Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2018, $271,960)
In accordance with the Laboratory's goal to improve and advance forensic services, this project is designed to provide continuing education to analysts within the Forensic Laboratory, provide equipment to analysts and technicians to perform forensic testing and to contract with a service provider to validate a method for the analysis of urine for controlled substances.
The WVSP Laboratory is facing budgetary constraints and is unable to fund continuing education and training for forensic analysts needed to stay abreast of the latest technologies of forensic science. The WVSP Laboratory has limited resources and is unable to provide equipment forensic analysts need to stay abreast of the latest technologies in the field of forensic science.
The WVSP Laboratory faces budgetary and staffing constraints, making validation of new technology and equipment inefficient and results in increased backlogs, particularly in the Toxicology Section. The opioid epidemic has resulted in an increase of Toxicology submissions over the past 3 years from 776 cases in 2014 to 1450 cases in 2017.
The Federal funding from this award will be used for the following goals:
Goal 1: Provide analysts continuing education as recommended by ANAB, the Laboratory's accrediting body, and to maintain individual certification.
Goal 2: Provide analysts with the equipment necessary to perform their testing and other duties more efficiently and effectively.
Goal 3: Contract with a service provider to validate new technology for the forensic testing of urine for the presence of controlled substances (including opioids).
nca/ncf