The National Institute of Justice is dedicated to improving knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues through science. It is a leading federal funder of forensic science research, development, and evaluation.
During a site visit to Knoxville, Tennessee, NIJ highlighted forensic grantees Bode Technology and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Forensic Anthropology Center, while offering a national perspective on its portfolio of new forensic awards.
NIJ also highlighted new forensics awards representing groundbreaking projects that will help to identify challenging skeletal remains and bring faces and names to the unidentified. These advances in DNA technology are helping to identify decedents and solve cold cases, and they support the mission of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).
Talking points and links from the visit:
- NIJ has invested nearly $340 million in forensic science research since 2009. This long-term investment makes NIJ the leading funder of extramural forensic science research – supporting projects in academia, crime laboratories, federal agencies, and private and non-profit entities.
- The program covers all forensic science disciplines including forensic biology, forensic anthropology, forensic pathology, seized drug analysis, toxicology, pattern evidence, and trace evidence.
- One of NIJ’s key missions is to improve the quality and practice of forensic science by supporting innovations in research and development, testing and evaluation, technology, and information exchange for the criminal justice community.
- In FY2023, NIJ awarded $17.9 million in competitive grant funding to support forensic science research and development projects. Through its forensic science research funding, NIJ continues to improve the examination and interpretation of physical evidence across the community of practice by identifying the most efficient, accurate, reliable, and cost effective methods of analysis. See awards made under:
- These and other ongoing investments improve the accuracy and speed of forensic testing, informing investigations, prosecutions, and case clearances in service of enhanced safety, equity, and justice.
Featured at the Event
Evaluation of Target Enrichment for SNP Genotyping of Skeletal Remains
Award No. 15PNIJ-23-GG-04224-RESS
Awardee: Bode Technology
The introduction of forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG) in 2018 represents a significant change in the forensics discipline, holding promise in making connections among samples and cases that were not previously possible. To capitalize on this development, DNA practitioners need a better understanding of how to best utilize FIGG. This project will evaluate methods that improve FIGG genotyping of bone material with a range of degradation and contaminating microbial DNA to include unidentified human remains/missing persons cases. See details for award 15PNIJ-23-GG-04224-RESS.
Impact of Relic DNA on Forensic Microbiome Applications in Criminal Investigations
Award No: 15PNIJ-23-GG-04205-RESS
Awardee: The University of Tennessee
The postmortem interval (PMI) is important in establishing a time frame when death occurred. This invaluable information aids investigators in identification of the remains, reconstruction of a crime scene, and validating alibis. A number of studies have investigated the microbiome (the community of microorganisms within a specific environment) in and around the body, and how it changes after death to aid in postmortem interval determination. This project will analyze possible DNA inhibitors to strengthen microbiome PMI models. See details for award 15PNIJ-23-GG-04205-RESS.
Evaluating the Reliability and Accuracy of Multiple Geophysical Methods in the Search for Clandestine Graves
Award No: 15PNIJ-23-GG-04226-SLFO
Awardee: The University of Tennessee
Discovering the location of a clandestine grave is crucial for identification of the victim, collection of evidence, and analysis and interpretation of that evidence, which may lead to the identification of a suspect(s) and subsequent prosecution. The goal of this research is to provide law enforcement with a comprehensive approach for using geophysical methods to locate clandestine graves. See details for award 15PNIJ-23-GG-04226-SLFO.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) is a national online repository and resource center for cases involving missing persons, unidentified decedents, and unclaimed remains. It is the only publicly available national database of cases involving unidentified persons and currently contains over 14,000 unidentified decedents.
Expert staff augment the system and consult on cases to support criminal justice efforts, training, and outreach to law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners, tribal communities, and families of the missing across the country. NamUs also provides free forensic services, including DNA analysis, odontology, forensic anthropology, and fingerprint examination and comparison.
The program helps investigators match long-term missing persons with unidentified remains to resolve cases and bring closure to families. It has also aided in determining whether the cause of death was a result of foul play and provided investigative leads resulting in the identification of suspects.
As of 2023, NamUs made over 530 fingerprint associations (in partnership with the FBI Laboratory), many of which were cold case homicide investigations. Of these associations, researchers identified:
- 57 homicide victims.
- 160 additional undetermined/suspicious death cases.
- 229 persons previously reported as missing.
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