IRG 40 Annual Meeting

The IRG 40 Annual Meeting will be held in Beijing, China on 24-28 May 2009. Visit the IRG 40 website.

TEMPLATE FOR IRG PAPERS

GARETH WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP AWARD BY ARCH

DEADLINES:

Ron Cockcroft Award application	15 December 2008
Papers (title and authors)	1 March 2009
Papers (full paper in Word format)	15 March 2009
Registrations	30 April 2009

Membership Renewal

Members' and Sponsors' online payment service

Overview

The International Research Group on Wood Protection (until 10 June 2004 The International Research Group on Wood Preservation) (IRG) was launched as an independent research group in January 1969 to continue the work of previous group of experts on wood protection that had been set up, following an Austrian proposal in 1965, by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in Paris, France.

IRG was inaugurated on the 25 June 1969 in Cambridge in the United Kingdom and for the first ten years of its existence its Secretariat was held by the United Kingdom at the Forest Products Research Laboratory (which in 1972 became the Princes Risborough Laboratory of the Building Research Establishment).

On the 1 January 1979 the Group's administrative Secretariat was moved to Sweden, where with the help of the Swedish Wood Preservation Institute it was supported by a research project from the Swedish National Board for Technical Development (STU) until 30 June 1985. Since then it is self financing, relying entirely on the support of its Members and Sponsors. The continued operation of the Secretariat in Sweden was confirmed in 1999 until review at the end of year 2006.

At the time of the Group's inception it was emphasized that wood-based products are important materials in many countries, and that their loss or deterioration is economically serious. Consequently protection against biodeterioration is indispensable if these materials are to be used economically and effectively. A new and even more important aspect of the technology is the role in conserving the world's forest resources. Wood is one of man's only naturally renewable resources. More extensive use of the technology of wood protection and improvements in that technology can play a highly significant role in conserving forest resources.

Initially IRG was composed of 22 scientists from nine countries, Austria, Belgium, France, the German Federal Republic, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Today the Group has more than 300 members from 51 countries around the world.

What We Do

Through worldwide cooperation, IRG:

Facilitates contacts between specialists working on the complex problems of wood protection and durability.
Supports financially a permanent Secretariat based in Stockholm, which aims to provide supportive services to members, sponsors and new interested parties.
Issues more than one hundred documents every year providing members and sponsors with invaluable information.
Arranges, with the help of local organizing Committees, annual conferences and regional meetings with active workshops to discuss and disseminate significant research progress.
Provides help and encouragement for scientists in developing countries to enable contributions to their research activities and to attend conferences.
Facilitates the participation of able young scientists in the collaborative research of its Working Parties by means of the Ron Cockcroft Award scheme.
Works continuously as a forum for discussion and dissemination of research results. This strategy, unique around the world, avoids duplication of research work and therefore saves time, effort and money.
Stimulates progress and quality. IRG members and sponsors are proud of their status and strive continuously towards excellence.
Provides cost-benefits: the opportunity of the annual conference and specialized symposia such as the environmental conferences in France (“Cannes meetings”), provide powerful opportunities for making business contacts whilst keeping aware of the very latest information in this field.