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Message from the Chair

It is my honor and privilege to serve as the 

Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB) 

Chair for 2021-2022. My current role on the 

FSSB is as the American Society of Crime 

Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) representative, 

a position that I have been in since 2017. I 

have large shoes to fill as the 4th FSSB Chair, 

working with Board members to support and 

provide strategic direction to over 800 OSAC 

members and affiliates. Our OSAC effort is a 

noble one, providing expertise for standards 

development to support Sound Science 

Serving Justice. Thank you for your ongoing efforts and dedication to our 

cause!

We are ably assisted by a dynamic OSAC Program Office (OPO), who 

provide full time support to anchor our work. They are open and available 

at every turn to reinforce our efforts and are great at their job. Thank you!

With the advent of the new term, a key goal of our FSSB is to be more 

strategic in our vision. Standards development and maintenance is an 

ongoing effort, with each standard coming up for review and renewal 

every five years, at minimum. Knowing our work is never done, each new 

draft standard represents a step forward built from consensus; a snapshot 

in time which will serve as a foundation for an even better version next 

time out. When OSAC first began seven years ago, we strove to accomplish 

two things: 1) generate the seed documents to be further developed in 

formal standards developing organizations (SDOs) and 2) populate the 

OSAC Registry. As we progress, our focus is shifting to the implementation 

of standards now on the OSAC Registry. 

FALL 2021 

 

 

In this Issue

Message from the 

Chair

OSAC 2021 Registry 

Implementation 

Survey –

Preliminary Results

OSAC News

OSAC Registry 

Updates: FY2021 Q4

OSAC Registry 

Implementation 

Corner

OSAC: A Year in 

Review

OSAC in the News

OSAC & Other 

Forensic Science 

Events

NIST Research 

Activities

Ray Wickenheiser, FSSB Chair
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The FSSB believes that the OSAC can provide additional guidance and tools that will assist forensic service 

providers in putting these standards into action.

At the writing of this message, we now have 77 standards on the OSAC Registry, with many, many more in the 

process. This process itself has been much like building a plane while flying it. We are learning from our 

experiences and making improvements on the fly! With that, we appreciate the community’s flexibility and 

willingness to try new approaches to improve our pathway forward. The goal of each change is to increase our 

consistency, openness, and transparency, while attempting to streamline and consolidate our processes.

I am very excited to work with our members, affiliates and the FSSB over the next year to bring your great ideas 

to life, to see them implemented, and continue to improve our forensic products and services. Please feel free 

to share any ideas, comments, concerns, and suggestions at any time. Through our diversity and inclusion of a

wide variety of backgrounds and opinions, we and our endeavor grow stronger.

Best regards,

Ray Wickenheiser, FSSB Chair

OSAC 2021 Registry Implementation Survey – Preliminary 

Results

Background

OSAC wants to better understand how the standards on the OSAC Registry are being used, the challenges 

around standards implementation, and what support is needed to improve it. To collect this information, OSAC 

launched and will be distributing a Registry Implementation Survey on an annual basis. 

The first survey, which was open from June 10, 2021 through August 31, 2021, provided a snapshot and 

assessment of 46 standards that were posted on the OSAC Registry through March 2021. The survey targeted 

forensic science service providers from across the United States, and participants were asked to submit one 

response per organization and location.

This newsletter provides a preliminary report of the results from the first OSAC Registry Implementation Survey. 

A detailed report, focusing on 14 disciplines and 46 standards represented in the survey, will be released in early 

2022. 
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Respondent Demographics

Organization Type. There were 155 

responses to the OSAC Registry 

Implementation Survey 1

. Most 

respondents were from U.S. State 

Government organizations (47.1%) 

with the U.S. county (18.7%) 

organization type being the second 

most common. Other U.S. 

organization types represented 

included city government (15.5%), 

private (12.9%), federal (5.2%), and 

academic (0.6%) organizations 

(Figure A).

