Forensic Science and the NIST 

Laboratory Programs

Richard Cavanagh

Director, Office of Special Programs

June 11, 2013
Impacts on the Labs

• NIST Researchers and NIST Programs will be asked to 

develop a coherent research, measurement and standards 

program to:

• Test and validate select existing forensic science practices and 

standards

• Quantify metrics and uncertainty measurements for disciplines 

including those currently using subjective, experiential test 

interpretation criteria

• Identify gaps and develop new technologies to solve current and 

future forensic science challenges 

Guided by Engagement with Forensics Community
DNA – The Gold Standard

• “Among the biggest problems that we 

uncovered in the report is the absence of the 

application of scientific methodology to 

determine whether or not the discipline was 

valid and reliable as was done with DNA,” says 

Harry T. Edwards, a U.S. federal judge and part 

of the NAS committee that produced that 2009 

report. “DNA is really the only discipline 

among the forensic disciplines that 

consistently produces results that you can rely 

on with a fair level of confidence, when you’re 

seeking to determine whether or not a piece of 

evidence is connected with a particular 

source.”
Understanding 

Gaps through 

Contact with 

Community

Documentary 

Standards Process

SRM & SRD 

Development

Providing 

Training & Texts

Measurement 

Science

Research

DNA Forensics at NIST
Crime Labs Visited by NIST DNA 

Group (Past 2 Years)

Sept 2012

March 2011

April 2012 May 2012

April 2011

June 2012

Aug 2011

March 2011

April 2011 May 2011 June 2011

April 2011

Understanding 

Gaps through 

Contact with 

Community
NIST DNA Group -Current Committee 

Contributions

Virginia Department of Forensic Science –

Scientific Advisory Committee

North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Forensic Science 

Advisory Board

John Butler – Mixture Committee (chair)

Pete Vallone – Rapid DNA Committee (co-chair)

Mike Coble – Enhanced Detection Methods & Interpretation

NIST/NIJ Technical Working Group on Biological Evidence 

Preservation

Mike Coble -vice-chairman and member

John Butler - member

SWGDAM 

(Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods)

Margaret Kline -member

Documentary 

Standards Process
DNA Mixture Interpretation 

April 12, 2013 Webcast

• 8-hours of DNA mixture interpretation training

• 11 presentations from five different presenters

• 20 poll questions asked via SurveyMonkey (>600 participated)

– Addressed additional questions sent via email or Twitter

• >1000 participants (almost entire U.S. represented and >10 countries)

• Available for viewing or download for at least six months

Left to right:

Gladys Arrisueno (NIST, Twitter feed monitor & poll questions)

John Paul Jones (NIST, webcast organizer)

Mike Coble (NIST, presenter)

John Butler (NIST, presenter & organizer)

Charlotte Word (Consultant, presenter)

Robin Cotton (Boston University, presenter)

Bruce Heidebrecht (Maryland State Police Lab, presenter)

Providing 

Training & 

Texts
NIST Reference Materials (SRMs) for 

Forensic DNA Measurement Assurance

DNA quantity Autosomal and Y-chromosome 

short tandem repeat (STR) 

Required under FBI Quality Assurance Standard 9.5.5 

for labs connected to the national DNA database or 

receiving federal funding

SRM & SRD 

Development
Publications on Forensic DNA 

from the NIST Applied Genetics Group

• 144 publications since 

2002 

– 40 in the past 2 years

– Includes journal articles, 

book chapters, and 

textbooks

• References are all listed on 

STRBase web site

– Many are available directly 

from STRBase

Most NIST DNA 

Forensic articles 

are published in 

Forensic Sci. Int. 

Genetics –

currently the 

highest impact 

journal in the field

Measurement 

Science

Research
EXPERTISE CURRENTLY in the NIST 

LABORATORIES

• Pattern Recognition 

• Fire Dynamics 

• Trace Explosives 

• Trace Biologicals

• Statistical analysis

• Image analysis

• Computer forensics

• Toxicology

• Drug analysis

• Firearms

• ......
Ballistics at NIST
The 2009 National Academies report on forensics called into question, among other issues, the 

objectivity of visual toolmark identification by firearms examiners. Similarly, the 2008 Academies 

report, Ballistic Imaging, stated: “Conclusions drawn in firearms identification should not be made 

to imply the presence of a firm statistical basis when none has been demonstrated.”

SRM2460 Standard Bullet and SRM2461 

Standard Cartridge Case

The Standard Bullet and Standard Cartridge Case are intended to provide 

U.S. ballistic crime labs with a traceable quality assurance standard for all 

of their measurements using the Integrated Ballistic Identification System 

(IBIS).

SRM2460 Standard Bullet – Produced by diamond turning using the 

digitized profiles of land engraved areas from bullets test fired by the ATF 

and FBI. 

• A total of 40 bullets were manufactured.

• Only 2 remain in stock at the SRM office. 

SRM2461 Standard Cartridge Case – Produced by electroforming using a 

master 9 mm cartridge case fired by the ATF. 

• A total of 115 cartridge cases were manufactured.

• Went on sale as of May 2012. 

SRM2460 Standard Bullet

SRM2461 Standard Cartridge Case

Future SRM2460a Replica Bullet

SRM & SRD 

Development
Prototype Error Rate Analysis for 

Bullet Casing

Firearm examiners often use only informative features on a 

ballistic surface to make an identification. The Congruent 

Matching Cell (CMC) method mimics the firearm examiner by 

only matching the informative regions on a ballistic surface. 

The CMC method separates the ballistic surface into discrete 

cells that must exceed four similarity thresholds. Each pair of 

correlated surfaces require at least 6 CMCs to qualify as a match. 

