NIJ Forensic Science Technology Working Group Operational Requirements, 2013

Updated based on discussion at the Forensic Science TWG meeting held 

November 13-14, 2013

1 

Technology Working Group 

Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Software tools for mixture interpretation of 

casework samples.

x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Software tools for improving DNA data quality 

& enhancing analyst productivity (e.g.

software to ‘connect’ & automate existing 

systems).

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to differentiate, physically separate, 

and selectively analyze DNA and/or cells from 

multiple donors or multiple tissue/cell types 

contributing to mixtures.

x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Better methods to physically separate sperm 

from epithelial cells.

x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to simultaneously detect location and 

identify type of biological materials/fluids with 

minimal destruction to evidence samples at 

crime scenes or from evidence taken from 

crime scenes.

x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to identify the original body fluid/cell 

type at the time of genetic analysis.

x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Optimization of DNA evidence collection 

techniques and/or devices.

x x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Increased DNA recovery of elution and/or 

extraction methods.

x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to differentiate and “tag” a cell, identify 

and associate the biological source and other 

information, and follow the “tag” through to 

profile generation.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA
Technology Working Group Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Better materials to reduce DNA loss during 

transfer/storage. Better understanding of 

stability during storage and compatibility of 

current/new consumables/reagents with 

downstream processing methods

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Better information sharing and understanding 

of what processes, protocols, and overall 

workflows are being used in the field.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Alternate instrumental platform(s) to perform 

genetic typing.

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Better methods for quantitation.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Preliminary differentiation to determine most 

probative sample(s) for DNA analysis.

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to determine the age of a biological 

stain.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to successfully generate DNA profiles 

from forensic type samples in a fully 

automated sample-in-answer-out system.

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Automated test for definitive confirmation of 

presence of sperm/semen.

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Automated method(s) to concentrate DNA 

extracts and accurately and reliably transfer 

sample with minimal loss.

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Better understanding of how substrates and 

reagents used during crime scene 

investigations and/or upstream forensic 

analyses, affect downstream DNA analysis.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to identify biological material that is 

invisible to the eye (with or without aid of 

alternate light sources), in sufficient quantity 

for downstream DNA analysis.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA
Technology Working Group Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Novel methods for DNA profiling (including 

non-PCR based methods for performing 

forensic DNA analysis).

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Method or device to remove contaminants 

from commercial products 

(consumables/reagents).

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to identify and repair damaged DNA.

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to isolate DNA with no or minimal 

destruction to the physical evidence item.

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Better understanding of the mechanisms

involved in elements/metals that interfere 

with DNA analysis and development of 

methods to analyze DNA exposed to such 

elements/metals.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Y-STR database coordination and 

management.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Y-STR mixture interpretation and statistical 

analysis.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

The ability to determine physical 

characteristics from DNA evidence.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Increase in success rate for generating DNA 

profiles from compromised (i.e. damaged) 

DNA evidence.

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Evaluation of Next Generation Sequencing 

technologies for forensic applications.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Tools for mixture interpretation of data 

produced on non-standard genetic markers 

(e.g., mtDNA, Y chromosome markers, X 

chromosome markers, SNP markers, and other 

non-CODIS markers).

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA
Technology Working Group Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Improved sample processing time for DNA 

analysis of questioned samples.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Increased discriminatory power using genomic 

information other than human DNA (e.g., 

microbiomes).

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Improved ability to identify distant relatives.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Further investigation into the utility of SNP 

haploblocks.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Multiplex kits for mitochondrial DNA analysis.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

X chromosome testing methods.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Universal quant kit (methods to determine 

more quantitative information from biological 

evidence).

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Mitochondrial DNA population databases for 

whole mitochondrial genomes.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) 

population database.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Ability to differentiate identical twins.

xx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Automated sperm searching and identification.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Species determination.

x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Additional polymerases for improved PCR 

amplification.

xxx

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA
Technology Working Group 

Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Long term storage of DNA extracts. x x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Single Cell DNA analysis (i.e. single cell PCR). x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Better understanding of the mechanisms 

involved with and development of methods for 

overcoming inhibition

x x

Forensic 

Biology/

DNA

Better dissemination strategies for current 

research and technology, such as a centralized 

repository, especially of SOPs, to avoid duplication 

of effort in method development/problem solving 

and in house validation/verification. 

x x

Trace 

Evidence,

Controlled 

Substances,

Toxicology

Guidelines for: validation of methods, performance 

of SOPs, verification/validation of instruments. x x x

Trace 

Evidence,

Controlled 

Substances,

Toxicology

Standards/new reference materials for use in 

forensic labs, especially standards for comparison 

(to include parent drugs and metabolites).

x x

Trace 

Evidence,

Controlled 

Substances,

Toxicology

Clearly delineated cost benefit or other 

improvement of new technology or technology 

being repurposed for forensic use, including 

comparison of spectra between legacy and new 

technology/instruments or those being used for 

forensic purposes. Training on new 

instrumentation for laboratories.