Geographic Region. The 155 survey respondents represented 38 states in the U.S. The South region of the U.S., 

which includes the South Atlantic, East South Central and West South Central divisions, was most heavily 

represented in the survey (37%). The West region, consisting of the Mountain and Pacific divisions, was the 

second most common region represented (26%)

2

. See Table A for the Organization Region Chart and Figure B

for the Organization Region Heat Map. 

Table A: Organization Region Chart

1 27 responses were removed because they were not from a forensic science service provider.

2 Regions and divisions taken from U.S. Census Bureau: https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf

Figure A: Organization Type Pie Chart
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Figure B: Organization Heat Map

Respondent Roles. Of the 155 respondents, more than 75% were in upper management positions with 40.6% 

working as quality managers, followed by 37.4% working in a director or deputy role. Other positions 

represented included managers/section leaders (11%), practitioners/examiners (9.7%), and organization owners 

(1.3%) (Figure C). 

Figure C: Respondent Roles
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OSAC Registry Awareness. Participants were asked if individuals in their organizations were aware of the OSAC 

Registry. Most respondents (98%) acknowledged that individuals in their organization were knowledgeable of 

the standards on the OSAC Registry. 

Priority for Implementing Standards. When asked what priority did survey participants consider standards

implementation for their organization, half of the respondents (50%) said it was a medium priority, or 

important. This was followed by 34% of respondents indicating that implementation was a high priority, or very 

important. Twenty-three respondents (14.8%) indicated that implementation was a low priority or not a priority 

at this time (Figure D). 

Figure D: Priorities for Standards Implementation

Key Challenges to Implementation. While 98% of survey respondents indicated that individuals in their 

organization were aware of the standards on the Registry, OSAC wanted to learn more about some of the

challenges these forensic science service providers faced when implementing them. Survey participants were 

asked to select up to five key challenges from a list of 14 options. Of the responses, 71 indicated there were no 

major challenges and their organization supports implementation polices. See Table B for the key challenges 

identified from the 388 responses.

Table B: Key Challenges to Standards Implementation
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Organizations Participating in Full and Partial Standards Implementation. This survey included 46 standards 

that were posted on the OSAC Registry through March 2021. Of these, 44 standards have been implemented,

either fully or partially.

The standard that has been implemented the most by respondents is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 General requirements 

for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. This standard specifies the general requirements for 

the competence, impartiality, and consistent operation of laboratories and is a key standard used to accredit 

forensic laboratories. The survey results support this as 73% of the respondents noted that they have 

implemented ISO 17025:2017, either fully or partially, at their organization. 

Following ISO/IEC 17025, two seized drug standards, ASTM E2329-17 Standard Practice for Identification of 

Seized Drugs (55%), and ASTM E2548-11e Standard Guide for Sampling Seized Drugs for Qualitative and 

Quantitative Analysis (52%) were implemented most. See Figure E for the number of respondents that have 

indicated full or partial implementation of the 46 standards in this survey. 

Figure E. Organizations Participating in Full and Partial Standards Implementation

Of the 155 respondents, 17 indicated that they have not implemented, either fully or partially, any of the 

standards on the OSAC Registry. The remaining 138 respondents have either partially or fully implemented at 

least one standard on the OSAC Registry other than ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
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Key Takeaways from Initial Survey Data

• Survey responses represent forensic science service providers from 38 states and across a range of 

organization types, roles, and geographical regions.

• Most survey respondents (98%) are aware of the standards on the OSAC Registry. 

• Most survey respondents (85%) consider implementation a priority. 

• Survey responses identified the top key challenges to implementation as not having personnel to 

allocate to the task and organizations not being able or required to implement the standards on the 

OSAC Registry at this time. 

• Over 100 forensic science service providers are using the standards on the OSAC Registry. Of the 46 

standards included in this survey, 44 are being implemented. 

• Survey responses represent broad and deep implementation efforts. 

OSAC News

Trace Evidence Collection App Now Available!

