All of our webinars, reports, podcast episodes, and other educational resources are available to the public at no cost.
Funding for the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence has been provided by the National Institute of Justice.
2023 National Forensic Science Week Puzzle DNA Examination Wordsearch
← Back to Main Page ← Back to All Puzzles Page Puzzle Instruction To view and complete the puzzle in a separate window, click the expanding arrows in the tool bar above the puzzle title. To input your answers click…
2023 National Forensic Science Week Murder Mystery Event
← Back to Main Page Overview As part of National Forensic Science Week 2023 (September 18-22, 2023), the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) is offering a murder mystery event! For this year’s murder mystery, we will be reopening a…
2023 National Forensic Science Week Puzzle DNA Examination Crossword
← Back to Main Page ← Back to All Puzzles Page Puzzle Instruction To view and complete the puzzle in a separate window, click the expanding arrows in the tool bar above the puzzle title. To input your answers select…
2023 National Forensic Science Week Spot the Differences
← Back to Main Page Overview Attention to detail is an essential skill across forensic disciplines. Can you spot the differences between the original and altered images below? How many differences can you find? Game Instructions How to Play (Online): …
2023 National Forensic Science Week Puzzle In the Courtroom Wordsearch
← Back to Main Page ← Back to All Puzzles Page Puzzle Instruction To view and complete the puzzle in a separate window, click the expanding arrows in the tool bar above the puzzle title. To input your answers click…
2023 Graduate Research Symposium and Poster Session
← Back to Main Page Overview This event originally occurred on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 Welcome to the 2023 Forensic Science Graduate Research Symposium and Poster Session hosted by the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE)! In 2022, the FTCOE…
2023 National Forensic Science Week Puzzle In the Courtroom Crossword
← Back to Main Page ← Back to All Puzzles Page Puzzle Instruction To view and complete the puzzle in a separate window, click the expanding arrows in the tool bar above the puzzle title. To input your answers select…
2023 National Forensic Science Week Puzzle Crime Scene Examination Crossword
← Back to Main Page ← Back to All Puzzles Page Puzzle Instruction To view and complete the puzzle in a separate window, click the expanding arrows in the tool bar above the puzzle title. To input your answers select…
2023 National Forensic Science Week Puzzle Crime Scene Examination Wordsearch
← Back to Main Page ← Back to All Puzzles Page Puzzle Instruction To view and complete the puzzle in a separate window, click the expanding arrows in the tool bar above the puzzle title. To input your answers click…
2023 National Forensic Science Week Interview Montage
← Back to Main Page Overview In the past, the FTCOE has released written interviews with forensic practitioners in various stages of their career and working in various forensic disciplines. This year, we created a video comprised of multiple interviews with forensic practitioners from seasoned subject matter experts to young professionals early…
2023 National Forensic Science Week Puzzles
← Back to Main Page Overview Each day, the FTCOE will release a crossword and wordsearch puzzle with fun forensic science themes that incorporate some terminology trivia and stress relieving activities for all ages. Find the Terms wordsearches offer a…
2023 National Forensic Science Week Teacher How-To Guides
← Back to Main Page Overview Calling all science teachers! Are you looking for fun, forensic activities and experiments that you can use with your class or share with fellow forensic science enthusiasts? This year for National Forensic Science Week,…
2023 National Forensic Science Week
Overview National Forensic Science Week (September 18-22, 2023) recognizes the contribution that forensic science makes to the criminal justice system. It is an opportunity to celebrate academic programs, forensic professionals, and scientific research in the various forensic disciplines. Throughout the…
Just Managing Mass Fatality Incidents
Original Release Date: February 17, 2023 In episode four of our Unidentified Human Remains mini season, Just Science sat down with Katharine Pope, a Research Public Health Analyst at RTI International, and Elissia Conlon, a Special Advisor to the New…
2023 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on February 14, 2023 at the 75th Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS)…
Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library 2023
← 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…
Just Investigative Support for Indigenous Communities
Original Release Date: February 10, 2023 In episode three of our Unidentified Human Remains mini season, Just Science sat down with Mark Pooley, founder of Native Search Solutions, and Dustin Driscoll, Research Public Health Analyst at RTI International, to discuss…
Dental Morphology: The Informative but Lesser-Known Traits
← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on February 8, 2023 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview Estimation of population affinity is a core component of the forensic anthropological biological profile. Most forensic anthropologists rely on craniometric1 and cranial…
Just Teeth and Technology
Original Release Date: January 27, 2023 In episode one of our Unidentified Human Remains mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Kenneth Aschheim, Assistant Chief Forensic Odontologist for the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, to discuss…
