The Forensic Science Research and Development Technology Working Group (TWG) is a committee of approximately 50 experienced forensic science practitioners from local, state, and federal agencies and laboratories.
Through the formation of this TWG, NIJ reaches out to the forensic science practitioner community to identify, discuss, and prioritize operational needs and requirements. These needs and requirements help inform NIJ's planned and ongoing research and development activities, and ensure that future research and development investments meet practitioner-driven needs. This is the first phase in NIJ's research and development process.
The most recent list of needs and requirements has been partially updated based on discussions at sub-group meetings focused on forensic biology, seized drugs, and toxicology, held in 2022. NIJ plans to update of all operational needs for the other listed disciplines in early 2024.
Disciplines represented by the Forensic Science Technology Working Group include (select a link to learn more about NIJ's work in each area):
- Forensic Biology/DNA
- Trace Evidence
- Toxicology
- Crime Scene Examination
- Forensic Anthropology and Odontology
- Forensic Pathology
- Impression/Pattern Evidence
- Seized Drugs
Updated Requirements
To view requirements specific to a forensic discipline or focus area, use the search box.
Download and share a PDF version of this table.
See lists of past requirements.
| Operational Requirements | Forensic Discipline(s) | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific foundations for expert conclusions of forensic evidence | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research |
| Development and validation of standardized forensic methods and conclusions | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Policy or Protocol Development |
| Determination of accuracy and reliability of forensic analyses and conclusions, including potential sources of error | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Technology Development |
| Practical statistical approaches for the interpretation of forensic evidence | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Evaluation of the effectiveness of varied types of review and/or verification of casework, testimony, and investigative leads | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Policy or Protocol Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Evaluation of qualified language of association along the continuum from investigative leads to definitive conclusions | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Policy or Protocol Development |
| Novel and/or improved evidence recognition, collection, and visualization tools and analytical instrumentation for field and lab use | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Evaluation of the effects of inter- and intra-disciplinary sequential evidence processing and analytical methods | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Policy or Protocol Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Determination of the optimal content and frequency of proficiency tests to evaluate performance and mitigate risk | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Policy or Protocol Development |
| Understanding of the cognitive processes involved in pattern recognition as applied to forensic comparative analysis | Impression & Pattern Evidence; Trace Evidence | Scientific Research |
| Quantitative methods to augment visual trace evidence screening and examinations | Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Comprehensive evaluation of the detection and utility of organic gunshot residues | Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Fundamental understanding of how environmental factors can affect trace evidence | Trace Evidence | Scientific Research |
| Evaluation of non-DNA approaches for human hair screening or comparison | Trace Evidence | Scientific Research |
| Determination of the causes of textile physical damage (e.g., tear, cut, stab, shot, burn) and evaluation of the persistence of damage characteristics | Trace Evidence | Scientific Research |
| Understanding the interference of or chemical interaction between sexual lubricants, personal care products, and the human body | Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Technology Development |
| Development of a comprehensive extraction method to allow for both DNA and sexual lubricant analysis from a single sample | Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Construction of new and updating of existing databases with properties of manufactured materials | Trace Evidence | Databases or Reference Collections |
| Identification and characterization of nanomaterials in evidentiary materials | Trace Evidence | Scientific Research; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Objective and validated methods to classify spatter patterns by the mechanism of formation | Bloodstain Pattern Analysis | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Fundamental understanding of droplet formation, droplet trajectory and the resultant formation of bloodstain patterns | Bloodstain Pattern Analysis | Scientific Research; Technology Development |
| Understanding of the interaction of blood with fabrics and textiles | Bloodstain Pattern Analysis | Scientific Research |
| Understanding of the creation and obscuration of fire patterns due to ventilation effects | Fire & Arson Investigation | Scientific Research |
| Evaluation of methods for origin and cause determination | Fire & Arson Investigation | Assessment & Evaluation |