The Trace Evidence Collection Guide is a mobile app that can 

be used to help identify, collect, and package trace evidence

at crime scenes. NIST and members of OSAC approached the 

Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) with the 

idea of adapting the content from OSAC’s Trace Materials

Crime Scene Investigation Guide, so the application could be 

easily accessible and used by crime scene investigators in the 

field. 

For more information and links to download the app, visit 

the OSAC website. 

OSAC Welcomes Chair and Members of Forensic Nursing Subcommittee 

On September 27, 2021 the FSSB selected Dr. Joyce 

Williams to be the chair of OSAC’s Forensic Nursing 

Subcommittee. 

Dr. Williams currently serves as a consultant for 

Forensic Healthcare Consulting, LLC, is chair of the 

Forensic Nursing Science Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and has demonstrated 

significant leadership in the forensic nursing field. 

In October, OSAC’s Medicine Scientific Area Committee (SAC), which the Forensic Nursing Subcommittee is part 

of, selected the initial members of the Forensic Nursing Subcommittee. Dr. Williams, along with employees of 

the DOJ Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), also participated in the subcommittee membership selection

process. 

The Trace Evidence Collection Guide app now available! 

Photo courtesy of the Forensic Technology Center of 

Excellence
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The Forensic Nursing Subcommittee will initially draft standards related to the collection and storage of physical 

evidence from victims of sexual assault, sexual assault examinations, development and validation of new 

methods, and training and continuing education of practitioners. 

OSAC FSSB Member Appointments for FY 2022 

The FSSB approved the following FSSB Executive Task Group and new FSSB members for fiscal year (FY) 2022. 

These individuals began their roles on October 1, 2021:

FSSB Executive Task Group Members:

Ray Wickenheiser, FSSB Chair,

American Society of Crime 

Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) 

representative

David Kaye, FSSB Vice Chair, Legal 

Task Group liaison

Christopher Krug, FSSB Executive 

Secretary, Association of Forensic 

Quality Assurance Managers 

(AFQAM) representative and 

Quality Task Group liaison

New FSSB Members:

• Sarah Kerrigan, Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) representative.

• Lora Sims, Digital/Multimedia SAC Chair.

• Carl Sobieralski, Biology SAC Chair. 

To see all the current members of OSAC’s FSSB, visit the FSSB webpage on the OSAC website. 

2021 OSAC Leadership Strategy Session

Highlights

On August 31, OSAC leaders came together (virtually!) at 

the OSAC Leadership Strategy Session (OLSS) to look back 

and share their accomplishments and challenges from

fiscal year (FY) 2021.

As the FSSB works to finalize OSAC’s revised 

organizational priorities and long-term strategic plan, 

OSAC units will have a chance to establish new goals in 

the coming months to better align with these initiatives.

JP Jones (OSAC Program Manager, left), Karen Reczek 

(FSSB NIST Ex Officio member, upper right) and Laurel 

Farrell (FSSB Chair, lower right) kicking off the virtual 

2021 OLSS meeting. 
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The following individuals were recognized at the OLSS for their leadership and efforts to further the OSAC 

mission and objectives:

• Laurel Farrell for her service as chair and member of the FSSB.

• Lesley Hammer for her service as vice chair of the Physics/Pattern Interpretation SAC.

• Gerry LaPorte for his service as chair of the Forensic Document Examination Subcommittee.

• Lam Nguyen for his service as vice chair of the Digital/Multimedia SAC and chair of the Digital Evidence 

Subcommittee.

• Robyn Ragsdale for her service as a member of the FSSB and chair of the Biology SAC.

• Lora Sims for her service as chair of the Facial Identification Subcommittee.

• William Thompson for his service as a member of the FSSB and chair of the Human Factors Task Group.

• Richard Vorder Bruegge for his service as a member of the FSSB and chair of the Digital/Multimedia 

SAC.

2021 OSAC Awards

Also, at the OLSS, OSAC recognized the following individuals and group 

for their outstanding and extraordinary efforts in supporting OSAC’s 

mission. 

