to build an interactive online tool underpinned by different material Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for residential housing. We’ve had a lot of interest and the ACT Government has even committed their support to utilising the tool to optimise material choices for future social housing in Canberra! We find out if the proposal was successful in April, so I will provide an update soon. Crossing our fingers for this one.
For next month’s edition, I will explore all things transparency, traceability, emerging research and the National Coalition for Building Products. 

If there is anything you would like to learn more about or read about, please feel free to get in touch.