The CMC method has now been applied in a realistic blind 

validation study and was able to correctly identify all cartridge 

cases.

NIST’s Surface and Nanostructure Metrology Group is also 

developing an error rate analysis for ballistic identifications. 

Similar to DNA, we are developing an error rate to supplement a 

firearm examiner’s testimony in court. 

Example error rate analysis using the known 

matching and known non-matching distributions. 

Measurement 

Science

Research

Song, J., “Proposed Automated Ballistics Identification System based on 3D Topography Measurements 

on Correlation Cells,” Journal of AFTE, Vol.45, No.2, Spring 2013, p184-189.

Example image on the left is divided into correlation 

cells. Each cell is scanned over the reference image 

(right) at each rotated position. 
Chemical Forensics at NIST
International Validation of ASTM Standard 

Method on Limit of Detection in Trace 

Explosive Detectors

• Trace detection systems are internationally 

deployed to thwart the use of explosives in 

weapons of terror. One of the most 

important measures of performance is the 

limit of detection (LOD), which defines the 

lowest amount of explosive that can be 

reliably detected. There is a distinct LOD for 

each compound, but LODs are typically 

poorly known because they have been 

difficult to determine consistently. NIST 

expertise was sought on this fundamental 

measurement issue in order to develop a 

robust means to determine LOD values for 

the domestic and international agencies 

that deploy trace detection systems. 

The “LOD kit” distributed by NIST to 

participants of the international exercise. 

Documentary 

Standards Process
Drug Case Backlogs are a 

Serious Problem:

• Controlled substance identification is 

performed by the vast majority of crime 

labs and accounts for roughly half (51 % in 

2005) of backlogged requests. 

• One solution to the backlog problem is the 

development of fast methods with high 

discriminating power. 

• A number of ambient ionization (AI) mass 

spectrometry (MS) techniques have been 

developed recently that are designed for 

rapid MS analysis of solid samples without 

any sample preparation. 

• Studies on the application of these 

techniques to the analysis of drug exhibits 

have demonstrated the feasibility and 

speed of the approach, however, a 

thorough validation and development of 

standard protocols remains to be done. 

Experimental configurations DESI-MS

1Takats Z, Wiseman JM, Cooks RG, Mass 

Spectrom.(2005) 40,1261 – 1275.

Measurement 

Science

Research
Combined Chemical and 

Biometric Fingerprint Analysis

Fingerprints are used routinely for biometric 

matching purposes, but they may also contain 

trace chemical evidence if the individual has 

handled contraband material. Samples are not 

typically collected for explosive trace detectors 

(ETD)s in a manner that preserves the 

biometric information, or allows for standard 

latent fingerprint development techniques. 

Addition of the an adhesive has been shown to 

improve sampling swabs so they perform 

similarly to adhesive lifting tape . The explosive 

laden fingerprints can be collected with these 

adhesive swabs and successfully screened in 

an ETD without affecting the biometric 

information in the fingerprint. Adhesive coated swab with lifted print (top) 

and analysis in an ETD (bottom).

Measurement 

Science

Research
Face and Person Recognition at 

NIST
Why is identifying people 

in video hard?

Video Extracted Faces

• Why is it hard?

– Varying pose

– Unconstrained environment (changes in illumination)

– Image blur and bad focus

– Compression artifacts

• Identify technology gaps

– Tools for users

– Long term technology goals

• In concert with

– Industry and Academia

– Government partners—FBI, DHS, DoD, and the IC 

– Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG)

Understanding 

Gaps through 

Contact with 

Community
Approach to Maturing Technology

Identify Gaps

• Community

• Previous 

 evaluations

Develop 

metrology for

algorithm and 

system

performance

Design and

release

challenges to 

advance

technology

Conduct

evaluation to 

measure

progress

Point and Shoot Face 

and Person Challenge

Measurement 

Science

Research
Arson Forensics at NIST
“Many of the rules of thumb that are typically assumed to indicate that 

an accelerant was used (e.g., ‘alligatoring’ of wood, specific char 

patterns) have been shown not to be true.”

National Research Council, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward, The National Academies Press, 

Washington, DC, 2009.

Arson Investigation

Measurement 

Science

Research

• Measurement science (metrology, 

instrumentation, simulation) for:

– Ignition

– Flame spread

– Heat release rate

– Smoke yield

• Research on fire patterns

– Material behavior

– Impact of ventilation

– Experiments in lab and actual 

structures
NIST Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS)

• Physics-based CFD fire model

• Simulation and fire scenario 

reconstruction: 

– WTC 1, 2, and 7 Fires

– Station Night Club Fire

– Cook County Admin Bldg (high rise fire)

– Firefighter Line of Duty Deaths and Injuries

• Washington D.C. - Townhouse

• Keokuk, IA - Duplex

• Houston, TX - Restaurant Fire

• New York, NY – Hardware Store

• Charleston, SC – Furniture Store

• Houston, TX - Wind Driven Residential

• New York, NY – Brownstone

Station Night Club Fire simulation and experiment

Measurement 

Science

Research
Understanding 

Gaps through 

Contact with 

Community

Documentary 

Standards Process

SRM & SRD 

Development

Providing 

Training & Texts

Measurement 

Science

Research
Forensic Science and the 

NIST Laboratory Programs

3rd Edition (3 volumes)

Sept 2009 Aug 2011

Fall 2014 

John Butler

• Identify NIST champions in at least 

10 forensics disciplines who will 

develop white papers on critical 

gaps in Forensics Science

• Internal NIST program on Forensic 

Research developed

• Tentative workshop for Feb. 2014 

AAFS Forensics Conference (brief 

practitioners on NIST research and 

solicit feedback).

• Winter - Review articles of 

Forensic Science Gaps published