Individual Contributor Award 

• Beth Ordeman, Chair of OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology 

Subcommittee.

• Kim Kunkler, Member of OSAC’s Ignitable Liquids, Explosives, & 

Gunshot Residue Subcommittee. 

• Richard Vorder Bruegge, former Chair of OSAC’s 

Digital/Multimedia SAC. 

Outstanding Group Award

• OSAC’s Ignitable Liquids, Explosives, & Gunshot Residue Subcommittee 

Sharon B. Nakich Award

• Celeste Grover, Vice Chair of the Trace Materials Subcommittee, received this award in recognition of 

her helpful attitude, kindness, and teamwork to support the goals of OSAC. 
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OSAC Registry Updates

Registry Additions: FY 2021 Q4

The OSAC Registry is a repository of high-quality, technically sound published and proposed 

standards for forensic science. These written documents define minimum requirements, 

best practices, standard protocols and other guidance to ensure that the results of forensic 

analysis are valid, reliable and reproducible.

OSAC added 17 standards to the Registry in FY 2021 Q4 (July 1 – September 30). These 

included the following 13 SDO published standards, along with four OSAC Proposed 

Standards:

SDO Published Standards:

• ASTM E1968-19 Standard Practice for Microcrystal Testing in Forensic Analysis for Cocaine (added July 6, 

2021).

• ASTM E1969-19 Standard Practice for Microcrystal Testing in the Forensic Analysis of Methamphetamine 

and Amphetamine (added July 6, 2021).

• ASTM E2125-19 Standard Practice for Microcrystal Testing in the Forensic Analysis of Phencyclidine and 

its Analogues (added July 6, 2021).

• ASTM E2882-19 Standard Guide for Analysis of Clandestine Drug Laboratory Evidence (added July 6, 

2021).

• ANSI/ASB Standard 023, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Isolation and Purification Methods, First 

Edition, 2020 (added August 3, 2021).

• ANSI/ASB Standard 110, Standards for Training in Forensic Serological Methods, First Edition, 2020 

(added August 3, 2021).

• ANSI/ASB Standard 115, Standard for Training in Forensic Short Tandem Repeat Typing Methods using 

Amplification, DNA Separation, and Allele Detection, First Edition, 2020 (added August 3, 2021).

• ANSI/ASB Standard 116, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Quantification Methods, First Edition, 

2020 (added August 3, 2021).

• ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 009, Best Practice Recommendations for the Examination of 

Human Remains by Forensic Pathologists in the Disaster Victim Identification Context, First Edition, 2019 

(added September 7, 2021).

• ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 049, Best Practice Recommendation for Lifting of Footwear 

and Tire Impressions, First Edition, 2020 (added September 7, 2021).

• ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 089, Best Practice Recommendation for Facial Approximation 

in Forensic Anthropology, First Edition, 2020 (added September 7, 2021).

• ASTM E1588-20 Standard Practice for Gunshot Residue Analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy 

Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (added September 7, 2021).

• ASTM E3272-21 Standard Guide for the Collection of Soils and Other Geological Evidence for Criminal 

Forensic Applications (added September 7, 2021).

OSAC Proposed Standards:

• OSAC 2021-N-0007, Media Communications Following a Mass Fatality Incident: Best Practice 

Recommendations for the Medicolegal Authority (added August 3, 2021).

• OSAC 2021-N-0008, Victim Accounting: Best Practice Recommendations for Medicolegal Authorities in 

Mass Fatality Management (added August 3, 2021).
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• OSAC 2021-N-0015, Best Practice Recommendation for Guiding Principles for Scene Investigation and 

Reconstruction (added September 7, 2021).

• OSAC 2021-N-0016, Standard for Initial Responses at Scenes by Law Enforcement (added September 7, 

2021).

To access all the standards currently on the OSAC Registry, visit the OSAC website. OSAC encourages the forensic 

science community to implement these SDO published and OSAC Proposed Standards into their everyday 

practice. 

