Just Improving Sexual Assault Kit Testing Workflows

Original Release Date: April 18, 2025 In episode one of our Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2025 season, Just Science sat down with Jody West, the Forensic Science Manager for the Forensic Biology Section at the North Carolina State Crime Laboratory,…

Quantitative Matching of Forensic Evidence Fragments using 3D Fracture Surface Topography

Thursday, May 15, 2025 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern Duration: 1 hour Overview Fractured fragments with jagged and irregular surfaces, discovered at crime scenes, are identified as “being a match” using comparative microscopy and physical pattern analysis. The…

In-Brief: What Are Crime Scene Investigators Saying About Work-Related Stress and Wellbeing?

Date April 2025 Overview In 2024, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Comprehensive Opioid and Stimulant Use Program (COSSUP), convened a virtual roundtable of practicing crime scene investigators (CSIs). Panelists provided…

Forensic Professional Wellbeing Toolkit

Overview Forensic professionals often work in dynamic and atypical environments, where they are exposed to sensitive case details, work closely with law enforcement counterparts, and are required to make important decisions quickly. As a result, forensic professionals are vulnerable to…

Lessons in Leadership: Leading Change in Dynamic Environments

Overview This engaging webinar series is designed for leaders navigating organizational change, such as technology transitions, within their crime labs. These brief 30-minute webinars – crafted for the busy crime laboratory leader – feature real-world examples from forensic science laboratories…

Driving Success: Leadership Principles for Building the Right Team

← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on March 11, 2025 Duration: 30 minutes Overview Effective leadership isn’t just about setting the vision—it’s about having the right people to execute it. Hire strategically, align intentionally, and lead…

Operational Needs Assessment Intake Form

Overview Pursuant to the March 2024 Joint Explanatory Statement for the Commerce, Science, Justice, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, the National Institute of Justice, in collaboration with its Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), is working towards an operational needs…

Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool for Labor Expenditure Associated With Sexual Assault Kit Processing Workflows

Overview Updated: February 2025 Original: August 2022 Forensic Science Service Providers (FSSPs) can use different workflows to process sexual assault kit (SAK) evidence, and the workflow is often selected based on available resources. In an era of constrained local and…

Just Advancements in Death Investigation Practices

Original Release Date: February 21, 2025 In this special release episode, Just Science sat down with Chuck Heurich, Senior Physical Scientist with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and Dr. Jennifer Snippen, experienced medicolegal death investigator and consultant, to discuss…

Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library 2025

← Back to the HHRRC Special Initiative The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC), an organization within the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) supported by the National Institute of Justice’s (NIJ’s) Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), hosted…