| Standardized procedures for collecting, preserving, and analyzing building system electronic data | Fire & Arson Investigation | Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Understanding of the effect of materials properties on the development and interpretation of fire patterns | Fire & Arson Investigation | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Field and laboratory techniques for the quantitative measurement of fire patterns | Fire & Arson Investigation | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Tools for fire investigators to evaluate the effects of fuel characteristics on the growth and spread of fires | Fire & Arson Investigation | Technology Development; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Characterization of electrical system response as a means to study fire progression | Fire & Arson Investigation | Scientific Research |
| Adequate materials property data inputs for accurate computer fire models | Fire & Arson Investigation | Scientific Research; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Evaluation of incident heat flux profiles to walls and neighboring items in support of fire model validation | Fire & Arson Investigation | Scientific Research |
| Repeatability and reproducibility of test measurements of large-scale structure fires | Fire & Arson Investigation | Scientific Research |
| Evaluation of the probative value of general wear on outsoles during footwear examinations | Footwear | Scientific Research |
| Determination of relevant populations for the interpretation of class associations in footwear/tire impression evidence | Footwear; Tire Tread | Scientific Research; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Evaluation of Schallamach features on footwear outsoles and their utility for source determination | Footwear | Scientific Research; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Algorithms for automated searching of make and model of crime scene footwear or tire impressions within a database of known footwear outsole or tire tread patterns | Footwear; Tire Tread | Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Understanding of the relationship between manufacturing techniques and the resultant features used for outsole comparisons | Footwear | Scientific Research; Assessment & Evaluation; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Understanding of the morphological variability of the shape of the foot and the resulting shoeless impression [barefoot and socked] | Footwear | Scientific Research |
| Understanding of the variability of dimensional characteristics that occur during the replication of impressions | Footwear | Scientific Research; Technology Development |
| Characterization of footwear and tire impressions made from geologically based materials for selecting appropriate chemical enhancement techniques | Footwear; Tire Tread | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Reference collection databases of handwriting samples, copybook curricula, typewriter and computer font styles | Forensic Document Examination | Databases or Reference Collections |
| Quantitative assessment of intra- and inter-person handwriting and handprinting variation | Forensic Document Examination | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Assessment of the comparability of different forms of writing from individuals (e.g., initials, signatures, handwriting, hand printing, foreign writing) | Forensic Document Examination | Scientific Research |
| Understanding of the kinematics of handwriting and digitally captured signatures | Forensic Document Examination | Scientific Research |
| Comparative evaluation of automated handwriting identification systems | Forensic Document Examination | Assessment & Evaluation |
| Optimal methods and materials for the preservation, visualization, recovery and comparison of tool marks in cartilage and bone | Tool Marks; Forensic Pathology; Forensic Anthropology | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Source attribution of drug tablets using manufacturing tool marks | Tool Marks; Seized Drugs | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Biological evidence screening tools that can address any or all of the following: identifying areas on evidence with DNA, time since sample deposition, detection of single source vs. mixed samples, proportions of contributors, or sex of contributors | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development |
| Methods by which to identify areas on a swab with DNA to determine how much is needed for testing prior to beginning extraction | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Policy or Protocol Development |
| The ability to differentiate, physically separate, and selectively analyze DNA and/or cells from multiple donors or multiple tissue/cell types contributing to mixtures, with little to no sample loss; for example, alternative methods of differential extraction with limited sample manipulation (no centrifugation step) and/or automatable sperm capture that can be used on existing lab equipment (EZ2, Hamilton, etc.) | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Technology Development |
| Improved DNA collection devices or methods for recovery and release of DNA, especially collection from metallic items (e.g., fired cartridge casings) | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development |
| Research that documents the various impacts of methods, reagents, and materials on the recovery, repair, and/or preservation of low-quantity and/or low-quality DNA from various cell types | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development |
| Approaches where the elimination of steps from typical DNA processing workflows (e.g., extraction, quantitation, amplification) improves efficiency, workflow, and sample conservation | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development |
| Research to understand the limitations and/or variability of Rapid DNA on crime scene samples in order to inform best-practice recommendations development | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Alternative ways to enrich or target genomic areas of forensic DNA interest vs. a traditional PCR-based approach | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development |