Age Estimation from the Pubic Symphysis: Back to Basics
← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on January 11, 2023 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview Estimating age at death is a critical step in the creation of the biological profile of unidentified remains. While anthropologists use a…
2022 Year in Review
A Message from the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence Another year in the books, and so much has happened! In 2022, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) hosted various virtual events and delivered numerous online resources – including 6…
Just Identifying Lake Erie John Doe
Original Release Date: December 16, 2022 In the final episode of our Case Studies: Part 2 mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Thomas Gilson, Dr. Harmeet Kaur, and Hristina Lekova with the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, to…
Case Study Guides for Select NMDID Cases
Date December 2022 Overview The New Mexico Decedent Image Database provides access to whole body postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) images of more than 15,000 decedents, and a rich body of associated metadata, in support of research and education. There are…
Just Identifying Gacy’s Victims Part 2
Original Release Date: December 9, 2022 In episode three of our Case Studies: Part 2 mini season, Just Science sat down again with Jason Moran, Commander of Police at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, to continue discussing how his Forensic…
Transition Analysis 3 Age-at-Death Estimation: Past, Present, and Future
← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on December 7, 2022Duration: 1.5 hours Overview Whether the goal is to estimate the age of a single individual or those in a larger skeletal assemblage, accurate and precise estimates…
Just Identifying Gacy’s Victims Part 1
Original Release Date: December 2, 2022 In episode two of our Case Studies: Part 2 mini season, Just Science sat down with Jason Moran, Commander of Police at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, to discuss how he and his colleagues…
Forensic Fractography of Bone: A New Model for Skeletal Trauma Analysis
← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on November 2, 2022 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview Fractography is a tool for studying material failure. Analysis of cracks and fractures can reveal information about how, why, and where a…
Skeletal Sex Estimation and Practitioner Use of MorphoPASSE
← Back to Webinar Series Page This webinar originally occurred on October 5, 2022 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview Skeletal sex estimation is one of the most important aspects of the biological profile as it narrows the population essentially by half…
Just Using Forensic Art and Anthropology for Identification
Original Release Date: September 30, 2022 In episode four of our Applications of Forensic Science for Human Identification season, Just Science sat down with Katharine Pope, a Research Public Health Analyst at RTI International, Dr. Bruce Anderson, a Forensic Anthropologist…
2022 National Forensic Science Week FTCOE Student Research Poster Session
← Back to Main Page Overview Thursday, September 22, 2022 | Posters will be available at 1:00 PM Eastern Welcome to our virtual poster session! As fall semester begins and in honor of National Forensic Science Week (September 18-24, 2022),…
2022 NIJ Forensic Science Graduate Research Symposium
← Back to Main Page Overview This event originally occurred on September 20, 2022 Duration: 2 hours The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has long hosted an annual Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium in which NIJ grantees present their…
2022 National Forensic Science Week
Overview National Forensic Science Week (September 18-24, 2022) recognizes the contribution that forensic science makes to the criminal justice system. It is an opportunity to celebrate academic programs, forensic professionals, and scientific research in the various forensic disciplines. Throughout the…
Society of Forensic Anthropologists Webinar Series
Overview The Society of Forensic Anthropologists (SOFA) is a non-profit organization comprised of active American Academy of Forensic Science members who are forensic anthropology practitioners. SOFA promotes communication and cooperation among forensic anthropologists and is committed to professional growth and…
Just Forensic Archaeology and Body Dump Sites
Original Release Date: August 19, 2022 In episode three of our Case Studies: Part 1 mini season, Just Science sat down with Dr. Sharon Moses, an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University, to discuss forensic archaeology and locating…
Developing a Postmortem CT Service: Practical Considerations for Death Investigation Agencies
Date May 2022 Overview This guide will help medicolegal death investigation agencies that are considering adopting postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) make informed decisions. First, the basic questions are outlined that must be considered before approaching architects or gathering information about…
2021 IACME Annual Symposium – Education Modules
Overview The National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence has partnered with the International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners (IACME) to bring the community free, continuing education modules recorded at the 2021 IACME annual symposium held in-person…
Advanced Imaging Technologies for Death Investigation
