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Forensic Science

News and Updates

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International Symposium on Forensic Science Error Management Announces Brandon Mayfield and Steven Wax as Keynote Speakers

June 9, 2015

#NISTForensics We are pleased to introduce our two keynote speakers for the first-ever International Symposium on Forensic Science Error Management, an event...

A U.S. Navy forensic odontologist studies dental remains

New NIST Center of Excellence to Improve Statistical Analysis of Forensic Evidence

May 26, 2015

As part of a national collaborative effort to strengthen the scientific basis for forensic evidence used in the criminal justice system, the U.S. Commerce...

NIST Seeks to Fill Three Vacancies on Forensic Science Standards Organization

May 21, 2015

NIST's Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), the 540-member group working to develop a uniform set of forensic science standards and guidelines, is...

New Report Recommends Policies for Improved Preservation of Biological Evidence

April 20, 2015

All states should have laws ensuring that criminal justice systems properly handle, store and retain forensic biological evidence, according to a new report*...

A fired cartridge case and a fired bullet.

PML Helps Lead Standardization for Firearm and Toolmark Examinations

March 24, 2015

Xiaoyu Alan Zheng and Ted Vorburger of PML's Semiconductor and Dimensional Metrology Division were appointed to the Organization of Scientific Area Committees'...

NIST Presentations at AAFS 2015 Point to the Future of Forensic Science

March 20, 2015

The future of forensic science was on display at last month's American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Several NIST researchers...

NIST International Symposium Seeks Improved Quality in Forensics

March 20, 2015

For decades, research programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have made significant contributions to forensic science...

Mapping Microscopic Surfaces Could Help Solve Crimes

March 10, 2015

Topographic maps that display surface features like mountains, valleys and coast lines, have long helped people navigate great distances. Forensic science...

OSAC Forensic Science Standards Priority Discussions Now Available in Webcast Archive

March 3, 2015

Those who missed presentations of forensic science standards development priorities at the first public meetings of the Organization of Scientific Area...

Recapping the First Public OSAC Meetings: What is an SDO?

March 2, 2015

Feb. 16, Orlando, Fla. – Midway through the first day of a meeting devoted to public discussion of forensic science standards priorities, someone asked the...

First Scientific Area Committee Meetings for Forensic Science to be Webcast

February 13, 2015

Forensic scientists interested in watching the first public meetings of the Organization of Scientific Area Committees will be able to see them online via a...

NIST Shows Crystal Pattern Mapping Can Recover Obliterated Serial Numbers in Metals

February 11, 2015

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a technique for mapping deformation in metals that can recover...

NIST Scientists to Give Latest Results at American Academy of Forensic Sciences Annual Meeting

February 5, 2015

Whether they're analyzing fingerprints at a murder scene or digital clues on a criminal's cell phone, forensic laboratories use research, standards and data...

Hidden Uncertainties Uncovered in Nuclear Forensic Measurement

February 2, 2015

A little detective work by nuclear physicists has uncovered hidden uncertainties in a popular method for precisely measuring radioactive nuclides, often used to...

NIST Forensic Science Standards Committees to Hold First Public Meetings in February 2015

January 27, 2015

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), which coordinates the development of standards and guidelines for the forensic science community under...

NIST Announces Initial Members of Forensic Science Digital Evidence Subcommittee

December 22, 2014

Digital evidence plays a growing role in a wide variety of crimes as cell phones, computers, GPS and other digital devices carry increasing amounts of...

Computer scientist Mary Theofanos demonstrates a NIST-developed system that visually guides users to correctly place their hands on a digital fingerprint scanner.

Register Now for NIST Symposium on Biometric and Forensic Technology

December 16, 2014

Registration is now open to attend a NIST symposium on one of the biggest challenges facing the advancement of forensic science and biometric technology – the...

four graphics of pattern of fingerprints

NIST Forensic Science Standards Inventory Now Available Online

December 12, 2014

NIST's Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) is taking the first steps toward developing an OSAC Registry of Approved Standards and an OSAC Registry...

NIST Study 'Makes the Case' for RFID Forensic Evidence Management

December 4, 2014

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags—devices that can transmit data over short distances to identify objects, animals or people—have become increasingly...

402 Members Named to Forensic Science Standards Organization

October 29, 2014

The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today the final appointments to the Organization for Scientific...

NIST researcher Xiaoyu (Alan) Zheng is setting up a chisel toolmark measurement using a 3D confocal microscope

Evidence Says: December Symposium Showcases Forensics at NIST

October 22, 2014

Forensic science research goes back a long way at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)—more than a century. In fact, the agency served as...

NIST Laser Comb System Maps 3D Surfaces Remotely for Manufacturing, Forensics

October 7, 2014

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a laser-based imaging system that creates high-definition 3D maps of...

Engineer Rick Ayers makes sure commercial forensics tools for cell phones conform to required specifications by testing them on a number of phone models.

New Forensic Subcommittee on Digital Evidence Added to Organization of Scientific Area Committees

September 8, 2014

Digital evidence, one of the fastest growing areas of forensic science, will now have its own subcommittee in the National Institute of Standards and Technology...

Forensic Science Standards Effort Takes Shape as NIST Appoints Scientific Area Committees Members

September 3, 2014

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today named nearly 70 new members to the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), the NIST...

Save the Date: NIST to Host International Symposium on Forensic Science Error Management, July 20-24, 2015

September 3, 2014

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is planning to host the International Symposium on Forensic Science Error Management: Detection...

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