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
 Quantitative Assessment of Fracture Characteristics in Blunt Force Skeletal Trauma for Forensic Interpretations
Award Information
Awardee
              OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, THE
Award #
              15PNIJ-23-GG-04219-SLFO
Funding Category
              Competitive Discretionary
Location
                    COLUMBUS, OH
Awardee County
              Franklin
Congressional District
              3
Status
              Open
Funding First Awarded
              2023
Total funding (to date)
              $818,054
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY23 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2023, $818,054)
Interpretations of skeletal trauma are one of the most important aspects of forensic anthropological analysis and have the greatest impact on the criminal justice system. Specifically, blunt-force trauma is one of the more difficult areas of skeletal trauma to interpret due to varied loading conditions and lack of associated baseline fracture characteristic data. Therefore, it is imperative to critically examine our current understanding of blunt-force skeletal trauma to either further substantiate or revise traditional assumptions and approaches to ensure scientific rigor within forensic anthropology. The proposed research will impact the criminal justice system by providing forensic anthropological researchers and practitioners with empirical data that incorporate the role of intrinsic and extrinsic variables to support valid fracture interpretations in the medico-legal community. The objective is to conduct experimental skeletal trauma research on a large sample of human specimens utilizing a multiscale approach to establish relationships between fracture characteristics and tissue quality and distribution, loading rates and failure mechanisms, as well as to disseminate these data to researchers, practitioners, and the medicolegal community. Two specific aims are addressed within this research; 1) Identify the effects of tissue volume and quality on fracture characteristics in human bone to increase knowledge of the role intrinsic human variability plays in determining trauma outcomes, and 2) Quantify distinct relationships between loading rate and fracture characteristics in human bone to increase knowledge regarding the effect of external factors on trauma outcomes to improve traumatic event reconstruction and interpretation.  Within this study, human legs and isolated tibiae will be impacted in a lateral-medial direction at distinct loading rates (2 m/s and 6 m/s) to examine the contributions of both intrinsic and extrinsic variables to fracture outcomes. This research builds upon previous NIJ-funded research (NIJ 2019-DX-BX-0040) and is the next critical step in quantitatively linking human variation with fracture characteristics for forensic interpretations by investigating the interaction of these characteristics and loading conditions. Advancements in skeletal trauma analyses and interpretation must originate from experimental research on large samples that reflect the variation observed in the human population. A deeper investigation into the interaction of multiscale variables, loading mechanisms, and fracture characteristics is necessary to facilitate accurate traumatic event reconstruction and interpretations, which have direct implications in the criminal justice system. CA/NCF

  
Date Created: September 26, 2023
    
          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
        
                      Recovery and Analysis of Less Volatile Components for the Identification of Ignitable Liquid Residues in Fire Debris - Continuation of current NIJ-funded project (2020-DQ-BX-0003)
                  Nanoparticle-Decorated Micropillars As Integrated Raman Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry Substrates for Quantitative and High-Throughput Toxicology Drug Analysis
                  Impact of Relic DNA on Forensic Microbiome Applications in Criminal Investigations
 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