| The ability to associate cell type and/or fluid with a DNA profile, primarily for mixed DNA profiles, enabling profiles to be reported at source level within existing laboratory instrumentation | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development |
| Mixture interpretation algorithms for all markers, including lineage markers (e.g., STRs, sequence-based STRs, X-STRs, Y-STRs, mitochondrial, microhaplotypes, SNPs) | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Improved methods for identifying the number of contributors for all marker types (e.g., STRs, sequence-based STRs, X-STRs, Y-STRs, mitochondrial, microhaplotypes, SNPs) | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Kinship software solutions using multiple marker systems (e.g., STRs, sequence-based STRs, X-STRs, Y-STRs, mitochondrial, microhaplotypes, SNPs) | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Technology Development |
| Statistical tools/methods for combining marker types for weight-of-evidence estimations | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Additional characterization of existing databases and further development of population data of forensically relevant genetic markers (e.g., sequence-based STRs, X-STRs, Y-STRs, mitochondrial, microhaplotypes, SNPs) to include populations that are currently underrepresented in existing databases | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Research to understand the limitations and/or variability of probabilistic genotyping software implementation that informs best-practice development | Forensic Biology | Assessment and Evaluation |
| Methods for database entry, search, and match resolution that use probabilistic genotyping results | Forensic Biology | Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Guidelines for effective communication of likelihood ratios or other probabilistic results in court | Forensic Biology | Assessment and Evaluation |
| Guidelines for the formation of likelihood ratio propositions to inform best-practice development | Forensic Biology | Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Ground truth data sets across a range of evidence types for source- and activity-level inferences, and implementation guidance | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Policy or Protocol Development |
| Foundational research related to the discriminatory power and sensitivity of alternate biological analyses (e.g., proteomics, microbiome, plants, animals) to associate individuals with crime scene evidence | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research |
| Research that supports forensic investigative genetic genealogy testing procedures, policies, and practices by criminal justice organizations | Forensic Biology | Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Comprehensive, systematic, well-controlled studies that provide both foundational knowledge and practical data about DNA transfer (e.g., primary, secondary) and persistence in the real world, as well as best practices for interpretation | Forensic Biology | Scientific Research, Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation, Dissemination or Training |
| Development of infrastructure to compile and share resources (e.g., lab-created mixtures, raw data files, training plans, protocols, validation summaries) for training and tool development with appropriate human subjects and privacy oversight | Forensic Biology | Technology Development, Dissemination or Training, Database or Reference Collections |
| Error rate studies on qualitative analysis (single tests and schemes), recognizing different contributions of analytical sufficiency, data interpretation, and considering effects of sample suitability; the conclusion of such a study should also explain its limitations | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Scientific Research, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Research into scientifically based acceptance criteria of analytical data generated in case samples; the effectiveness of this study could be improved if performed in conjunction with the study for error rate on qualitative analysis (single tests and schemes) | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Scientific Research, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Robust, flexible, configurable, cost-effective laboratory information (data) management systems and/or add-on components/modules that allow for data migration from legacy systems | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development, Database or Reference Collections |
| Evaluation of and development of strategies to address the root causes of occupational stress and their effect on forensic lab work quality, employee well-being and longevity, and organizational health | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Assessment and Evaluation |
| Tools for effective communication between forensic laboratories and policy makers related to resource allocation, public safety, public health, etc. | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation, Dissemination or Training |
| Selection criteria (e.g., minimum requirements) and test processes for forensic science professionals (including managers), to include evaluation of critical thinking abilities and data analysis skills, in order to attract and retain quality candidates. | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Policy or Protocol Development, Dissemination or Training |
| Increased and improved communication between FEPAC and practitioners to better equip graduates for casework and testimony readiness; better define requirements for forensic science programs to emphasize realistic expectations, practical, hands-on laboratory experience, and critical thinking skills | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Policy or Protocol Development, Dissemination or Training |
