OSAC Standards Bulletin

OSAC Registry Updates

The following two OSAC proposed standards have been added to the Registry effective November 5, 2024. 

OSAC Proposed

• OSAC 2023-S-0017, Standard for the Articulation of Footwear and Tire Interpretations
• OSAC 2024-N-0004, Standard Guide for Capturing Iris Images for Use with Iris Recognition Systems 

Visit the OSAC Registry webpage to view these new standards!

Standards Open for Comment 

SDO Published Standards Under Consideration for the OSAC Registry

The OSAC Registry approval process for published standards is used to review existing SDO-published standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry. Please submit your comments by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 2, 2024, on whether the following SDO-published standard should be added to the Registry.

• ANSI/ASB Standard 133, Standard for Age Estimation in Forensic Anthropology. 1st Ed. 2024. Submit your comments here.

OSAC Proposed Standards Under Consideration for the OSAC Registry

The OSAC Registry approval process for OSAC Proposed Standards is used to review OSAC drafted standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry. The following draft OSAC Proposed Standards are being considered for submission to an SDO. The final draft provided to the SDO will be available on the OSAC Registry as an “OSAC Proposed Standard.”

OSAC welcomes comments on whether the current drafts are suitable for release to the SDO and suggestions for improvements in content and wording. To be considered, comments must be placed in the OSAC Comment Form and sent to comments [at] nist.gov (comments[at]nist[dot]gov) by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 2, 2024.

• OSAC 2025-N-0002, Standard for Qualifications for Forensic Anthropology Practitioners
• OSAC 2025-N-0007, Standard for the Medical Forensic Examination: Sexual Violence of Adolescents and Adults
• OSAC 2025-N-0008, Standard for the External Evaluation of Human Remains by Medicolegal Death Investigators at Scenes

Standards Open for Comment at Standards Development Organizations (SDOs)

There are seven forensic science standards currently open for public comment at the following SDOs:

ASB:

• One in the firearms & toolmarks discipline with a comment deadline of November 11.
• One in the footwear & tire discipline with a comment deadline of November 18.
• One in the discipline of forensic document examination with a comment deadline of December 16.

ASTM International:

• One in the digital evidence discipline and three in the trace materials discipline with a comment deadline of November 18.

SDO Updates 

New Published Standards

From ASTM:

• ASTM E3445-24, Standard Practice for Image Processing to Improve Automated Facial Recognition Search Performance.
• ANSI/ASTM E1732-24e1, Standard Terminology Relating to Forensic Science.

From FISWG:

• Guidelines for Image Processing Techniques in Facial Image Comparison V.2
• Principles for Responsible Use of Facial Recognition Technology V.1
• Minimum Training Criteria When Using Facial Recognition System V.2
• Standard Guide for Postmortem Facial Image Capture V.3

Work Proposals for New or Revised Standards

On October 11, 2024, a Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) was published on page 5 of the ANSI Standards Action. This will begin ASTM’s work on the following standard:

• BSR/ASTM Standard WK92338-202x, New Practice for Training a Forensic Glass Practitioner (new standard). This practice is for use by forensic science service provider (FSSP) personnel responsible for designing a training program for the training of forensic science practitioners (FSPs) who will perform glass examinations and comparisons. The trainees and training program shall meet or exceed the minimum training requirements set forth in Practice E2917. This practice outlines the tasks, goals, and objectives that allow the trainee to acquire the foundational knowledge and basic practical skills necessary to become a qualified forensic glass practitioner. 
  • NOTE: This is OSAC 2023-N-0005, Standard Practice for Training a Forensic Glass Practitioner, currently on the OSAC Registry. 

Annual OSAC Implementer Meeting: Mark Your Calendars! 

The FSSB Implementer Cohort will host the Annual OSAC Implementer Meeting on November 14 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. EST. 

This meeting is a platform for OSAC implementers to learn about the success of the 2024 Open Enrollment Season and new Implementer Cohort initiatives—webinars and workshops on standards implementation, the Mentor Exchange Program, and more! It also provides an opportunity for implementers to share their feedback on the implementation process and the use of the new Qualtrics platform. This meeting will only be open to entities that have submitted implementation surveys. If you have not yet done so and would like to join in on the fun, there is still time to get your survey in. Any agencies submitting a survey up until November 12, 2024, will receive an invitation.

Please notify forensics [at] nist.gov (forensics[at]nist[dot]gov) if you are an implementer and did not receive a calendar invitation.

*NEW* Updated OSAC Registry Web Page and Forensic Science Standards Library 

In case you missed it, the new OSAC Registry web page and OSAC Forensic Science Standards Library are now LIVE! 

The new OSAC forensic science standards library is an interactive database that contains the complete OSAC forensic science standards landscape.