OSAC Registry 

Implementation Corner

At the end of FY 2021, OSAC had awarded 47 

certificates to forensic science service providers 

that self-declared their adoption, either fully or 

partially, of the standards on the OSAC Registry. 

Here’s a look at media releases highlighting the 

efforts of some recent OSAC Registry 

implementers. 

ISPFS Continues and Expands Accreditation, 

Certification, and OSAC Participation

On September 9, 2021, Idaho State Police Forensic 

Services (ISPFS) announced that its three laboratories comply, or are in the process of complying, with all 

applicable standards on the OSAC Registry. Read more about ISPFS’s recent accreditation, certification, and 

implementation efforts on the ISPFS website.

Michigan State Police Forensic Labs Adopt Rigorous National Standards

The Michigan State Police issued a news release on September 23, 2021 recognizing seven laboratories of the 

Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division (MSP-FSD) for their efforts in implementing standards on the 

OSAC Registry. This announcement was also reshared by two local news outlets, The Benzie County Record 

Patriot and 9&10 News.

BSO’s Crime Lab Recognized for National Forensic Science Standards

The Broward Sheriff’s Office Crime Laboratory was recognized as an implementer of the standards on the OSAC 

Registry in this news release issued October 19, 2021. 

DPS Labs Adopt New National Science Standards

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) issued a news release on November 5, 2021 announcing the 14 

laboratories in its Crime Laboratory Division have been recognized as implementers of the standards on the 

OSAC Registry. This announcement was also reshared on the local news outlet, MyParisTexas.
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OSAC: A Year in Review

In addition to delivering quarterly updates, the fall edition of the OSAC Newsletter also serves as OSAC’s annual 

report and provides a review of OSAC’s accomplishments and activities over the past fiscal year, October 1, 2020

through September 30, 2021. 

Organizational Snapshot

In February 2021, OSAC entered its seventh year of existence and at the end of FY 2021 had:

• 459 members

• 354 active affiliates

• 1,100+ member and affiliate applications

The employer and job classification of OSAC members include:

Changes to OSAC’s Structure and Processes: One Year Later

October 1, 2021 marked one full year since NIST launched the new and streamlined OSAC. The changes to 

OSAC’s structure and processes were implemented to make high-quality, science-based standards available to 

the forensic community more quickly. 

Changes to OSAC’s structure included:

• Adding a new scientific area committee (SAC) for forensic medicine, which included a new Forensic 

Nursing Subcommittee.

• Separating the chemistry SAC into two SACs, each focused on a different aspect of forensic chemistry. 

• Combining closely related subcommittees, reducing their number from 25 to 22, to improve internal 

coordination and reduce duplication of effort.

• Allowing for the formation of interdisciplinary committees to address topics that span multiple 

traditional forensic disciplines.
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Changes to OSAC’s processes included:

• Establishing independent Scientific & Technical Review Panels (STRPs) to evaluate draft OSAC Proposed 

Standards before they are sent to an SDO.

• Inviting public comments earlier in the drafting stage to help ensure that proposed standards meet 

OSAC’s high bar for quality before being forwarded to an SDO.

• Including OSAC Proposed Standards on the Registry alongside published standards to help fill the 

standards gaps during the time it takes for an SDO to complete the development and publication 

process. This will also allow labs to get a head start on implementing high-quality standards.

During the past year, these upgrades have resulted in the first 19 members being added to the Forensic Nursing 

Subcommittee and 24 OSAC Proposed Standards (8 STRP & 16 non-STRP) being evaluated through our more 

streamlined review process, which includes public comment. By the end of the fiscal year, eight of those OSAC 

Proposed Standards were added to the OSAC Registry. Embracing the spirit of continuous improvement, OSAC 

recognizes that additional adjustments may be needed to further streamline some of these processes. 

OSAC Registry 

The OSAC Registry reached a milestone this 

past April as the 50th standard was added to 

it! Read more about the beginnings of the 

Registry and its growth in this OSAC news 

article. 