| Forensic laboratory process optimization, which may include: evidence recognition, collection, and packaging on scene, submission acceptance criteria, analysis, data management, and/or reporting, with consideration of future flexibility. For example, automation of sample preparation for toxicology | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Improved, broader, and more representative proficiency testing to include some blind testing | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Assessment and Evaluation, Dissemination or Training |
| Access to field-wide corrective action documentation for all lab operations (e.g., language and resolution of accreditation nonconformities, proficiency testing, quality control failures, personnel issues, etc.) | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Assessment and Evaluation, Dissemination or Training |
| Continued advancement of practical forensic application/development of emerging or current instrumentation and software (e.g., microspectrophotometer, using the second derivative in IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis coupled with FTIR or GC-MS, TOF/QTOF); a clear case should be made for how new technology either may do something that current technology cannot, or may be an improvement over current technology (more sensitive, faster, more cost-effective, etc.) | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Access to other forensic laboratories’ methods, SOPs, validation plans, automation workflows, and macros | Seized Drugs and Toxicology | Dissemination or Training |
| Research to establish validated methods for quantitation of delta-9-THC, delta-9-THC-A, or combination thereof, in plant materials, edibles, extracts, and other cannabis-based products | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research |
| Research to establish validated methods for quantitation of cannabinoids (naturally occurring and semi-synthetic, such as delta-8-THC, THC-O, and exo-THC) in plant materials, edibles, extracts, and other cannabis-based products | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research |
| Stability studies for THC/marijuana material (plants, edibles, extracts, vape liquid, etc.), to include recommendations for storage conditions; at minimum, such studies should be conducted at a range of temperatures, humidity levels, and time periods | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research |
| Field test for discrimination of hemp versus marijuana that meets acceptability criteria for evidentiary purposes | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Research into the identification of by-products formed during CBD conversion | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research |
| Creation and inclusion of scientific definition of derivatives as associated with the Farm Bill of 2018 | Seized Drugs | Policy or Protocol Development |
| Nationwide compilation of state legislation regarding hemp-related definitions (e.g., hemp, hemp products, hemp derivatives, semi-synthetic, etc.) with the intention to develop best practices for lawmakers’ consideration | Seized Drugs | Assessment and Evaluation, Database or Reference Collections |
| Prioritization of agencies for adequate externally sourced training and continuing development of drug chemists | Seized Drugs | Policy or Protocol Development, Dissemination or Training |
| Expanded auto-sampling capabilities for DART-TOF for increased workflow efficiency | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research, Technology Development |
| Qualitative HPLC-diode array screening method for all cannabis-related compounds | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research, Technology Development |
| Assessment of the operational independence of laboratories managed by law enforcement or prosecutors’ offices and associated effects on public perception, judicial outcomes, impartiality, and freedom from conflicts of interest resulting from financial or other pressures | Seized Drugs | Assessment and Evaluation |
| Solutions to challenges identifying NPS, such as novel benzodiazepines and opioids, with limited resources (instruments, software, financial, personnel, knowledge of/access to external resources) | Seized Drugs | Policy or Protocol Development, Database or Reference Collections |
| Evaluation of efficient methods of triaging cases and successful case management agreements among labs and customer stakeholders | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Tools to address expectations on practitioners to definitively render legal opinion regarding scheduling of novel psychoactive substances that are not specifically scheduled by name/class but may meet the criteria | Seized Drugs | Policy or Protocol Development, Dissemination or Training |
| Additional screening capacity to allow for screening of more items per case for intelligence gathering and submission triage purposes, with understanding of associated limitations | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research, Technology Development |
| Suggested standardized language for reports, based on data gathered from diverse agencies, to include a glossary of terms to clarify commonly misunderstood words and phrases (e.g., identification uncertainty versus misidentification) to improve written communication with stakeholders | Seized Drugs | Assessment and Evaluation, Dissemination or Training, Database or Reference Collections |