What’s new about these two web pages? They can sort and filter! Yup, that’s right! With so much incredible progress within the organization, navigating through the multitude of documents can be challenging. And now…The fret is over!

Users are now able to use a filter to:

1) see the most recently added standards to the Registry

2) sort by document owner, subcommittee, and/or document status

3) conduct a search of the database using keywords. 

FY25 OSAC FSSB Member Updates

With a warm welcome, OPO is delighted to introduce OSAC’s newest FSSB members! 

CLICK ON THEIR NAMES TO READ THEIR FULL BIOS!

23rd Annual Association of Quality Assurance Managers (AFQAM) Conference 

Allison Getz, OSAC Program Office staff, and Mark Stolorow, OSAC Implementation Ambassador, attended AFQAM’s Annual Training Conference held October 1-4 in Daytona Beach, FL. Allison delivered a presentation, Forensic Science Standards Development and Implementation: Insights and Updates from OSAC, and Mark provided standards implementation support to interested conference attendees. AFQAM’s 390+ members represent local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private forensic labs, national and international accrediting bodies, proficiency test vendors and additional organizations that are dedicated to advancing forensic quality assurance. 

2024 International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (IABPA) Annual Conference  

Steven Johnson, OSAC Implementation Ambassador, attended the 2024 International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts (IABPA) Annual Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on October 7-11, to present the mission of the OSAC enterprise to those in attendance, specifically as it applies to 'non-traditional', crime scene-based disciplines such as bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA).  The IABPA was formed in 1983, and although small in size, it has a worldwide membership, many countries were represented at this year's conference, including the Netherlands, Iceland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and France.  There is significant interest in the BPA community regarding emerging standards that apply to the discipline and, in addition to his OSAC presentation, there were three other speakers that made standards development and implementation a big part of their presentations.  The general consensus of those who participated in this year's event was an appreciation for the value added in utilizing standards as part of their quality assurance protocols.

2024 Central American Congress of Forensic DNA

John Paul “JP” Jones, II OSAC Program Manager, delivered a presentation on Implementing DNA Standards on the OSAC Registry during the 2024 Central American Congress of Forensic DNA in Panama City, Panama on October 8, 2024.  The event included forensic scientists and laboratory directors from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama. 

2024 International Association of Chief of Police Conference (IACP)

Moderator Vincent Desiderio, OSAC Physical Scientist, John Grassel, Senior Manager, RTI International, Michael Kessler, Scene Examination SAC Chair, Erik Scairpon, Chief, Marysville Police Department and James Emerson, Vice President, National White Collar Crime Center (NWC3) participated in a panel discussion while attending the 2024 International Association of Chief of Police (IACP) Conference on October 19-22, 2024, in Boston, MA. This panel discussion titled, “Building Trust Across the Law Enforcement Forensic Landscape: Implementation of Forensic Standards,” discussed how the implementation of consensus-built forensic standards in the law enforcement environment can simplify the creation of new forensic sections, increase efficiencies in existing sections, mitigate risk across forensic practices, and generate public trust in forensic outputs.

Florida Division of the International Association of Identification (FDIAI) 64th Annual Educational Conference 

Steven Johnson, OSAC Implementation Ambassador, attended the 2024 Florida Division of the IAI (FDIAI) annual educational conference in Orlando, FL on October 20-25, to inform the attendees about the mission of the OSAC enterprise, specifically as it applies to 'non-traditional', crime scene-based disciplines that are closely affiliated with the IAI and its forty divisions.  The FDIAI was chartered in 1961 and is the largest division of the IAI with over 1300 members.  Over 300 hundred practitioners, vendors, students, and academics attended this year's conference.  Florida is a leader in recognizing the value of sound practices and discipline-specific certification. The state even provides financial incentives to practitioners who achieve certification pursuant to their career path.  The FDIAI echoes the parent body in its support of the OSAC mission. Although there are many laboratories and agencies that have declared themselves as implementers, there are dozens of other FSSPs throughout the state that could benefit from standard implementation.

• November 16: Annual American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) Conference | Seattle, WA
• November 18-22: Forensics@NIST | Virtual (see below for more information)
• November 21-22: 2024 National Association of Forensic Science Boards (NAFSB) Conference | Albany, NY
• November 20-23: Arizona Identification Council (AIC) Educational Conference | Tucson, AZ
• February 17-25, 2025: American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) | Baltimore, MD
• February 27, 2025: Facial & Iris Identification Subcommittee Research Needs Symposium
  • Join Virtually HERE

2024 Forensics@NIST Event

Join NIST’s scientists virtually on November 18-20, 2024, to learn how they are using advanced methods in metrology, computer science, and statistics to strengthen forensic science. Topic areas to be covered include Biometrics, Digital/Multimedia, Drugs/Toxicology, Evidential Statistics, Firearm and Toolmarks, Forensic Genetics, Quality Assurance, Trace, and CSAFE Forensic Statistics Center of Excellence.

