Version 1 / Date of Issue: 10.29.15 / Issuing Authority: Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB)

OSAC Research Needs Assessment Form

Title of research need:

Keywords:

Submitting subcommittee(s): Date Approved:

(If SAC review identifies additional subcommittees, add them to the box above.)

Background information:

1. Description of research need:

2. Key bibliographic references relating to this research need:

3a. In what ways would the research results improve current laboratory capabilities?

There is currently no means to anticipate the volume and variety of data that result from, and must 

be managed following a mass fatality incident. The existing assumptions are anecdotal and based 

on a small number of incidents. The volume of data (missing persons call centers, victim 

information centers, hospitals, law enforcement etc.) available from previous incident after action 

reports should be used to systematically develop reliable expectations for medicolegal operations.

None

The development of reliable expectations for the volume and variety of data involved in a mass 

fatality incident will allow local medicolegal jurisdictions to develop more informed planning 

documents and build the appropriate capabilities for managing data (call centers, data 

management systems, etc).

Modeling of MFI missing person and victim data

Disaster victim identification, victim accounting, missing persons, mass fatality 

Disaster Victim Identification 8/24/2016
Version 1 / Date of Issue: 10.29.15 / Issuing Authority: Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB)

3b. In what ways would the research results improve understanding of the scientific basis for the 

subcommittee(s)?

3c. In what ways would the research results improve services to the criminal justice system?

4. Status assessment (I, II, III, or IV): 

This research need has been identified by one or more subcommittees of OSAC and is being provided as an 

informational resource to the community.

Major gap 

in current 

knowledge

Minor gap 

in current 

knowledge

No or limited

current research 

is being 

conducted

I III

Existing current 

research is being 

conducted

II IV

The lack of existing expectations results in either the absence of preparedness or preparedness 

efforts focused on anecdotal or inaccurate expectations at the local, state, and federal level. This 

research would provide the subcommittee with information to develop scientifically supported 

standards and best practices for jurisdictional adoption. 

Accurate expectations will contribute to determining more efficient, effective, and accurate means 

of managing incident data, ultimately contributing to the positive identification of decedents during 

a mass fatality incident. 

 I 
Version 1 / Date of Issue: 10.29.15 / Issuing Authority: Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB)

// Approval date:

(Approval is by majority vote of subcommittee. Once approved, forward to SAC.)

1. Does the SAC agree with the research need? Yes ⃝ No ⃝ 

2. Does the SAC agree with the status assessment? Yes ⃝ No ⃝

If no, what is the status assessment of the SAC:

Approval date:

(Approval is by majority vote of SAC. Once approved, forward to NIST for posting.)

Subcommittee

SAC