NIST OSAC

CSI Subcommittee Update

Michael P. Kessler, Vice-Chair CSI Subcommittee

Scientific Project Manager

http://nist.gov/osac
2009 

National Academy 

of Science Report

Strengthening Forensic Science 

in the United States: A Path 

Forward
GOALS OF OSAC 

IN FORENSIC SCIENCE

»OSAC is a result of the 2009 NAS Report

»Joint project of DOJ and NIST to encourage 

consensus standards in forensic science

»Registry of Forensic Science Standards & 

Guidelines

»Identify research needs 
“To create a sustainable organizational infrastructure dedicated to 

identifying and fostering the development of technically sound, 

consensus-based documentary standards and guidelines for 

widespread adoption throughout the forensic science community.”
OSAC 

STRUCTURE

» Forensic Science Standards 

Board

» Resource Committees (3)

» Scientific Area Committees (5)

» Subcommittees (25)

» Task Groups
OSAC CORE 

PRINCIPLES

» Openness

» Balance

» Consensus 

» Harmonization
OSAC SNAPSHOT

February 2017

Makeup

565 Members

266 Affiliates

50 States represented

239 Task groups

2,470 Applications

http://nist.gov/forensics/osac/index.cfm
WHAT OSAC REALLY DOES

» Evaluates existing standards published by 

SDOs for placement on the OSAC Registry

AND

» Introduces draft documents into existing 

SDOs for formal development – drafts go 

through the SDO’s consensus process
OSAC REGISTRY PLACEMENT MEANS

OSAC Registry

Serves as a trusted 

repository of highquality, sciencebased standards 

and guidelines for 

forensic practice.

Criteria

Standards and 

guidelines must have 

been developed using a 

consensus-based

process and must pass 

OSAC review of 

technical merit by 

forensic practictioners, 

academic researchers, 

statisticians, and 

measurement scientists.

Endorsement

Elevating a standard 

to the official OSAC 

Registry is an 

endorsement of the 

high quality of the 

document and 

encourgaes its 

adoption by all 

relevant agencies 

and practitioners.

OSAC REGISTRY
STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT 

ORGANIZATIONSLET’S 

REVIEW SOME CONCEPTS ASB

American Academy of 

Forensic Sciences – AAFS 

Standards Board

ASTM 

International

American Section of the 

International Association 

for Testing Materials

NFPA

National Fire Protection 

Association

ADA

American Dental 

Association

NIST

National Institute of 

Standards and Technology

ISO

International Organization 

for Standardization
OSAC HAS NO AUTHORITY 

TO ENFORCE STANDARDS

Endorse 

Standards

OSAC endorses 

standards and 

promotes their 

adoption by forensic 

science service 

providers and by 

accrediting boides 

that autdit 

participating 

agencies for 

compliance.

Fill the Gap

While accredited 

forensic service 

providers are 

currently audited to 

general laboratory 

standards, there are 

very few disciplinespecific standards 

that the laboratories 

can be audited 

against.

Facilitate 

Development

The ultimate goal of 

OSAC is to facilitate 

the development of 

science-based 

standards for each 

of 25 distinct 

forensic science 

disciplines and to 

promote their 

widespread 

adoption.
OSAC STANDARDS: 

IMPLEMENTATION PATHWAYS

Self Adoption

Forensic Services 

providers incorporate 

OSAC standards in SOPs

Professional 

Assiciations

Issue policy statements 

encouraging adoption

Criminal Justice 

(Courts)

Attorneys begin demanding 

forensic practitioners use 

OSAC standards

Accrediting 

Bodies

ISO 17025/20 

supplemental standards or 

checklists

Funding 

Bodies

Offer funding incentive to 

implement standards

Funding 

Bodies

Require OSAC standards 

implementation to access 

funding
OSAC

NEWSLETTER

Released monthly and includes 

notification of public comment 

periods, R&D needs, OSAC 

vacancies, OSAC meetings, and 

feature articles.

Sign Up at

www.nist.gov/osac
OSAC 

ANNUAL REPORT

Summary of OSAC activities from 

February 2016 to February 2017 

including OSAC unit profiles.

Available at

https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/

files/documents/2018/01/11/osac

_annual_report_2017.pdf
OSAC LEXICON

»OSAC has created a lexicon of over 4,000 

terms organized by forensic discipline. New 

terms will be added, revised or removed, as 

sources are verified and as new standards are 

published.

