Federal Forensic Science Research and Development Programs – A 2021 Update

Publication Date June, 2021 Introduction In response to the 2009 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, the federal government accelerated its investment in forensic science in recent years. The NAS…

Evidence Collection and Analysis for Touch Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Groping and Sexual Assault Cases

Report Publication Journal of Forensic Nursing, April 2021 Introduction Historically, evidence collection in sexual assault cases focused on obtaining foreign contributor bodily fluids through swab collection. With improvements in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis methods, DNA profiles can be developed from touch…

Perspectives on Addressing the Collection, Tracking, and Processing of Lawfully Owed DNA Samples

Report Date April 2021 Introduction The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) is a powerful tool that supports the criminal justice system by generating investigative leads, identifying perpetrators, and linking cases together. DNA profiles obtained from…

Annual Infographics

View the most recent Forensic Technology Center of Excellence’s Annual Metrics Report and previous infographics. Previous Infographics 2019 2018 2017 2012-2016

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The ROI from Reducing Turnaround Time for Processing DUI: Drug Cases

The ROI from Reducing Turnaround Time for Processing DUI: Drug Cases Presented at AAFS 2021 by Dr. Paul Speaker Abstract From the opioid crisis to legalization of marijuana to the continuing evolution in the abuse of drugs, the societal costs…

Leveraging Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) to Maintain Continuity of Operations: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Report Date Published January 2021 Introduction In response to 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic, forensic crime laboratories have changed their business operations to ensure responsiveness to their customers’ needs while protecting staff welfare and data security. This balance has challenged laboratory management…

Sexual Assault Response Reform Fact Sheets

The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) is leading an effort to organize and transfer knowledge and best practices of sexual assault response to the criminal justice community. Whether through webinars, podcast episodes, reports, or conferences, the FTCoE is working…

2020 Year in Review

A Message from the FTCoE 2020 was a big year for the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. With five podcast seasons, a full research and development symposium, our first virtual conference, eight reports, and over thirty webinars, we continued to…

Trauma and Coping Mechanisms Exhibited by Forensic Science Practitioners: A Literature Review

Report Date Forensic Science International: Synergy, Volume 2, 2020, Pages 310-316 Abstract Vicarious trauma (VT) has been studied in mental health experts for over 30 years due to their engagement with victims of trauma and exposure to details of events,…

Success Story: Advancing Mixture Interpretation Analysis with NOCIt

NIJ and Rutgers University Report Date September 2020 Impact “One could argue that a better approach than opting for the minimum number of contributors to a mixture might be to determine the number of contributors best supported by the data.”…