Articles Published by NIJ

Two leading funding agencies renew a joint commitment to evaluate and support scientific activities relevant to criminal justice.

In response to a National Academy of Sciences report calling for more research on the variability of burn patterns, Underwriters Laboratories scientists conducted studies on how ventilation affects fire patterns in residential structures.

Nanoparticles and other subvisible particles potentially present in nearly all trace evidence are often overlooked in forensic investigations. NIJ-supported researchers have characterized several types of particles and developed detection methods.

An expert workshop on a hidden hub of crime on the internet identified priority investigative needs, including demystifying the “dark web”, training investigators to identify dark web evidence and activity, and building cross-jurisdictional partnerships.

Analyzing illicit drugs such as methamphetamine is difficult because the drugs break down when heated in gas chromatographs. Investigators determined that a new method can avoid the heat issue and improve results.

The technique used to pinpoint mineral deposits, hyperspectral imaging, could be used to find humans, both dead and alive. An NIJ-funded researcher realized that the technology could use drones with sensors to cover large areas and find human bodies.

Identifying individuals through next generation DNA sequencing may involve degraded or mixed samples. A researcher has developed a technique to make fragmented DNA more readable, and a method to help pull individual profiles from mixed samples.

The regions of the genome relied on for identification of individuals pose challenges for analysts because they often produce artifacts during processing. NIJ-funded research has led to a solution that lessens the artifact problem.

Key questions have arisen about how DNA data are to be interpreted statistically. Two NIJ grants have supported research that has far-reaching implications for testing hypotheses using DNA evidence and expressing confidence in the conclusions reached.