NIST and Forensic Science - Update

Richard R. Cavanagh

Director, Special Programs Office

June 7, 2016
Organization of 

Scientific Area 

Committees 

(OSAC)

National 

Commission 

on Forensic 

Science (NCFS)

Standards of 

Practice for 

Forensic 

Professionals

Research for 

new or 

improved 

methods and 

data analysis

Federal Policy 

to meet 

Societal 

Expectations

NIST

NIJ NSF
• Provide technical leadership to help develop 

and promulgate consensus-based 

documentary standards and guidelines for 

forensic science.

• Promote standards and guidelines that are fitfor-purpose and based on sound scientific 

principles. 

• Promote the use of OSAC documents by 

accreditation and certification bodies.

• Establish and maintain working relationships 

with similar organizations. 

Standards of 

Practice for 

Forensic 

Professionals
OSAC Success to Date

Draws on NIST’s scientific strength/reputation and 

our ability to convene the relevant parties.

• Designed a system to bring balance of interests to 

Documentary Standards in Forensics.

• Recruited key players.

• Meetings (both in-person and virtual) are drawing 

strong participation.

• Engagement with SDOs is encouraging.

• First “Standard” on the registry.
OSAC Structure

SAC = Scientific Area Committee

Sub = Subcommittee

Facial Identification Sub

Firearms and Toolmarks 

Sub 

Forensic Document 

Examination Sub

Anthropology Sub

Biological Methods Sub

Digital Evidence Sub

Seized Drugs Sub

Disaster Victim Identification 

Sub

Friction Ridge Sub

Fire Debris and Explosives Sub 

Materials (Trace) Sub

Medicolegal Death 

Investigation Sub

Bloodstain Pattern 

Analysis Sub

Toxicology Sub

Dogs and Sensors Sub

Footwear and Tire Sub

Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB)

Wildlife Forensics Sub

Geological Materials Sub

Video/Imaging Technology 

and Analysis Sub 

Biology/DNA 

SAC

Quality Infrastructure 

Committee (QIC)

Physics/Pattern 

Interpretation

SAC

Chemistry/ 

Instrumental Analysis 

SAC

Digital/Multimedia

SAC

Crime Scene/ 

Death Investigation

SAC

Fire and Explosion 

Investigation Sub 

Legal Resource 

Committee (LRC)

Biological Data 

Interpretation and 

Reporting Sub

Human Factors 

Committee (HFC)

Gunshot Residue Sub

Odontology Sub

Speaker Recognition Sub

Crime Scene Sub

Standard Practice for Identification of Seized Drugs

4.2 Correct identification of a drug or chemical depends on the use 

of an analytical scheme based on validated methods (see Practice 

E2549) and the competence of the analyst. It is expected that in the 

absence of unforeseen error, an appropriate analytical scheme 

effectively results in no uncertainty in reported identifications.

E2329-14
http://www.nist.gov/forensics/nist-statement-on-astm-e2329-14.cfm

Nevertheless, based on accepted scientific protocols, no measurement, 

qualitative or quantitative, should be characterized as without the risk 

of error or uncertainty. It is important to note that NIST is not 

contesting results obtained from seized evidence using the standard.
Challenges

Transition to OSAC “2.0” 

– to allow “regulatory role” 

• Retain NIST involvement

• Establish independence from NIST

• allows regulatory role

• Looking at the National Conference on Weights 

and Measures as a MODEL 
Federal Policy 

to meet 

Societal 

Expectations

NCFS

Nelson A. Santos

Vice-Chair (DOJ)

John M. Butler

Vice-Chair (NIST)

Sally Q. Yates

Deputy Attorney General

DOJ Co-Chair

Willie E. May

Director of NIST

NIST Co-Chair
Some of the Recommendations from NCFS

Accreditation and Proficiency Testing

 Universal Accreditation

Interim Solutions 

• Transparency of Quality Management System

• Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Interoperability 

Scientific Inquiry and Research

Medicolegal Death Investigation

Reporting and Testimony

 Use of the Term “Reasonable Scientific Certainty”

Training on Science and Law
Immediate Challenge

Subcommittee on Research and Integrity

• Scientific foundations of Forensic analysis 

• NIST in-house capability to assess the technical merit of the 

forensic disciplines. 

• NIST expertise gaps in the current forensic disciplines

• Include assessments of the validity of published studies 

through associated open data and/or original work. 

Discussions with OSTP

• Engage with Metrologia to be the open access resource for 

data and papers on the metrological aspects of Forensics
NIST Membership within OSAC

SAC = Scientific Area Committee

Sub = Subcommittee

Facial Identification Sub

Firearms and Toolmarks 

Sub 

Forensic Document 

Examination Sub

Anthropology Sub

Biological Methods Sub

Digital Evidence Sub

Seized Drugs Sub

Disaster Victim Identification 

Sub

Friction Ridge Sub

Fire Debris and Explosives Sub 

Materials (Trace) Sub

Medicolegal Death 

Investigation Sub

Bloodstain Pattern 

Analysis Sub

Toxicology Sub

Dogs and Sensors Sub

Footwear and Tire Sub

Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB)

Wildlife Forensics Sub

Geological Materials Sub

Video/Imaging Technology 

and Analysis Sub 

Biology/DNA 

SAC

Quality Infrastructure 

Committee (QIC)

Physics/Pattern 

Interpretation

SAC

Chemistry/ 

Instrumental Analysis 

SAC

Digital/Multimedia

SAC

Crime Scene/ 

Death Investigation

SAC

Fire and Explosion 

Investigation Sub 

Legal Resource 

Committee (LRC)

Biological Data 

Interpretation and 

Reporting Sub

Human Factors 

Committee (HFC)

Gunshot Residue Sub

Odontology Sub

Speaker Recognition Sub

Crime Scene Sub
Research 

for new or 

improved 

methods
Forensic Research in NIST Labs

Common Themes 

• Error and Uncertainty 

• Data and Information

• Algorithm Development

• Method Validation

• Training

Research 

for new or 

improved 

methods
Documentary 

Standards

Policy Research

• All Funding ($3M) comes to

NIST from DOJ.

• Relies on Accrediting bodies 

for compliance 

• OSAC 2.0 - Regulatory flavor 

and sound science

• NIST co-leads 

• DOJ directly funds 

($1M) this effort

• Funding: ~$15M SPO, 

~$5M Labs, ~$5M OA 

• Proposed “Validation” 

efforts could exceed NIST 

funding and divert our 

experts.

Challenges