»https://lexicon.forensicosac.org/
Crime 

Scene/Death 

Investigation 

SAC

Consists of seven 

subcommittees.
CSI

SUBCOMMITTEE

https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/crime-sceneinvestigation-subcommittee
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CSI

Subcommittee

16 Subject Matter Experts

» Crime Scene Investigators

» Sexual Assualt Nurse Examiners

» CSI/Trace Examiners

» Laboratory Managers

» Firearms Examiner

» Academic Researchers

» Independent Practitioners

» R&D/Industry Representatives
CSI Subcommittee Officers

»Adam Becnel, Chair, Louisiana State Police

»Michael P. Kessler, Vice Chair, NFSTC@FIU

»Kimberlee Sue Moran, Executive Secretary, Rutgers University
CSI Subcommittee Members

»Charles DeFrance, Federal Bureau of Investigation

»Teresa Devitt-Lynch, Intrepid Forensics

»Karen Green, Green Forensics, Inc.

»Michael Haag, Albuquerque Police Department Crime Laboratory

»Guy Nutter, Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division

»Christine Pinto, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

»Ryan Rezzelle, Leica Geosystems

»Kim Shapiro, San Bernardino County Sheriff Scientific Invest. Div.

»Joyce Williams, Stevenson University

»Troy E. Wilson, Texas Dept. of Public Safety – Texas Rangers

»Neil Zielinski, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

»2 Vacancies, pending appointment
PRIORITIES

» Education, Credentials, Training

» Crime Scene Administration-report writing, evidence testing 

requests, data management, etc.

» Human Factors/Contextual Bias-detective v crime scene 

investigator, hospital/nurse

» On Scene Activities-response, safety, documentation, evidence 

search, packaging/collection, final considerations

» Crime Scene Reconstruction

» Specialty Areas of Crime Scene Investigation
» Assessing the Culture of Contextual Bias in Forensic Scene 

Evidence Collection, Handling, and Processing

» Assessment of Level of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 

Required at Crime Scenes

» Crime Scene Research: Creation of a Centralized Searchable 

Database

» Decontamination of Crime Scene Equipment

» Laboratory Techniques and Technologies at the Crime Scene

» Use of Technology for Crime Scene Documentation

⋄ https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/osac-researchdevelopment-needs

RESEARCH & 

DEVELOPMENT NEEDS
STANDARDS IN 

DEVELOPMENT

» Standard Practice for Crime Scene Investigator Training, 

Continuing Education, Professional Development, Certification, 

and Accreditation (Submitted to Crime Scene & Death 

Investigation SAC)

» Shooting Reconstruction Task Group

» Sexual Assault Investigation Task Group
EXISTING ASTM 

STANDARDS UNDER 

CONSIDERATION

» E620 – Standard Practice for Reporting Opinions of Scientific or 

Technical Experts

» E678 – Standard Practice for Evaluation of Scientific or 

Technical Data

» E860 – Standard Practice for Examining And Preparing Items 

That Are Or May Become Involved In Criminal or Civil Litigation

» E1020 – Standard Practice for Reporting Incidents that May 

Involve Criminal or Civil Litigation

» E1492 – Standard Practice for Receiving, Documenting, Storing, 

and Retrieving Evidence in a Forensic Science Laboratory
EXISTING ASTM 

STANDARDS UNDER 

CONSIDERATION

continued

» E1188 – Standard Practice for Collection and 

Preservation of Information and Physical Items by a 

Technical Investigator

» E1492 – Standard Practice for Receiving, Documenting, 

Storing, and Retrieving Evidence in a Forensic Science 

Laboratory

» E1459 – Standard Guide for Physical Evidence Labeling 

and Related Documentation
“Laboratory accredidation and individual certification of forensic 

science professionals should be mandatory, and all forensic 

science professionals should have access to a certification 

process.”
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STAY 

INFORMED

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sic-science
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TO APPLY

www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-

science/osac-application
THANKS!

Any questions?

You can find me at Web addresses » mkessler@fiu.edu

To apply

» www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/osac-application

Research & Development Needs

» https://www.nist.gov/topics/forensic-science/osac-researchdevelopment-needs

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