x x x

Trace 

Evidence,

Controlled 

Substances,

Toxicology

Faster/easier way to separate isomers or 

metabolites of commonly encountered drugs on 

widely used instrumentation such as GC/MS, 

LC/MS and HPLC. Ability to differentiate similar 

drugs within a category/family (e.g. synthetic 

cannabinoids). 

x

Controlled 

Substances,

Toxicology

Forensically-relevant approaches for statistical 

interpretation of evidence (e.g. trace, postmortem 

toxicology levels). A better understanding of the 

value of the data.

x x

Trace

Evidence,

Toxicology
Technology Working Group Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Effective , faster, more efficient streamlined 

processes in sample detection, collection, handling 

and analysis.

xx

Trace 

Evidence,

Controlled 

Substances,

Toxicology

Support for examinations that require visual 

interpretation in conjunction with instrumentation.

Methods of analysis using instrumentation for 

evaluation of evidence that is currently evaluated 

through visual inspection. Objective approach for 

interpretation of evidence to promote 

standardization across laboratories.

xx Trace Evidence

Better understanding within the rest of the 

criminal justice system, and further studies of the 

discrimination power, of microscopical exams used 

individually or in tandem with other scientific 

techniques/disciplines.

xx Trace Evidence

Construction of new and continuous updating of 

existing databases for new materials (eco-fibers) to 

make information available for trace analysts to 

make it easier for comparison and analysis. 

xx Trace Evidence

Advancement of application/development 

pertaining to emerging instrumentation or current 

instrumentation being applied to method 

development (e.g., microspectrophotometer, using 

the second derivative, thermal analysis coupled 

with FTIR or GC-MS, Fast-GC and 2D-GC).

xxx

Trace 

Evidence,

Controlled 

Substances,

Toxicology

Improved discrimination of polymers and polymer 

products.

x Trace Evidence

Increase understanding of how environmental 

factors can affect trace evidence.

x Trace Evidence

Identification and development of best practices 

for material (e.g. drug, explosives, chemical) 

identification among emerging technologies. 

Evaluation of different instrument platforms for 

different commonly encountered materials.

xxx

Trace

Evidence,

Controlled

Substances

Consistency in scheduling/legislation of emerging 

drugs.

xx

Controlled 

Substances
Technology Working Group 

Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Unbiased evaluation of (evidential) Breath Alcohol 

Concentration instrument platforms for 

dissemination on a national scale. Guidelines for 

oversight, calibration, instrument performance, 

user proficiency/recertification, etc.

x x Toxicology

Sufficient qualified personnel trained on 

difficult/non-robust instrumentation. Guidelines 

for call for bids to include specifics of training. 

x Toxicology

Research studies on correlation of blood and oral 

fluid values, especially in regards to “driving under 

the influence of drugs” interpretation, including 

differences between point of contact devices and 

lab confirmation.

x Toxicology

Further research studies to examine drug (esp. 

prescription drugs) levels pre and post-embalming. 

Assessing cause of death if toxicology not 

completed prior to embalming. 

x Toxicology

Studies on the recognition, selection, recovery and 

significance of evidence at crime scenes, to include 

studies of:

a. Procedures

b. Technologies

c. Statistics (e.g. percentage hair recovery at 

a crime scene)

x x x x

Crime Scene

Examination

Further research studies to determine cause and 

manner of death in infants and children. x

Forensic 

Pathology

Development of a system (or expansion of current 

data systems) with weighting capability for 

antemortem and postmortem comparisons with 

the goal of providing a ranked list of “best 

matches” in forensic anthropology casework.

x

Forensic 

Anthropology, 

Medicolegal 

Death 

Investigations

Further studies on capture and preservation of 

evidence on cadavers at or from the scene since

probitive evidence may be lost during the handling, 

transport and alteration of the body from scene 

recovery to morgue.

x x x x

Medicolegal 

Death 

Investigations
Technology Working Group 

Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Further development of effective biometric (e.g. 

fingerprints and facial recognition) capture 

techniques or devices for decedents, both at the

scene and in the morgue.

x x

Medicolegal 

Death 

Investigations

Further studies to update outdated 

anthropological morphometric and growth and 

development datasets, specifically applicable to 

assessment of biological profile.

x x

Forensic 

Anthropology

Further research studies on force measurement 

and modeling of injuries, to include bone tissue 

and soft tissue; applicable to infants, children and 

adults.