Overview In the last several years, the application of Advanced Imaging Technologies for Death Investigation has grown dramatically and the National Institute of Justice began research in this area in 2012. Advanced technologies used for postmortem imaging (PMI) can include…
2022 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on March 1st & 2nd, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern.…
2022 Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library
← 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) Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), hosted…
2021 Year in Review
A Message from the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence Another year in-the-books and so much has happened! In 2021, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) hosted a wide range of virtual events and offered online resources amidst an ongoing pandemic. With…
2021 Forensic Science Research Federal Stakeholders Public Meeting
Overview The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE), held a Forensic Science Research Federal Stakeholders meeting on November 8, 2021 from 9:00AM…
2021 National Forensic Science Week Murder Mystery Event
← Back to Main Page Overview As a part of National Forensic Science Week 2021 (September 19-25, 2021), the FTCOE is offered a murder mystery event! Each day of the week, a new evidence-based clue was revealed on the website…
2021 National Forensic Science Week Practitioner Interviews
← Back to Main Page Overview The FTCOE has conducted a variety of written interviews with forensic professionals in various stages of their careers. From recent graduates to retired professionals, the FTCOE showcases real-world perspectives on the current state of…
2021 National Forensic Science Week
Overview National Forensic Science Week (September 19-25, 2021) recognizes the contribution that forensic science makes to the criminal justice system. It is an opportunity to celebrate academic programs, forensic professionals, and scientific research in the various forensic disciplines. Throughout the…
2021 National Forensic Science Week FTCOE Student Research Poster Session
← Back to Main Page Overview As fall semesters are getting back into session and in honor of the upcoming National Forensic Science Week (September 19-25, 2021), the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) would like to highlight student research…
Introduction to the Forensic Anthropology Database for Assessing Methods Accuracy
This webinar originally occurred on August 31, 2021 Duration: 1 hour Overview Data availability is the cornerstone of progression of any scientific inquiry. For forensic anthropologists, the data sources are limited, as they must be contextually appropriate (temporal, geographical, etc.)…
Just Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Pathology Portfolio
Original Release Date: June 18, 2021 In episode three of our 2021 NIJ R&D and Beyond mini season, Just Science sat down with Danielle McLeod-Henning, a physical scientist and program manager in the Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences at NIJ, to discuss Forensic Anthropology and Forensic Pathology. Danielle McLeod-Henning has been the physical…
2021 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on February 16, 2021 from 10:00 AM Eastern to 5:40 PM Eastern. NIJ…
2020 Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Virtual Library
← Back to the HHRRC Special Initiative The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center, an organization within the American Academy of Forensic Science supported by NIJ’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, hosted this Poster Session as an open meeting where…
2020 Year in Review
A Message from the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence 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…
Taking 3D Measurements with NMDID Images
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on October 28, 2020 Duration: 1 hour Overview This webinar will introduce the audience to viewing and collecting data from 3D medical imaging modalities (CT/MRI) using the open source 3D Slicer…
Opening and Viewing NMDID Image Data
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 Duration: 1 hour Overview In the third webinar, participants will learn about the image data included in the New Mexico Decedent Image Database. Post-mortem computed tomography…
Accessing and Utilizing Metadata from NMDID
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on October 14, 2020 Duration: 1 hour Overview In the second webinar, participants will explore the types of data included in the New Mexico Decedent Image Database. The Data Dictionary contains…
The New Mexico Decedent Image Database Webinar Series
Overview The New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID) is a new resource for research in any field that can draw on computed tomography scans of humans. The database contains de-identified scans of over 15,000 individuals; all were deceased at the…
A Landscape Study of Laboratory Information Management Systems for Forensic Crime Laboratories
Date August 2020 Overview As a key stakeholder in the criminal justice system, forensic laboratories must track, analyze, and report on evidence related to each request for service they receive. This is no easy task for laboratories: according to a…
Overview of Accessing the NMDID Database and Searching
← Back to Series – This webinar originally occurred on October 7th, 2020 Duration: 1 hour Overview The New Mexico Decedent Image Database (NMDID) is a new resource for research in any field that can draw on computed tomography scans…
Just Blowflies and Extreme Temperatures