A total of 35 new forensic science standards were added to the OSAC Registry this fiscal year, representing a 

94% increase in growth. At the end of FY 2021, the OSAC Registry contained 72 standards (64 published and 8 

OSAC Proposed), representing over 15 specific forensic science disciplines and various interdisciplinary topics. 

The chart below shows the number of standards that were on the OSAC Registry (in bold) at the end of the past 

six fiscal years. 

To see a current list of standards on the OSAC Registry and a breakdown of standards by fiscal year, visit the 

OSAC Registry webpage.
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Registry Implementation Efforts

OSAC continued to focus its implementation efforts on crime laboratories and other forensic science service 

providers (FSSPs) this past fiscal year. 

During FY 2021, OSAC received 47 Standards Implementation Declaration forms from forensic science 

organizations across the county and internationally. These declarations were from:

• 33 state lab locations (representing six states)

• 9 local/county/city laboratories

• 2 private laboratories

• 1 university laboratory

• 2 international laboratories

In addition to forensic science service providers, seven professional organizations also formally declared their 

support of OSAC and the development and implementation of forensic science standards. Read the policy and 

position statements from these organizations, all represented on OSAC’s FSSB, on OSAC’s Registry 

Implementation webpage. 

OSAC Registry implementation efforts this year focused on forensic science service providers. Moving forward, 

we will expand our focus to include professional forensic science organizations, prosecutors, defense attorneys,

and the courts. We encourage forensic science service providers to initiate the standards implementation 

process in their operations proactively, so they will be prepared to share the value of standardization when 

addressing these topics in court. 

Ongoing Standards Activities

At the end of FY 2021 there were 72 standards on the OSAC Registry. In addition, there were:

• More than 50 SDO-published standards eligible for OSAC review for placement on the OSAC Registry.

• Over 130 OSAC-drafted standards progressing through the development process at SDOs. 

• More than 160 documents being drafted within OSAC.

Below is a snapshot of the number of documents each subcommittee had at each stage in the OSAC 

development process at the end of FY 2021: 
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Other Accomplishments

In addition to growing the Registry and facilitating standards activities, here are some other work products and 

accomplishments from the last year:

• OSAC, in partnership with NIST’s Forensic Science Research Program and the Association of Firearm and 

Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE), published a firearms process map on January 19, 2021. OSAC has also

supported the development of process maps for the DNA, fire investigation, footwear, and seized drugs 

disciplines and expect these to be published in 2022. Process maps are a useful tool that can help 

forensic science disciplines provide insight into their specific activities, identify areas for improvement 

and discover where standards may be needed. 

• Members of OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee, along with the AAFS Standards Board (ASB) 

and Promega, presented a webinar in January 2021 on the standard for validation of probabilistic 

genotyping. This webinar is part of a four-part series that provides information on new/emerging 

standards and best practices for forensic biology and DNA testing laboratories. 

• In April 2021, members of OSAC’s Fire & Explosion Investigation Subcommittee published an OSAC 

Technical Guidance Document, Strengthening Fire and Explosion Investigation in the United States: A 

Strategic Vision for Moving Forward, which recommends a strategic plan for improvements in fire and 

explosion investigation as a forensic science discipline. 

• Also in April, members of OSAC’s Speaker Recognition Subcommittee published a bibliographic 

reference document, Essential Scientific Literature for Human-Supervised Automatic Approaches to 

Forensic Speaker Recognition. 
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• OSAC launched its first Registry Implementation Survey in June 2021. This will be an annual survey to 

better understand how the standards on the OSAC Registry are being used, the challenges around 

standards implementation, and what support is needed to improve it. 

• OSAC further refined its Organizational Priorities and Minimum Topic Requirements for Standards 

Development document to better identify and clarify the minimum topic requirements that 

subcommittees should address when drafting forensic science standards and published a revised version 

in September 2021. 