| Research to determine limitations of GC/MS-only schemes to correctly identify controlled substances and other compounds of interest, to include analogs, as well as suggestions for reporting those limitations | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Study of interpretation of scientific report language by non-scientist stakeholders, including juries/the public | Seized Drugs | Scientific Research, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Research on the correlation of blood and oral fluid values, particularly with regard to DUID interpretation and postmortem, with an emphasis on studies pertaining to pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drug partitioning into oral fluid; ensure dissemination includes policymakers | Toxicology | Scientific Research |
| Solutions to interpretation challenges affected by inconsistent and unreliable toxicology results or consolidated toxicology data due to widely variable collection techniques, inappropriate matrix selection, and inaccurate descriptions of specimen collection sites by pathologists, autopsy technicians, hospital phlebotomists, and law enforcement | Toxicology | Policy or Protocol Development, Dissemination or Training |
| Solutions to challenges in drawing appropriate conclusions from composite toxicology data (e.g., NFLIS, medical examiner/coroner survey) with unstated limitations (e.g., differences in testing regime, scope of analytes, reporting limits) due to unrestricted self-reporting and non-standardized testing | Toxicology | Policy or Protocol Development, Dissemination or Training |
| Solutions to challenges of implementation and integration of high resolution mass spectrometry in the toxicology workflow (e.g., data storage, interpretation of non-traditional data, appropriate validation parameters, efficiencies in workflow, determination and application of acceptance criteria) | Toxicology | Dissemination or Training |
| Access to new pharmaceutical and emerging illicit substance analytical standards (to include certified reference materials and isotopically labeled internal standards) for use in forensic and research laboratories (to include parent drugs and metabolites) | Toxicology | Database or Reference Collections |
| Research into prevalence, concentrations, impairment, toxicity, etc. on new non-delta-9-THC compounds, isomers, derivatives, and metabolites. | Toxicology | Scientific Research |
| Increased research and data collection to gain a better understanding of the relevance of novel psychoactive substances, such as (but not limited to) synthetic opioids, cannabinoids, benzodiazepines, and substituted cathinones, and related isomers | Toxicology | Scientific Research |
| Basic pharmacology training for forensic toxicologists | Toxicology | Dissemination or Training |
| Basic statistics and data analysis training for forensic toxicologists | Toxicology | Dissemination or Training |
| Increased understanding of the impact of vaping substances (licit and illicit) and need for vaping paraphernalia collection and testing | Toxicology | Scientific Research, Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation, Dissemination or Training |
| Research to determine drug stability, in years, at different temperatures (refrigerated, frozen, deep freeze) in different solvents, blood, and other matrices | Toxicology | Scientific Research |
| Research on THC concentrations and toxicity, to include cardiac effects, in living subjects, with current THC street potency levels | Toxicology | Scientific Research |
| Proof of concept to support portable, reliable, and robust roadside devices to test for marijuana use and/or measure impairment, including scientific foundation for new or existing devices | Toxicology | Scientific Research, Technology Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Nationwide assessment of reasons for non-adoption (to include root cause analysis) and impact of implementation of ASB standards for forensic toxicology testing | Toxicology | Policy or Protocol Development, Assessment and Evaluation |
| Determination of drug prevalence and relevance in DFC casework | Toxicology | Scientific Research |
| Enhanced, and cost-effective, development/improvement of technologies and capabilities for visualizing and imaging evidence at the scene. | Crime Scene Examination | Policy or Protocol Development; Dissemination or Training |
| Difficulty in determining the cause and manner of death of infants and children, distinguishing between natural, accidental and non-accidental - in sudden fatal events to include traumatic injury versus sudden non-traumatic causes of death, e.g. channelopathies, genetic disease, metabolic disorders, etc. | Forensic Pathology | Scientific Research |
| Enhancement of unidentified decedent system(s) with weighting capability for antemortem and postmortem comparisons with the goal of providing a ranked list of “best matches” to effectively and efficiently identify potential candidates or hits. Current human identification systems could be improved to more efficiently and effectively identify potential candidates or hits. | Forensic Anthropology; Medicolegal Death Investigations | Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Potential loss of forensic evidence due to decedent recovery, transport and handling from scene to morgue. What evidence is lost by not performing evidence recovery prior to removal from the scene? | Medicolegal Death Investigations | Scientific Research; Policy or Protocol Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| The lack of effective biometric capture techniques and devices for the digital acquisition of decedent data. Effective technologies do exist for biometric capture for living persons, but not decedents, including decedents exhibiting various postmortem artifacts. | Medicolegal Death Investigations | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Dissemination or Training |
| Difficulty in identifying geographical origin of remains. Development of novel and innovative methods and/or systems for identifying geographic region or country of origin of unidentified remains. | Forensic Anthropology; Forensic Pathology; Medicolegal Death Investigations | Scientific Research |