Seats for the main event are unlimited! The seats for the workshops are limited to 175 attendees so make sure to REGISTER prior to November 18! 

Visit NIST’s News and Events webpage to learn more about the presentations and workshops being offered! 

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Awards $14M to Support Forensic Science Research

Recently, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) announced $13.6 million in new funding to support 24 projects under the “FY24 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes,” solicitation. These research projects will focus on:

• Assessing the impact of processing and sampling procedures on biomolecules in skeletal samples.
• Assessing the efficacy of droplet digital PCR for DNA quantification. 
• Development of validated protocols for the detection and quantification of psilocybin and psilocin in edible matrices. 
• Evaluating and assessing the error rates of color testing of seized drugs. 
• A black box evaluation of hand detail image comparisons.
• Improving the reliability of data interpretation in fire debris analysis. 
• Using computational standardization to unify methods of sex, stature, and age identification of skeletal remains.
• Assessing the effects of insects and soils on microbial decomposer communities when predicting postmortem intervals across environmental contexts.

New Release! Research Grade Test Material (RTGM 10235): Forensic DNA Typing Resource Samples

The Journal of Forensic Sciences recently published “Development of a Forensic DNA Research Grade Test Material,” authored by Erica L. Romsos, MFS, Lisa A. Borsuk, MS, Carolyn R. Steffen, MS, Sarah Riman, Ph.D., Kevin M. Kiesler, MS, and Peter M. Vallone, Ph.D. This article will teach you about the new complex reference materials that address commonly encountered measurement and interpretation issues such as complex DNA mixtures, DNA degradation, and PCR inhibition.

This article is accessible to all!

NIST established the Research Grade Test Material (RGTM) Project to provide laboratories with free samples (through August 2025) to assist in validation and training efforts and offer a communal way to compare data from identical samples with other laboratories through STRBase.

To learn more, visit STRBase or contact ForensicRGTM [at] nist.gov (ForensicRGTM[at]nist[dot]gov).  

*NEW* Interlaboratory Study: Calling all Fire Debris Examiners

NIST’s Forensic Science Quality Assurance Program (FSQAP) is launching an interlaboratory study that is focused on improving the comparability of fire debris examinations' reporting while providing the forensic community with data interpretation and analysis tools. 

Registration for the study is currently open and will close on December 2, 2024. 

For more information and to sign up, complete the Google form or scan the QR code with a mobile device.

NIST Report Outlines Opportunities to Enhance Drug Detection and Data Sharing Related to the Opioid Epidemic 

NIST has published the Drug Detection, Analysis, and Monitoring Workshop Report, which identifies analytical and data sharing challenges and opportunities facing a range of stakeholder communities combating the opioid epidemic in the United States. This report highlights the need for increased data sharing across these communities and identifies potential next steps toward making that happen.

Article Released with Results of a Study Conducted on ASTM E2329-17

In case you missed it, the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) released the article “Evidence-Based Evaluation of the Analytical Schemes in ASTM E2329-17, Standard Practice for Identification of Seized Drugs for Methamphetamine Samples” in May 2024. This article reviews a study that involved a collaborative effort of 71 forensic laboratories that analyzed 65 samples. Technicians were provided two sample sets, with instructions to use a single, pre-selected analytical technique on one set and a pre-selected analytical scheme consisting of multiple techniques in compliance with ASTM E2329-17 on the second set. Check out the article to learn more about the outcome of this community-driven study!

AAFS Standards Resources & Training   

As part of a cooperative agreement with NIST, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) is developing training, tools, and resources to enhance implementation efforts and broaden awareness of forensic science standards among communities of interest. 

• Standards factsheets provide a clear, concise, and easy way to understand the purpose of a specific standard, why it is needed, and the benefits of adoption. Standards factsheets are available for 135+ standards on the OSAC Registry. 
• Standards checklists are a tool that forensic science service providers can use to track progress towards implementation, identify gaps or barriers to implementation, or document objective evidence of implementation or compliance with a standard. Checklists are available for 130+ standards on the OSAC Registry. 
• AAFS Connect offers free standards videos and webinars. Learn about the standards development process, standards development activities in various disciplines, and information about specific SDO published standards on the OSAC Registry. 

Follow us on Social Media. To stay up to date on the latest OSAC news, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn (#ForensicOSAC).

Contact Us. If you have feedback, or questions, or want to learn more about how you can help strengthen forensic science through standards, contact us at forensics [at] nist.gov (forensics[at]nist[dot]gov).