Date February 2019 Overview The 2019 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium is intended to promote collaboration and enhance knowledge transfer of NIJ-funded research. The NIJ Forensic Science R&D Program funds both basic or…
Category: Special Initiatives (page 3)
Innovation in Forensics: A Community Effort
Innovation in Forensics: A Community Effort Date January 2020 Overview Innovation in forensic science advances new technologies and techniques to improve the scientific foundation of the field as well as the objective collection, analysis, and interpretation of evidence. These advancements…
Best Practices in Novel Psychoactive Substances Testing for Laboratory Practitioners
Date September 2019 Overview New psychoactive substances (NPS) have always presented a challenge to analytical laboratories tasked with identifying drugs in biological and nonbiological material. The pace at which new compounds appeared on the illicit drug market increased exponentially in…
Juror comprehension of forensic expert testimony: A literature review and gap analysis
Publication Forensic Science International: Synergy, March 2019 Author Heidi Eldridge | RTI International Abstract Forensic scientists and commentators including academics and statisticians have been embroiled in a debate over the best way to present evidence in the courtroom. Various forms…
Conference Proceedings: 2018 Impression Pattern and Trace Evidence Symposium
Date May 2018 Overview From January 22 to 25, 2018, RTI International, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) held the 2018 Impression, Pattern and Trace Evidence Symposium (IPTES) in Arlington, VA, to…
2017 National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium
Date June 2017 Overview The 2017 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium is intended to promote collaboration and enhance knowledge transfer of NIJ-funded research. The NIJ Forensic Science R&D Program funds both basic or…
State Forensic Science Commissions
Date November 2016 Overview State commissions focus on communication and collaboration among laboratories and stakeholders, allocation of resources, laboratory improvements, promulgation of accreditation and certification standards, investigations into misconduct or professional negligence in crime laboratories, and other implementation and oversight issues.…
Familial DNA Searching: Current Approaches
Date January 2015 Overview Familial searching (FS) is an additional search of a DNA profile in a law enforcement DNA database that is conducted after a routine search does not identify any profile matches. FS involves a two-phase process, conducted to…
Organizing and Transferring SANE/SAFE/SART Knowledge and Best Practices
Date November 2014 Overview At the request of the National Institute of Justice, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) leads a comprehensive federal effort to organize and transfer knowledge and best practices of sexual assault nurse examiners, sexual assault forensic…
2014 NIJ Crime Laboratory Directors Meeting
Date October 2014 Overview On September 11-12, 2014, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) convened a meeting with crime laboratory directors from various regions of the United States to gather information on strengthening the DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction (DNA)…