NIJ FY 10 Forensic DNA Research and Development

NIJ seeks proposals for research and development to enhance the forensic uses of DNA technology, with a focus on technologies that result in faster, more robust, more informative, less costly or less labor-intensive identification, collection, preservation and analysis of biological evidence. In FY 2010, priority will be given to research that focuses on general improvements to the "front end" of the forensic DNA analysis process; physical separation of the components of a mixture; identification and characterization of biological marker systems that have the potential to reveal additional or more powerful information about the source of the biological evidence; improved tools for examining aged, degraded, limited, damaged, inhibited or otherwise compromised DNA evidence; novel methods for genetic profiling; identification and characterization of genetic marker systems that have the potential to advance the tools available for forensic pathology examinations; and development of new or enhancement of current forensic databases for use in estimating frequencies of DNA (or other genetic marker) profiles.