U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Funding & Awards
 3D morphology of blood stain can provide critical information missed in standard bloodstain analysis
Award Information
Awardee
              TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Award #
              2020-DQ-BX-0006
Funding Category
              Competitive Discretionary
Location
                    BOSTON, MA
Congressional District
              7
Status
              Past Project Period End Date
Funding First Awarded
              2020
Total funding (to date)
              $361,656
Original Solicitation
              Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes, Fiscal Year 2020
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2020, $361,656)
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA) is a vital tool in reconstructing crime scenes in which bloodletting occurs. The area of origin of a bloodshed event is typically determined from the length, width, and orientation from a selection of bloodstains. Experiments suggests that these parameters can depend on the substrate material, and even invisible coatings on these materials can fundamentally change the appearance of a bloodstain. Yet the underlying mechanisms are not well understood, nor are there readably available tools characterize the wetting properties of the substrate at a crime scene. This proposal aims to first develop the fundamental understanding needed to characterize these critical substrate-blood interactions missed in the standard BPA approach and then to identify how this information can be deconstructed from the 3D morphology of the blood stain and be readily obtained from appropriately-taken crime-scene photographs. Thus the aims in this proposal are directly relevant to the practice and theory of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis.
The research documents the spreading and drying patterns of human blood on carefully controlled surfaces. Unlike previous studies that have focused on clean, bare surfaces, the proposed work will focus on smooth surfaces with common residues and microscopic coatings that will be systematically applied and characterized. Individual blood drops will be directed to the surface and measured with multiple high-speed and time-lapse cameras. The 3D stain morphology will be obtained from photographs for varying impact conditions (drop size, impact velocity and impact angle, coagulation rate) and target conditions (coating, substrate, and inclination angle) over periods of milliseconds to hours.
There are three hypotheses that will be tested in this research. First, certain coatings will de-pin the contact line and significantly modify the shape of the bloodstain over various timescales. Second, the inclined and oblique impact may not be equivalent on these coatings. Third, substrate-drop interactions will be encoded in the 3D morphology of the blood stain. If the hypotheses are correct, there will be a clear path to further reduce the uncertainty of the area of origin in a spatter. No subjects are used in this study. The results will be submitted to forensic and fluid dynamic peer-reviewed journals, as well as disseminated in conference presentations and Bloodstain Pattern Analysis working groups. Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law, and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14). CA/NCF



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      3D Morphology of Blood Stain Can Provide Critical Information Missed In Standard Bloodstain Analysis
                  Bloodstain tails: Asymmetry aids reconstruction of oblique impact
                  Bloodstain tails: Asymmetry aids reconstruction of oblique impact
                  The wicking of volatile drops on thin porous substrates

  
Date Created: October 22, 2020
    
          Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              Current Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Forthcoming Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Expired Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
    
      
            
            
            
      Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
    
      
            
            
            
      Fellowship & Student Programs
    
      
            
            
            
      Travel Scholarships
    
      
            
            
            
      NIJ Challenge ProgramSimilar Awards
        
                      Comprehensive Evaluation of Kinetic and Thermodynamic Approaches to Predict Evaporation of Ignitable Liquids for Fire Debris Applications
                  Quantifying the accuracy of low-quality DNA sample analysis from genotyping to genealogical searching and integration as a bioinformatic pipeline
                  Mitogenome Sequencing of 10,000 Population Samples Using a Highly Accurate, Single-Molecule Approach
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov