Overview
The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) has partnered with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) to help ensure the advancement of current forensic science research, practice, and technologies is explored and disseminated to professionals in the scientific and justice communities.
The AAFS is a multidisciplinary professional organization that provides leadership to advance science and its application to the legal system. Membership is comprised of pathologists, attorneys, dentists, toxicologists, anthropologists, document examiners, digital evidence experts, psychiatrists, engineers, physicists, chemists, criminalists, educators, researchers, and others. The objectives of the AAFS are to promote professionalism, integrity, competency, and education; to foster research; to improve practice; and to encourage collaboration in the forensic sciences.
Scroll down to explore some of our most recent collaborations with the AAFS. This partner page is updated regularly. You can also find the most recent deliverables from this partnership by searching “AAFS” in our website search bar.
Events
NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
- 2015 Symposium | Orlando, Florida
- 2016 Symposium | Las Vegas, Nevada
- 2017 Symposium | New Orleans, Louisiana
- 2018 Symposium | Seattle, Washington
- 2019 Symposium | Baltimore, Maryland
- 2020 Symposium | Anaheim, California
- 2021 Symposium | Virtual
- 2022 Symposium | Virtual
- 2023 Symposium | Orlando, Florida
- 2024 Symposium | Denver, Colorado
- 2025 Symposium | Baltimore, Maryland
Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Special Initiative
- 2020 AAFS HHRRC Poster & Networking Session Virtual Library
- 2021 Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library
- 2022 Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library
- 2023 Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library
- 2024 Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library
- 2025 Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library
Webinars
Unseen Threats: A Webinar Series from the AAFS Opioids and Emerging Drugs Ad-Hoc Committee
Following the 2022 AAFS "Unseen Threats" workshop, this three-day webinar series brings visibility and clarity to topics that emphasize emerging drug threats. This series discusses the challenges electronic cigarettes and vaping, polydrug overdose deaths, concealment drug techniques, and illicit tablets generate for the forensic community.
- Things Are Not What They Seem: A Collection of Interesting Case Studies from the Medical Examiner Scene Queens
- Electronic Cigarettes: A Tangle of Regulation, Public Health, and Public Safety Issues
- Narcotic Concealment Methods in U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Emergence of Counterfeit Tablets Containing Fentanyl in the United States
DEIA: What I learned from the AAFS Diversity Outreach Committee
The AAFS Diversity Outreach Committee (DOC) has initiated important conversations and discussions, providing forensic science service providers with valuable insights to re-examine their resources and use them effectively. This webinar is ideal for individuals who are new in the DEIA space, those who are curious about DEIA in the workplace, and those seeking alternative ideas and applications of DEIA in professional settings and in fieldwork.
The State of Standard Development & Tools for Assessing and Implementing Standards
This webinar introduces the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) Registry of Standards, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) on Forensic Science, and the Academy Standards Board (ASB). It also includes a roundtable discussion about agencies’ approaches and experiences with implementation of standards.
Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Webinar Series
The webinars in this series highlight projects selected by the International Advisory Council of the HHRRC that further the application of forensic science to global humanitarian and human rights issues.
Podcasts
NIJ Research and Development Podcast Series
- 2017 Topics | NIJ funded R&D research on one-pot meth, bath salts, gunshot acoustics, and postmortem interval estimation.
- 2018 Topics | NIJ funded R&D research on skin microbiomes, SNP genotypes, implementing portable mass spec, and CT image databases.
- 2019 Topics | NIJ funded R&D research on alternative light sources and bruising, infant abuse, age estimations of bloodstains, image cloud platform use, raman microspectroscopy, and entomology.
- 2020 Topics | NIJ funded R&D research on the analysis of fentanyl compounds and cannabinoids, species identification of skeletal remains, detection of firearm discharge, entomology, interpretation of glass evidence, and the utility of mitochondrial DNA.
- 2021 Topics | NIJ Forensic Program Managers discuss research and emerging topics in seized drugs and toxicology; impression, pattern, and trace evidence; anthropology and forensic pathology; and DNA and biology.
Strengthening the Forensic Workforce FEPAC Podcast Series
- Just FEPAC Accreditation and Forensic Chemistry Programs
- Just Higher Education and the CSI Effect
- Just Digital Forensics Program Development and Outlook
- Just the Analysis of Impressions and Patterns
- Just the Components of Forensic Biology and DNA
- Just Trace Evidence from Classroom to Courtroom
- Just Forensic Toxicology and Professional Partnerships
- Just the Forensic Laboratory Workforce Part 1
- Just the Forensic Laboratory Workforce Part 2
HHRRC Just So You Know Podcast Episodes
Funding for these Forensic Technology Center of Excellence resources has been provided by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this webinar series are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Contact us at ForensicCOE@rti.org with any questions and subscribe to our newsletter for notifications.
