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Projects/Programs

Displaying 26 - 50 of 56

Landscape Review of Forensic Science Training for Officers of the Court

Completed
The 2009 NAS Report highlighted the need for forensic science training for judges and lawyers noting, “Lawyers and judges often have insufficient training and background in scientific methods, and they often fail to fully comprehend the approaches employed by different forensic science disciplines

Latent Print AFIS Interoperability Working Group

Ongoing
Why is AFIS Interoperability Important? Automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) allow latent print examiners to search fingerprint files and to transmit fingerprint images. However, examiners often lack the technological ability to access AFIS in neighboring jurisdictions. In addition

Measurements of Point-Defect Chemistry in Complex Oxides

Ongoing
Project Goal: To develop magnetic resonance, x-ray absorption, electron diffraction, and electrical conductivity measurements to better characterize dilute concentrations of point defects in oxide materials and effectively correlate electro-mechanical properties to measured defect chemistry. Oxide

Metrology and Standards for Canine Olfactory Detection of Explosives

Completed
Effective and accepted by the public, trained dogs are the most frequently deployed detection systems for identification of explosives threats in mobile applications. In addition to being highly sensitive, dogs can rapidly discriminate the unique profile of an explosive in a presence of a large

Micro- and Nanoelectromechanical Systems

Completed
MEMS/NEMS are enabling technologies that bring new functionalities with the potential to radically transform markets ranging from consumer products to national defense. The meteoric rise of the smartphone is an excellent example, in which MEMS accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones, displays, and

Microcryocooler for Terahertz Detectors

Ongoing
DARPA has been interested in the development of cooled detector systems (infrared and terahertz) that require less than 1 W of input power (battery operated) and have a total volume less than about 4 cm 3. Such systems could be used for detection of enemy missile launches (infrared), chemical

MixMaSTR DNA Validation Software

Ongoing
We are in the process of developing a standalone help for practitioners in an easy-to-use application with a well-designed graphical user interface that will: Generating all possible mixture genotype combinations from their provided ground truth single-source profiles and selected NoCs Computing

Nature of the Threat

Ongoing
"Improving Particle Collection Efficiency of Sampling Wipes used for Trace Chemical Detection", Gillen, Greg and Lawrence, Jeffrey and Sisco, Edward and Staymates, Matthew E. and Verkouteren, Jennifer and Robinson, Elizabeth L. and Bulk, Alexander, Anal. Methods, 14, 581-587 (2022). http://dx.doi

NIST Ballistics Toolmark Database

Ongoing
The database contains traditional reflectance microscopy images and three-dimensional surface topography data acquired by NIST or submitted by database users. The goal is a collection of data sets that: 1) represents the large variety of ballistic toolmarks encountered by forensic examiners, and 2)

NIST Cloud Computing Forensic Science

Ongoing
Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider

NIST Forensic Science Training Program

Ongoing
Informational Scientific Primers for Officers of the Court: Intended to Strengthen Use of Forensic Science Evidence Forensic science is an applied science that is built upon the application of chemistry, biology, physics, measurement science, and statistics to address questions of identification of

NIST PS1 Primary Standard for quantitative NMR (Benzoic Acid)

Completed
With explicit SI linkage, the overall impact of this apical reference material is profound—this primary standard, as well as forthcoming members of its class, provides technology transfer of chemical purity realization to the commercial sector for characterization of many thousands of organic

NIST and the SWGDRUG Mass Spectral Reference Library of Seized Drugs

Ongoing
Synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and its analogues are driving an unprecedented epidemic of overdose deaths in the United States. Clandestine labs create these new substances in part to evade law enforcement. This places a major burden on federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to

NIST Tools for Cannabis Laboratory Quality Assurance

Ongoing
Since the 1970s, cannabis (marijuana and hemp) and its constituent, Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, have been classified as Schedule I controlled substances. Seized evidence is tested by forensic laboratories, which verify the identity of the plant through macro- and microscopic evaluation and the

Novel Psychoactive Substance (NPS) Data Hub

Ongoing
A growing portion of forensic drug laboratory’s workload is the identification of novel psychoactive substances (NPSs), or emerging synthetic drugs (ESDs), presented as exhibit materials after seizure events. A pressing need exists for the rapid characterization of both the active ingredient(s) and

Open Port Liquid Interface Mass Spectrometry

Ongoing
Rapid screening for chemical traces of explosives and narcotics is widely used to support homeland security and law enforcement. These target compounds span a range of physicochemical properties from organic to inorganic, with preferential ionization pathways in both negative and positive mode

RaDAR Training Materials

Ongoing
Qualitative Sampling Slides Download the qualitative sample collection training slides. Last Updated: November 2024 Videos Below are a series of videos that demonstrate how to collect samples for qualitative analysis using different collection materials. Quantitative Sampling Slides Download the

Standards

Ongoing
Standards for Optical Based Standoff Detection NIST is researching methods for creating explosive threat materials standards relevant to optical detection technologies (e.g. that result in samples with particle morphologies similar to those found in explosive threat devices). This includes both

Standards Development to Ensure Reliable Breath Analysis in the Field

Ongoing
Numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been identified in human breath. These compounds can be produced by the body or by organisms in the body (e.g., bacteria or viruses) and provide a non-invasive window into human health. Inexpensive point-of-care devices are being developed to diagnose

Standards to Support Biological Detection in the Field

Ongoing
NIST is working in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) to develop methods, guidance, standards, and reference materials to support and improve our Nation's ability to detect and respond to suspected biothreat incidents. Specific

Statistics for Ballistics Identification

Ongoing
DESCRIPTION: Statistical Engineering Division has had an ongoing collaboration with NIST's Precision Engineering Division (now Semiconductor and Dimensional Metrology Division) and Office of Law Enforcement Standards (now in the Office of Special Programs) in the field of firearms and tool mark

Surface Texture and Forensic Topography

Ongoing
Surface texture and microform Surface texture affects the functionality of many products, ranging from bearings to semiconductors and optics. Affected properties include aesthetics, friction, wear, lubrication, sealing, light scattering, and conductivity. Improvements in parameters and metrology to
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