Forensic Sciences

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, in collaboration with the National Institute of Justice and its Forensic Technology Center of Excellence, is in the process of developing best practices for the management of physical evidence in our criminal justice system.

In order to engage stakeholders, inform recommendations, identify knowledge gaps, and develop educational opportunities, we must hear from those who manage property and evidence directly. The Evidence Management Survey is an important tool to obtain this information and will be used to increase awareness about strengths and challenges in the evidence management industry. The survey will close on April 2, 2021 and is open to both U.S. and international agencies.

Learn more and complete the survey.

NIJ anticipates release within weeks for the FY 2021 solicitations under its annual programs supporting forensic science R&D:

• Research and Development in Forensic Sciences for Criminal Justice Purposes
• Research and Evaluation in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories

Applicants can expect the FY 2021 funding opportunities to be similar to those from FY 2020, with only minor changes:

1. Research in certain forensic disciplines is no longer excluded.
2. Factors receiving priority consideration have minor revisions to align with FY2021 administration priorities.

NIJ expects a similar scope and scale for these programs as in FY 2020. For reference, 184 applications were peer reviewed and 36 awards were made under the FY 2020 Forensic Science R&D solicitation. Likewise, 20 applications were peer reviewed and 5 awards were made under the FY 2020 Public Labs solicitation. Explore these links for full solicitation texts and award details.

NIJ has transitioned to a new proposal submission interface, JustGrants. NIJ encourages potential applicants to familiarize themselves with the new application process early, to avoid submission delays.