CIBER, Center for Innovative Biomaterial Education and Research, is a multidisciplinary program sponsored by the National Science Foundation, focused on developing biomaterials from renewable resources and educating the public and other scientists and engineers on the needs, opportunities, issues, benefits, and issues surrounding biomass conversion.

    Objectives of the program include web-courses and an exchange program with universities in Europe, Canada and the Far East where students/postdoctorals and professors/scientists will conduct research and give seminars on current research. 

   Two groups including graduate students, professors and high school teachers have been invloved in the exchange program to Portugal. Portugal has a large paper industry based on Eucalyptus. Before the exchange program began, graduate students learned about the paper industry in Portugal and difference between the foundations of the Portugese and American paper industries, eucalyptus and pine, respectively.