Original Release Date: April 17, 2020 In episode five of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Travis Rusch, a postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M University, about fluctuating temperatures in forensically important blowflies. Forensic entomologists use predictable developmental rates of certain necrophagus insects to estimate time of…
Just Skeletal Remains Identification
Original Release Date: March 27, 2020 In episode two of the 2020 R&D Season, Just Science interviews Dr. Heather Garvin-Elling, Associate Professor of Anatomy at Des Moines University, about her work with OSTEOID, an online resource for species identification of skeletal remains. Approximately 30-40% of cases involving…
Online Workshop: 2019 IAC&ME Training Symposium
In 2019, IAC&ME hosted a combined Basic and Advanced Medicolegal Death Investigation course in addition to its general conference program in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year’s program provided another excellent opportunity to learn from some of the best speakers…
2020 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on February 18th, 2020 at the 72nd Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences…
2019 National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Research and Development Symposium
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…
Identification: Just Forensic Microanthropology
← Back to Just Science Podcast Original Release Date: March 22, 2019 In episode seven of our Identification season, Just Science interviews Carlos Gutierrez, a lecturer at Chaminade University of Honolulu, about the new field of Forensic Microanthropology. After finding…
HHRRC – Building Forensic Capacity Post-Conflict: Lessons from Uganda
← Back to Series This webinar originally occurred on March 28, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview This presentation introduces research conducted in Uganda at the nexus of forensic science and transitional justice, highlighting a large-scale forensic investigation and human identification…
HHRRC – Stable Isotope Analysis in a Humanitarian Context
← Back to Series The webinar originally occurred on March 12, 2019 Duration: 1.5 hours Overview This webinar will introduce stable isotope analysis and its validity as analytical tool in establishing the geographic origin and life history of unidentified individuals…
Success Story: Uncovering Key Details of Skeletal Remains through 3D-ID Software
National Institute of Justice and North Carolina State University Date January 2019 Overview When forensic anthropologists investigate unidentified remains, they look for important clues that can help identify the subject. For example, the size and shape of the skull can…
Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center Webinar Series
Overview The Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center (HHRRC) of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) with support from the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence provides needed resources and support to apply modern forensic science…
2018 IAC&ME Training Symposium
Overview This year, the IAC&ME hosted a combined Basic and Advanced Medicolegal Death Investigation (MDI) course in addition to its general conference program in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year’s program provided another excellent opportunity to learn from some of the…
Conference Proceedings: 2018 Research and Development Symposium
Date April 2018 Overview The 2018 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…
Success Story: Maximizing the Use of Mitochondrial DNA in Identifying Remains and Aiding Missing Persons Casework
National Institute of Justice and the American Registry of Pathology Date April 2018 Overview Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) serves as an important tool in situations where traditional nuclear DNA analysis is unlikely to yield probative information. mtDNA sequencing has traditionally focused…
2018 NIJ R&D Symposium Series Forensic Anthropology
← Back to Series Overview Morning Session I: Forensic Anthropology The NIJ Research and Development (R&D) Program funds both basic or applied R&D projects that will: (1) increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and…
2018 NIJ Forensic Science R&D Symposium
Overview The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCOE) assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on February 20th, 2018 at the 70th Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences…
Just Hairy Isotopes
← Back to Just Science Podcast Original Release Date: June 26, 2017 In episode ten of Just Science, we spoke with Dr. Gwyneth Gordon, from Arizona State University. Dr. Gordon and her team have developed methods to use the isotopic abundance…
HHRRC – Analysis and Conservation of Human Remains in Cambodia
← Back to Series The webinar originally occurred on May 16th, 2017 Duration: 1 hour Overview This presentation provides an introduction to the work conducted in Cambodia to analyze/preserve human remains from violence committed by the Khmer Rouge. Specifically the…
Success Story: Creating an International Databank of Skeletal Biomarkers for Human Identification
National Institute of Justice and University of South Florida Date September 2016 Overview According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Missing Person and Unidentified Person Files, there are approximately 13,500 unidentified individual cases in…
Success Story: Improving Identification of Mexican Hispanic Remains
National Institute of Justice and Texas State University Date April 2015 Overview In the United States, the Mexican Hispanic population ranks second in total size, yet Mexican Hispanic individuals often remain unidentified in forensic anthropological cases. The reason? There has…