• OSAC subcommittees reviewed and updated 101 research and development needs this year. Academic 

institutions, federal agencies, and other research organizations can access the 147 research and 

development needs on the OSAC website to help address technical challenges identified by forensic 

science service providers. 

• OSAC continued to develop and improve the OSAC Lexicon. OSAC’s Terminology and Preferred Terms 

Task Groups focused their efforts this year on reviewing, refining, and removing duplicate terms in the 

OSAC Lexicon. The FSSB approved the addition of four new OSAC-preferred terms to the Lexicon in FY 

2021: peer review, repeatability, replicability, and reproducibility. At the end of FY 2021, there were 26

OSAC-preferred terms that OSAC members are encouraged to use when drafting standards. 

• Despite not being able to travel and meet in-person this year, OSAC units and the FSSB remained 

productive and engaged. The OSAC Program Office moved to an all-virtual meeting platform and 

supported 11 committee meetings (averaging three to five days each), bimonthly FSSB teleconferences, 

quarterly FSSB in-depth meetings, the annual OSAC Leadership Strategy Session, and OSAC Public 

Update Meeting. You can view the recording of the Public Update Meeting here.

• OSAC has continuously improved our internal operations to increase collaboration among OSAC units 

and manage our documents more effectively. 

• In recognition and celebration of this year’s National Forensic Science Week, September 19-25, 2021, 

OSAC took to LinkedIn and highlighted several standards and other standards-supporting topics that will 

have an impact on the forensic science community. You can see the compilation of our posts here. 

• OSAC continued to grow our digital presence, as evidenced by an increase in website views, downloads, 

and LinkedIn posts and followers. As our outreach grows, so does our ability to reach more stakeholders 

and educate the forensic science community about new standards being developed and championed by 

OSAC.

Engagement Activities

Stakeholder Outreach Meetings

To formalize engagement with key stakeholder groups that support our 

mission and to provide an opportunity for dialog between these 

stakeholders and OSAC leadership, OSAC held two stakeholder outreach 

meetings this fiscal year. 

The first meeting, held January 27, was with standards developing 

organizations (SDOs), proficiency testing providers, accreditation bodies, 

and certification bodies. Through a series of facilitated discussions, over 60 

attendees provided ideas, shared challenges, and identified opportunities 

for improvement related to the development and implementation of 

forensic science standards. 
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The second stakeholder outreach meeting was held on May 27 with forensic laboratory leaders and other key 

decision-makers providing forensic services. Twenty-eight forensic laboratory leaders, representing federal, 

state, local, and private organizations discussed the current challenges and opportunities for improvement 

related to forensic science testing, quality management, and standards. 

A third stakeholder outreach meeting is planned for January 20, 2022 with Professional Society Organizations.

The feedback OSAC received from both stakeholder groups was extremely valuable and is being used to help 

inform our future plans and priorities. You can view a summary report and key takeaways from each of these 

meetings on the OSAC Events page.

OSAC Public Update Meeting

OSAC is committed to sharing information about standards 

and activities that will impact the forensic science 

community. 

Each year, OSAC reports its activities in an open and online

public forum and provides an opportunity for the public to 

ask questions and provide feedback. Over 450 people, 

including 33 international attendees, tuned in to this year’s 

Public Update Meeting on September 29. During this virtual 

event, the chairs of OSAC’s seven SACs and the FSSB 

described their unit’s activities, including the standards they 

are working on, challenges being addressed, and priorities 

for the upcoming year. 

If you were unable to attend this year’s meeting, on-demand viewing of the recorded meeting is available on the 

OSAC Events page and individual presentation slides are available on individual SAC webpages. 

Other Outreach Events

Despite the inability to meet in person, OSAC members, affiliates, and OSAC Program Office staff gave 42 OSACrelated presentations at various forensic science conferences and meetings this fiscal year, some of which 

included:

• AFQAM Annual Training Conference, October 2020.

• ASTM Workshop on Interlaboratory Studies and Collaborative Research in the Forensic Sciences, 

October 2020.

