This document aims to address the isolation and siloed efforts that can result within the forensic science community by promoting technology as a tool for collaboration that enables productive research and development and an improvement of just outcomes.
This document has the following goals: to articulate actions for forensic community members that will help improve the transition of research and technology into adoption by forensic science service providers (FSSPs); to highlight research partnership opportunities that will improve alignment between researchers and FSSPs to help advance knowledge, simplify FSSP workflows, create functional products, and improve justice; to improve the process of research and development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E), validation, and adoption of technologies into the forensic community; to enhance collaboration around shared goals that solve problems while saving time and resources; to improve awareness of forensic community perspectives; and to drive understanding of realities and opportunities for forensic community research. The roadmap is organized into three main sections, the first provides context and theory, the second discusses current realities that limit research and technology transition, and the third lays out a path to improving research and technology transition. It also provides a glossary of terms that support a shared lexicon for the forensic community.