| Further research studies on force measurement, fracture mechanics and modeling of injuries ( to include hard tissue and soft tissue) to improve accuracy of trauma analysis and quantify error rates associated with trauma interpretation. | Forensic Pathology | Scientific Research |
| Difficulty in determining precise time since death. Studies of innovative methods or technologies to determine precise time since death. | Medicolegal Death Investigations | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Difficulty in detecting subtle injuries (to include deep tissue bruising, tattoos and other soft tissue modifications) on bodies, both living and deceased. | Forensic Pathology | Policy or Protocol Development; Dissemination or Training |
| Advanced imaging technologies in postmortem examination are expensive, inaccessible for most agencies, and difficult to interpret and require specialized expertise. Further research into the utility of advanced imaging technologies in postmortem examination, assessing the cost-benefit of the imaging results with the financial burden of purchasing such technologies and hiring expertise required, and development of standardized protocols. | Forensic Pathology | Technology Development; Policy or Protocol Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Dissemination or Training |
| Development of a multidisciplinary statistical model, for example, likelihood ratio, for use in personal identification, based on population frequencies of traits (anthropological, friction ridge, radiological, odontological, pathological, biological, etc) to reduce subjectivity in decedent identifications. | Forensic Anthropology | Scientific Research |
| Development of novel, improved or enhanced presumptive tests (rapid, accurate and nondestructive) for evidence analysis and interpretation at the scene and in the morgue/lab. Although, presumptive tests exist, there is always an opportunity for improved, enhanced or novel tests. | Crime Scene Examination; Medicolegal Death Investigations; Toxicology | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation |
| Further research on bone healing rates, at the macro- and micro-levels, and the quantification of healing rate differences by age and by bone element. | Forensic Anthropology; Forensic Pathology | Scientific Research |
| What are the consequences of differing levels of postmortem investigation? Is there an unknown error rate in diagnosis of cause and manner of death due to the necessity to decide field investigation vs. no-field investigation, autopsy vs. not-autopsy, external exam vs. autopsy, impact of full-body imaging, and the roles of ancillary tests (toxicology, histology, microbiology, genetic and metabolic). | Forensic Pathology | Scientific Research; Policy or Protocol Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Dissemination or Training |
| Obtaining records for human identification through dental comparison. MDI’s cannot locate dentist to obtain antemortem records for identification purposes. | Forensic Anthropology; Forensic Pathology | Technology Development; Policy or Protocol Development; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Inability to read through hypoxic artifacts and identify traumatic brain injury in pediatric patients who have been hypoxic for any period of time. | Forensic Pathology | Scientific Research |
| Difficulty in locating clandestine graves; inability to use current technology effectively. | Forensic Anthropology; Medicolegal Death Investigations | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Dissemination or Training |
| There is a lack of training opportunities for practitioners, lack of resources, and difficult to retain employees to meet caseload demand within the MDI community. | Forensic Anthropology; Forensic Pathology; Medicolegal Death Investigations | Dissemination or Training |
| There is a lack of innovation and collaboration with other science disciplines outside of the medicolegal death investigation arena. | Forensic Anthropology; Forensic Pathology; Medicolegal Death Investigations | Scientific Research; Technology Development; Policy or Protocol Development; Assessment & Evaluation; Dissemination or Training; Databases or Reference Collections |
| Challenges in collection of reliable, appropriate, well-documented toxicology samples. Improved collaboration and education between sample collectors (e.g. pathologists, autopsy technicians, medicolegal death investigators, hospital phlebotomists, and organ and tissue procurement staff) and toxicologists, including training on sample taking and recording. | Forensic Pathology; Toxicology; Medicolegal Death Investigations | Scientific Research; Policy or Protocol Development; Dissemination or Training |
| Challenges in identification of human remains. More studies to improve accuracy and reliability of isotope analyses for geolocation and human remains identification. | Forensic Anthropology; Forensic Pathology; Medicolegal Death Investigations | Scientific Research; Databases or Reference Collections |
| A number of tools and calculators for forensic anthropology (e.g. ancestry and sex estimation) and crime scene investigation (e.g. blood stain pattern analysis) exist in disparate locations or non-user-friendly formats. | Forensic Anthropology; Crime Scene Examination | Technology Development |
Connecting Researchers with Forensic Laboratories
Collaboration between researchers and practitioners can improve the relevance and impact of forensic science research. NIJ encourages researchers to seek and partner with forensic science laboratories and other practitioners. Likewise, we encourage practitioners to work with research partners to help guide the relevance of NIJ funded research.
NIJ has collected a list of practitioner laboratories that are interested in working with researchers. View the list and see how to get on it.