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Special Programs Office (SPO)

Forensic Science Program

Biometrics

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Image representing biometrics
Credit: Shutterstock

Goal: To explore the intersection of biometric forensic science technologies and practitioners by creating research databases, expanding applications of technology evaluations, and studying human behavior.

What is NIST doing?

  • Building the world's largest and most complete biometric image databases, for research, development, training, validation, and more
  • Studying the affects of forensic facial examiners to help ensure accuracy in their determinations
  • Working to help define and support the new field of forensic iris examination
  • Better understanding how automated latent fingerprint feature extraction and identification algorithms can work together with human examiners to solve crimes

Associated Links

Forensic Science and Forensic biometrics

Contacts

Forensic Science Research Biometrics Focus Area Lead

Fingerprint

Facial Recognition

Iris

Created September 21, 2022, Updated August 28, 2025
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