Delivery of Academic Workshops in Instrumental Trace Evidence Analysis

The purpose of these funds will be used to provide 'Instrumental Trace Evidence Analysis' to forensic science practitioners. The training will be provided at no charge to participants. This goal will be accomplished through the delivery of a series of 3 workshops, all of which have been already developed and offered to practicing forensic scientists in the past at FIU: 1) Examination and Comparison of Glass Evidence (for Beginner and Intermediate Examiners), 2) Elemental Analysis of Trace Evidence (for Intermediate and Advanced Examiners) and 3) Advanced Mass Spectrometry for Forensic Scientists (intermediate and advanced level). Each workshop will be offered for 1 week and will include lectures as well as hands-on laboratory-based exercises at the FIU facilities, located at the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department and at the International Forensic Research Institute. Backlog Reduction: The 2002 BJS Census shows that 59% of labs perform trace analysis although the number of examiners is small. Making the current and/or new examiners more proficient in these areas will make casework management more efficient subsequently, reducing backlogs in the discipline. ca/ncf