• California Association of Crime Laboratory Directors Meeting, November 2020.

• Midwest Firearms Examiner Training Session, November 2020.

• NY Crime Laboratory Advisory Committee Meeting, December 2020.

• AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting, February 2021. There were plenty of standards-related presentations 

and OSAC participation at the first AAFS virtual meeting. Read the highlights here. 

• Association for Crime Scene Reconstruction Conference, March 2021.

• Bode Conference, May 2021.

• Florida International University (FIU) Symposium, June 2021.

• International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IACME) Training Symposium, July 2021.

• International Association for Identification (IAI) Annual Conference, August 2021.
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• Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners Annual Training Seminar, August 2021.

• South Carolina Division of the IAI Education Conference, August 2021.

Along with giving presentations, OSAC was able to share information and engage with the forensic science 

community through these other activities: 

Final Words

OSAC has made great strides to help facilitate the development and implementation of technically sound and 

consensus-based forensic science standards. With almost 800 combined members and affiliates representing 

forensic science practitioners, laboratory managers, academic researchers, measurement scientists, and experts 

in statistics, human factors, legal, and quality infrastructure, we will continue to work together to strengthen 

forensic science through standards.

The FSSB and OSAC Program Office would like to thank all OSAC volunteers for their time and effort and all the 

federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and criminal justice and forensic science 

organizations that support the OSAC mission by allowing their staff to participate. 

OSAC in the News

Special Technical Committee on Color Test Reagents/Kits for Preliminary Identification of Drugs of Abuse

This notice in the Federal Register announced NIJ’s intention to use OSAC’s Seized Drugs Subcommittee 

members and affiliates as the Special Technical Committee for the revision of the NIJ Color Test Standard.

An Update from the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science

The September 2021 issue of the ISHI Report shared updates from OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology 

Subcommittee.

National Forensic Science Week 2021: An Expert’s Advocacy Guide

OSAC member Judge Stephanie Domitrovich talks about the importance of standards and education in the 

forensic sciences in this Forensic Colleges blog.
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OSAC & Other Forensic Science Events

2022

February 21-25: 2022 AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting, Seattle, WA. There will be plenty of OSAC participation,

standard-related presentations, and a NIST exhibit booth featuring OSAC at this year’s AAFS meeting! 

April 24-28: 2022 ASCLD Symposium, Reno, NV. OSAC will be an exhibitor at this year’s ASCLD Symposium – be 

sure to visit us!

May 16-20: OSAC Meetings for Scene Examination SAC & subcommittees and Physics/Pattern SAC & 

subcommittees, Orlando, FL.

May 23-27: OSAC Meetings for Medicine SAC & subcommittees and Digital/Multimedia SAC & subcommittees, 

Orlando, FL

June (dates to be determined): OSAC Meetings for Biology SAC & subcommittees, Chemistry: Seized Drugs & 

Toxicology SAC & subcommittees, and Chemistry: Trace Evidence SAC & subcommittees, Orlando, FL. 

NIST Research Activities

The NIST Forensic Science Team is developing a searchable catalog of forensically relevant software and 

algorithms as a task in a planned program in Computational Forensic Science.

Computational forensic science is built on algorithms and the software systems that execute those algorithms. 

Creating this catalog is an important first step in guiding future research in this important topic area and will 

provide a deeper understanding of the state of practice in algorithmic forensic science. 

We are asking you to help us identify any known forensic software or algorithm currently in use of which you 

may be aware, to assist with the collection of needed data to populate this new database. The team is looking 

primarily for the name of the software and a URL, but any supplemental information that you can provide would 

be greatly appreciated (but not required). Those who wish to submit multiple entries may do so in plain text 

email or an excel spreadsheet. 

Submissions may be sent to Corrine Lloyd (Corrine.Lloyd@nist.gov) along with any questions. 

A beta version of the developing catalog can be viewed at https://forensicsoftware.nist.gov. The team intends to 

have a public-facing catalog available in 2022.