Source: Kristy Kadash, PhD CALLING ALL DNA ANALYSTS QUESTION—If two labs are given the same mixture (as an electropherogram) and the same person of interest, how consistent are the statistical responses and categorical interpretations? And what factors explain any differences in responses? DNAmix2021 is a large-scale independent study being conducted to evaluate the extent of […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat Thank you to everyone who attended the 73rd AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting! Pre-recorded Sessions – All scientific sessions, Keynote & Plenary addresses, and workshops will be available for the next three months on-demand, via the vFairs Auditorium. Survey – We kindly request all meeting attendees complete the AAFS 2021 meeting […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat ASB Consensus Body Chair in the News! In case you missed it, Kevin Kulbacki – Chair of the ASB Forensic Document Examination Consensus body – made an appearance on an NBC News special looking inside the IRS National Forensics Crime Lab. ASB Documents Open for Public Comment The ASB encourages […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat ASB Documents Open for Public Comment The ASB encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The public comment period has opened for: Recirculation* – ASB Standard 054, Standard for a Quality Control Program in Forensic Toxicology Laboratories, First Edition (Comment Deadline, March 15, 2021) ASB Standard […]
The AAFS Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Pathology/Biology Section Fellow Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, MD, has been named as the recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Fellow Award. The award will be presented to Dr. Sathyavagiswaran at the 2022 Annual Business Meeting in Seattle, WA. Dr. Sathyavagiswaran was elected into membership in the Pathology/Biology Section […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat ASB Documents Open for Public Comment The ASB encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The public comment period has opened for: ASB Standard 145, Standard for Consultation during Friction Ridge Examination, First Edition (Comment Deadline, March 5, 2021) The following document are also available for […]
Source: Nancy J. Jackson, AAFS Accreditation and Outreach Coordinator Pursuant to the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) Policies & Procedures, Policy 1.4 Scope of Accreditation, FEPAC promotes academic quality through the formal accreditation of forensic science programs in the United States and abroad. FEPAC accredits forensic science education programs that lead to a […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is launching an interlaboratory comparison study aimed at helping labs make the accurate Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) measurements needed to distinguish between hemp and marijuana. For this study, NIST will send samples of hemp and marijuana plant material to labs that will […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat ASB Documents Open for Public Comment The ASB encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The public comment period has opened for: ASB Standard 070, Standard for Examination of Handwritten Items, First Edition (Comment Deadline, February 22, 2021) ASB Best Practice Recommendation 108, Forensic Odontology in […]
Source: Jonathan McGrath, PhD, National Institute of Justice The NIJ recently released a new FY2021 solicitation on “Research and Evaluation on Crime Laboratory Systems and Processes.” With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for research and evaluation projects aimed at understanding and strengthening the accuracy and reliability of a crime laboratory’s systems and processes. The closing […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat ASB Documents Open for Public Comment The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The public comment period has opened for: Recirculation* – ASB Standard 119, Standard for the Analytical Scope and Sensitivity of Forensic Toxicological Testing of Blood in Medicolegal Death […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat ASB Documents Open for Public Comment The ASB encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The public comment period has opened for: Recirculation* – ASB Best Practice Recommendation 060, Guidelines for Barrel and Overall Length Measurements of Firearms, First Edition (Comment deadline, January 25, 2021) ASB […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST Trained dogs are incredible chemical sensors, far better at detecting explosives, narcotics, and other substances than even the most advanced technological device. But one challenge is that dogs have to be trained, and training them with real hazardous substances can be inconvenient and dangerous. Scientists at NIST have […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat ASB Documents Open for Public Comment The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The public comment period has opened for: Recirculation* – ASB Standard 098, Standard for Mass Spectral Data Acceptance in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition (Comment deadline: January 18, 2021) […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) is pleased to announce the publication of a new Forensic Standard ANSI/ASB Standard 093, Standard Test Method for the Forensic Examination and Testing of Firearms, First Edition, 2020 This document establishes standard procedures for the examination and testing of a firearm by firearm and toolmark […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) is pleased to announce the publication of a new Forensic Standard. ASB Best Practice Recommendation 126, Best Practice Recommendation for Casting Footwear and Tire Impression Evidence at the Crime Scene, First Edition, 2020 This document provides best practice recommendations for casting of footwear and tire […]
Source: Jonathan G. McGrath, PhD, MSFS, National Institute of Justice Expanding Social Science Research to Examine the Impacts of Forensic Science on the Criminal Justice System Webinar In 2004, NIJ created the Social Science Research on Forensic Sciences (SSRFS) research program to explore the impact of forensic sciences on the criminal justice system and the […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat ASB Documents Open for Public Comment The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The public comment period has opened for: ASB Standard 127, Standard for the Preservation and Examination of Charred Documents, First Edition (Comment deadline: December 14, 2020) ASB Standard […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat ASB Documents Open for Public Comment The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) encourages all interested parties to provide comments on documents in progress. The following documents are available for Public Comment: ASB Best Practice Recommendation 008, Mass Fatality Scene Processing: Best Practice Recommendations for the Medicolegal Authority, First Edition (Comment deadline: […]
Source: Jonathan G. McGrath, PhD, MSFS, Senior Policy Analyst, National Institute of Justice Join an NIJ-hosted webinar on November 11, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. ET in which we’ll discuss the 2021-2022 program. The NIJ is accepting applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. Applications are due December 23, 2020. The NIJ Research Assistantship Program (RAP) offers highly qualified doctoral students […]