x

Forensic 

Pathology

Further studies of innovative, useful and practical 

approaches for precise estimation of time since 

death. x x x

Medicolegal 

Death 

Investigations

Further development of technologies, (e.g. UV, IR, 

chemical imaging), to visualize evidence and 

injuries on bodies, both living and deceased. x

Crime Scene, 

Medicolegal 

Death 

Investigations,

Forensic 

Pathology

Further research into the utility of advanced 

imaging technologies in postmortem examination, 

and assessing the cost-benefit of the imaging 

results with the financial burden of purchasing 

such technologies. 

x x x

Forensic 

Pathology

Further studies to better understand bitemark 

analysis and techniques in bitemark interpretation 

and documentation.

x x

Forensic 

Odontology

Further studies in geophysics (soil types, ground 

water) to determine best geophysical approach to 

locating clandestine graves.

x x x

Forensic 

Anthropology,

Medicolegal 

Death 

Investigations
Technology Working Group 

Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Further studies to assess the impact of bias in 

forensic science (any type). x

Multidisciplinar

y Forensic 

Disciplines

Further studies to better understand the toxicology 

values obtained from postmortem samples given 

the issues of postmortem redistribution, 

metabolism, degradation, temperature change, 

preservation.

x Toxicology

Further research and development of rapid and 

inexpensive mass screening methods at autopsy of 

biological specimens for multiple drug classes to 

determine the necessity for confirmatory testing.

x x Toxicology

Further technological developments in 

interoperability and knowledge-sharing easily 

across distances. x x x

Multidisciplinar

y Forensic 

Disciplines

Further research studies to investigate population 

frequencies of traits (e.g. anthropological, friction 

ridge, radiological, pathological, odontological) to 

quantify an identification. 

x

Forensic 

Anthropology

Development of a mechanism to document and 

identify deceased undocumented border crossers 

within the United States. x x

Forensic 

Anthropology,

Medicolegal 

Death 

Investigations

Technological developments that allow for rapid 

and accurate preliminary testing at a crime scene. 

Results of this testing have the capability to guide 

the direction of the investigation prior to 

traditional confirmatory laboratory testing.

x x

Crime Scene

Examination

Expansion of the use of current technologies (e.g. 

laser scanning, CT, 3-D printing, confocal 

microscopy, morphometric analysis) for the 

documentation and collection of 3D information to 

include crime scenes and evidentiary materials.

x x

Crime Scene 

Examination
Technology Working Group 

Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Better understanding of the cognitive decisionmaking processes involved in pattern recognition, 

as applied to forensic identification.

x

Impression & 

Pattern 

A foundational basis for assigning scientifically 

valid values and conclusions to particular 

comparisons (e.g., identification/exclusion).

x

Impression & 

Pattern

Better understanding of how the processes of 

evidence collection, examination, analysis, 

verification, and technical review contribute to 

overall error rate.

x x x

Impression &

Pattern

Statistical data (e.g., frequency of class 

characteristics, rarity, permanence and 

reproducibility of pattern detail) to support

qualified and definitive examiner conclusions.

x

Impression & 

Pattern

Adequate materials property data inputs that can 

be used for accurate computer fire models. x x

Fire & Arson 

Investigation

Statistical analyses of intra- and inter-person 

handwriting variation. x

Questioned 

Documents

Establishment of a national footwear reference 

collection database of known outsoles and crime 

scene impressions.

x x Footwear

Better understanding of how blood interacts with 

fabrics to influence bloodstains. x

Bloodstain 

Pattern 

Analysis

Improved techniques and devices for the collection 

and development of evidence, for lab or field use. x x

Impression & 

Pattern

Evaluation of the effects of sequential evidence 

processing on the integrity of downstream analysis 

(particularly DNA).

x x x

Impression & 

Pattern

Identification of best practices for the verification 

and technical review phases of examination. x x x

Impression & 

Pattern
Technology Working Group 

Operational Requirements

Updated Fall 2013

Scientific

Research

Technology 

Development

Policy

Assessment & 

Evaluation

Dissemination 

&/or Training

Other

Forensic 

Discipline

Comparative evaluation of existing evidence 

processing reagents and techniques. x x

Impression & 

Pattern

Research to characterize the response of electrical 

systems to fire conditions, for aiding in the 

reconstruction of fire events.

x x

Fire & Arson

Investigation

Software to assist with the processing and 

categorization of elements in questioned 

document evidence.

x x

Questioned 

Documents

Better understanding of the effects of pattern, 

directionality and surface treatments on the 

formation of bloodstain patterns on fabrics.

x

Bloodstain 

Pattern 

Analysis

Research on the kinematics of handwriting.

x

Questioned 

Documents

Studies of the variability of the shape of the foot 

and the resulting shoeless impression (barefoot 

and socked).

x Footwear

Toolmarks research on the attribution of illicitly

manufactured pharmaceutical tablets. x Toolmarks

Methods for linking questioned document 

evidence to printers (especially inkjet). x x

Questioned 

Documents

NIJ Forensic Science Technology Working 1NIJ Forensic Science Technology Working Group: