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In This Issue 

Message from the FSSB Chair

OSAC in Action

OSAC Program Office News

Forensic Soil Evidence Collection Training Video Now Available

OSAC Registry Implementation Corner

Committee Updates

OSAC in the News

Upcoming OSAC/Major Events

Professional Organization Spotlight

NIST Activities

Message from the FSSB Chair

By Steven Johnson, FSSB Chair

In January 2014, at the NIST Campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the 

seeds were planted to establish the Organization of Scientific Area 

Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science. I was fortunate to attend that 

meeting although, I must admit, I was a bit of a skeptic as far as how 

much this proposed organization could achieve. Now, six years later, I 

take great pride in having been a part in this organization and am 

excited to see the exponential increase in standards development 

during that time. I never ceased to be amazed at the talented 

professionals who were brought together for the betterment of forensic 

science and its applications in the United States. 

FEBRUARY 2020 

Steven Johnson, FSSB Chair
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Over the course of the remaining fiscal year (through September 30, 2020), there will be significant 

improvements and efficiencies in OSAC structure and operations as we begin to implement OSAC 2.0. 

I look forward to working with the rest of the Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB), as well as with 

our NIST partners, to make these changes as seamless as possible. 

As the first third of our membership reached the end of their second term this past September, I 

continue to encourage those of you who are interested in participating in standards development 

efforts to apply for OSAC membership (affiliate or active). We will see a similar turnover in 

membership at the end of fiscal years 2020-2021. Be mindful of these dates and reach out to fellow 

practitioners and stakeholders to consider applying for membership in OSAC, regardless of their level 

of possible participation. 

Over the coming months, OSAC members will have in-person meetings to continue their collaborative 

standards development work. These meetings are very beneficial, and the OSAC leadership will 

ensure that the schedule gives the various committees and task groups the maximum amount of time 

to focus on the mission. The FSSB will continue to meet twice a month to deliberate over standards in 

development, provide leadership and guidance to the membership, and support the future of the 

organization. Included in these future meetings, we will continue the OSAC Leadership Strategy 

Sessions (OLSS) sometime in September as the fiscal year ends. These sessions have proven 

invaluable in communicating concerns, needs and suggestions from the various Scientific Area 

Committee (SAC) and Subcommittee (SC) chairs and gives the FSSB a chance to impart some direction 

to the OSAC leaders in preparation of the next year’s goals.

Finally, I want to thank the FSSB and the membership in general for their support over the last two 

and a half years. I will be completing my second term at the end of fiscal year 2020 and will have to 

step down as IAI representative and Chair of the FSSB. I was humbled to be considered to replace 

Jeremy Triplett in October 2017 and can’t thank the members of the FSSB enough for their sound 

counsel, constructive criticism and exemplary leadership over that time. I believe I speak for the rest 

of the FSSB when expressing my excitement for more standards development successes over the 

coming year!

OSAC In Action

OSAC at AAFS

OSAC is excited to participate in the upcoming 2020 American 

Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Annual Scientific Meeting

(https://www.aafs.org/aafs/Meetings/2020-AAFS-Annual-ScientificMeeting/AAFS/Meetings/Annual-ScientificMeeting.aspx?hkey=4e5b7474-b5f2-43a1-92d4-15d1a178c212) in 

Anaheim, California. Over 5,000 forensic science professionals will 

come together February 17-22 to share the most current 

information, research, and updates in the field. OSAC, along with 

Credit: Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0

OSAC will be participating in the 2020 AAFS Annual 

Scientific Meeting February 17-22 in Anaheim, CA. 
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NIST, will be one of more than 150 exhibitors there to share information and connect with our 

stakeholders and partners in the forensic science community.

Be sure to visit us at Booth #103 to learn more about the latest forensic science standards 

development activities, find out what other OSAC members will be presenting throughout the week, 

and pick up an “OSAC Member” or “OSAC Affiliate” ribbon to decorate your AAFS Conference Badge as 

we will be handing them out there.

Also, register to attend Workshop 14 – Mass Disasters and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) on 

Monday, February 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to learn more about the OSAC Registry Standard 

ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 010, Forensic Anthropology in Disaster Victim Identification: 

Best Practice Recommendations for the Medicolegal Authority, First Edition, 2018 and its impact on the 

forensic science community. 

OSAC at ASCLD

“Together Toward Tomorrow” is the theme for the 2020 

American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) 

Symposium (https://www.ascldsymposium.com/) being held 

March 29 - April 2 in Denver, Colorado. OSAC is excited to be 

one of more than 50 exhibitors at this year’s symposium. Visit 

us at Booth #17 to learn more about how we can all work 

together to strengthen forensic science through the 

development and implementation of standards for a better 

tomorrow. 

OSAC’s Friction Ridge and Speaker Recognition Subcommittees Develop Process Maps

Process maps are useful tools

that can help forensic science 

disciplines provide insight into 

their specific activities, identify 

areas for improvement, and 

discover where standards may 

be needed. 

Read more (https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/12/osacs-friction-ridge-subcommitteedevelops-friction-ridge-process-map) about the process maps developed by OSAC’s Friction Ridge 

and Speaker Recognition Subcommittees and why they are important for the forensic science 

community. OSAC’s Firearms & Toolmarks and Biology/DNA subcommittees are also developing 

process maps and the Seized Drugs Subcommittee will be launching a process mapping working 

session this summer. 

Credit: Pixabay

OSAC is heading to Denver, CO for the 2020 

ASCLD Symposium March 29-April 2. 
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OSAC Visits Houston Forensic Science Center

This fall, John Paul Jones II, OSAC Program Manager and Karen 

Reczek, NIST Ex-Officio, OSAC Forensic Science Standards 

Board, visited with Peter Stout, Director of the Houston 

Forensic Science Center (HFSC) and received a tour of HFSC’s

new laboratory. An early implementer of standards on the OSAC 

Registry, HFSC recently completed a move to a new location 

with expanded space. HFSC is one of a few U.S. labs leading the 

way in openness and transparency regarding its quality system

and regularly evaluates the performance of its examiners in 

certain disciplines by submitting blind quality control cases into 

their workflow. HFSC is committed to sharing what it is learning 

and recently published a paper, Implementation of a Blind 

Quality Control Program in a Forensic Laboratory, in the Journal 

of Forensic Science. 

OSAC Adds Six Standards to the Registry in FY2020 Q1

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2020, the FSSB approved the addition of six 

standards to the OSAC Registry: 

• ASB Technical Report 025, Crime Scene/Death Investigation – Dogs and 

Sensors – Terms and Definitions, First Edition, 2017. Made effective on the 

Registry October 1, 2019 and initially developed by OSAC’s Dogs & Sensors 

Subcommittee, this technical document provides the standardization of 

terms and definitions used in the detection dog community.

• ASTM E3115-17 Standard Guide for Capturing Facial Images for Use with 

Facial Recognition Systems. Made effective on the Registry October 1, 2019 

and initially developed by OSAC’s Facial Identification Subcommittee, this 

guide is intended for use by practitioners who are choosing, setting up, 

and operating photographic equipment designed to capture facial images 

for use with an automated Facial Recognition System or used for manual 

comparisons by a trained facial examiner.

• ASTM E3148-18 Standard Guide for Postmortem Facial Image Capture. Made effective on the 

Registry October 1, 2019 and initially developed by OSAC’s Facial Identification 

Subcommittee, this document provides guidelines for capturing postmortem facial images of 

human remains in controlled (e.g., morgue) and semi-controlled (e.g., field) settings to 

facilitate automated facial recognition searches or manual facial comparisons that could 

contribute to forensic investigations.

• ASB 037, Guidelines for Opinions and Testimony in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition, 2019. Made 

effective on the Registry November 5, 2019 and initially developed by OSAC’s Toxicology 

Subcommittee, this document delineates guidelines for best practices in forensic toxicology 

opinions and testimony. Specifically, it is intended for the subdisciplines of human 

performance toxicology (e.g., driving-under-the-influence of alcohol or drugs and drugKaren Reczek, Peter Stout and JP Jones at 

the new HFSC laboratory.
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facilitated crimes), postmortem forensic toxicology, non-regulated employment drug testing, 

court-ordered toxicology (e.g., probation and parole, drug courts, child services), and general 

forensic toxicology (e.g., non-lethal poisonings or intoxications).

• ASTM E2917-19a Standard Practice for Forensic Science Practitioner Training, Continuing 

Education, and Professional Development Programs. Made effective on the Registry November 

5, 2019 and initially developed by an OSAC Interdisciplinary Virtual Subcommittee, this 

practice provides foundational requirements for the training, continuing education, and 

professional development of forensic science practitioners to include training criteria toward 

competency, documentation, and implementation of training, and continuous professional 

development.

• ISO 21043-2:2018 Forensic Sciences - Part 2: Recognition, recording, collecting, transport and 

storage of items. Made effective on the Registry December 3, 2019, and initially developed by 

an OSAC Interdisciplinary Virtual Subcommittee, this document specifies requirements for the 

forensic process focusing on recognition, recording, collection, transport and storage of items 

of potential forensic value. It includes requirements for the assessment and examination of 

scenes but is also applicable to activities that occur within the facility. 

OSAC Adds 25th Standard to the Registry

OSAC marked the end of 2019 by adding the 25th

standard to the Registry

(https://www.nist.gov/topics/organization-scientificarea-committees-forensic-science/osac-registry)! The 

most recently added standard, ISO 21043-2 Forensic 

Sciences – Part 2:2018 Recognition, recording, collecting, transport and storage of items, explains the 

factors to consider when assessing and examining a crime scene. It also describes the documented 

information that is needed to ensure evidence is protected throughout the forensic process, both in 

the field and in the laboratory.

Read our news article (https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/12/osac-adds-25th-standardregistry) to learn about the other 12 standards that were added to the Registry in 2019 and hear from 

JP Jones, OSAC Program Manager, about the benefits of using these standards. We look forward to 

growing the Registry in 2020 and working with crime labs and other agencies to implement these 

high-quality documents. 
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OSAC Program Office News

OSAC 2.0 Updates

By Karen Reczek, NIST Ex Officio, FSSB

The FSSB is working with NIST and the OSAC Program Office 

(OPO) to plan the implementation of OSAC 2.0, which was 

announced in September 2019. 

Recent activities include:

• Embedding Resource Committee (RC) members into OSAC subcommittees. RC representatives

embedded in the subcommittees will continue to meet on an ongoing basis to discuss 

standards development activities as an FSSB Task Group. RC Chairs will stay on as active 

members of the FSSB and chair their respective FSSB Task Groups. Embedding RC members 

into the subcommittees ensures that diverse perspectives and legal, human factors, and 

quality considerations are included during the initial drafting of documents. Keeping RC task 

groups will allow legal, human factors, and quality representatives to continue to have a 

venue to discuss pressing issues informally with their peers. This change in the OSAC structure 

resulted in the following additional changes:

o The ASCLD Board of Directors has agreed to manage the OSAC Registry Impact Survey, 

previously managed in collaboration with the Quality Infrastructure Committee (QIC). 

This Impact Survey seeks input from the community on the “impact” that approving a 

standard for the OSAC Registry will have on forensic science service providers. 

o The FSSB voted to establish an FSSB Terminology Task Group to support and 

transition the terminology efforts previously managed by the QIC.

• The FSSB voted to establish an FSSB Technical Review Panel Process Task Group. This group 

will draft criteria, processes, and procedures for the development and management of the 2.0 

Internal Technical Review (TRP) Panels. Once defined, the FSSB will pilot the process and 

refine it, as appropriate, before it is finalized.

• The FSSB voted to finalize the revised SAC and Subcommittee structure for 2.0 

implementation. There will be some changes in the number of SACs and Subcommittees in 

the new organization. 

• The FSSB informed the OSAC membership that they will be working with NIST and the OPO to 

revise the Bylaws and Charter, the current Terms of Reference, and other organizational 

documents for the new 2.0 organization. 
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Call for Nominations for the Sharon B. Nakich Award

The OSAC FSSB has established the Sharon B. Nakich Award to 

honor the memory of our colleague, who passed away in March 

2019. This annual peer-to-peer award recognizes an especially

helpful attitude, kindness, teamwork or behind-the-scenes 

contributions to support the goals of OSAC. 

Please consider nominating one of your peers. 

Criteria:

This award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to OSAC’s mission 

through his/her support of OSAC. The nominee works diligently and tirelessly as a champion for OSAC, 

at times without recognition.

Eligibility:

• All OSAC members and affiliates.

• Any non-OSAC member who has contributed significantly to furthering the mission of OSAC. 

Nomination/Approval Procedures and Requirements:

Two or more narrative statements from two or more individuals addressing the criteria listed above. 

Nomination justifications should include, but are not limited to, a description of:

• Specific activities the nominee was involved in that had a positive effect in supporting OSAC’s 

mission.

• How the individual’s action helped the organization further its goals.

• The nominee’s willingness to go the extra mile.

Nominations for the 2020 Sharon B. Nakich Award are now being accepted. Please submit your 

nomination and all supporting documents to Steven Johnson

(steven.johnson@idealinnovations.com), FSSB Awards Task Group Chair, no later than close of 

business on Friday, February 21, 2020. 

The Sharon B. Nakich Award recipient will be announced at the spring OSAC Meetings. 

Sharon B. Nakich
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Forensic Soil Evidence Collection Training Video Now 

Available

OSAC’s Geological Materials Subcommittee

(https://www.nist.gov/topics/organization-scientific-area-committeesforensic-science/geological-materials-subcommittee), the University of 

Kentucky, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the International 

Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)-Initiative on Forensic Geology are 

“digging in” to help educate law enforcement and crime scene 

professionals on how to collect soils and other geological evidence. 

The team has made a training video

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9dWZOj1U5A&feature=youtu.be)

which is intended to accompany a draft collection guide developed by 

OSAC’s Geological Materials Subcommittee. This collection guide, 

Standard Practice for Collection of Soils and Other Geological Evidence for 

Criminal Forensic Applications, is a draft standard forwarded by OSAC to 

ASTM. It describes the best practices for documenting, collecting, 

packaging, and preserving soil and geological material evidence at crime 

scenes, alibi locations, and reference locations.

Read more (https://www.nist.gov/newsevents/news/2020/01/forensic-soil-evidence-collection-trainingvideo-now-available) about this collaborative effort and its 

importance to the forensic science community.

OSAC Registry Implementation Corner

Standard Implementation Efforts Underway

Since the OSAC Registry Implementation Plan

(https://www.nist.gov/topics/organization-scientific-areacommittees-forensic-science/osac-registryimplementation-0) was released in August 2018, several 

organizations have embarked on the implementation 

journey. 

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation-Division of Forensic 

Sciences (GBI-DOFS) (https://dofs-gbi.georgia.gov/) was

the first laboratory to embrace the OSAC Registry approved standards. When GBI-DOFS made the 

decision in January 2017 to adopt all standards placed on the OSAC Registry, it did not have a plan on 

Credit: University of Kentucky

Videographer Brian Volland of the University of Kentucky College of 

Agriculture, Food and Environment records a sampling technique 

performed by FBI Geologist-Forensic Examiner Ian Saginor for the 

training video. 
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how to do it. According to Lori Nix, Assistant Deputy Director at GBI-DOFS, there were numerous 

concerns raised by laboratory individuals, the most frequent centered around not being aware of 

what documents would eventually be placed on the Registry. To combat this concern, GBI-DOFS 

encouraged practitioners to be part of the standards development process by becoming an OSAC 

member, applying to become a member of a consensus body, and most importantly, to provide their 

expertise during open comment periods. Now three years later, GBI-DOFS is refining and formalizing 

its implementation program as the volume of standards being placed on the Registry increases. Read 

Lori Nix’s article (https://files.constantcontact.com/b4a38e45701/935bc105-bc70-4317-872befd106ee739d.pdf) celebrating GBI-DOFS’s three-year implementation anniversary in the January 

issues of the ASCLD Crime Lab Minute (https://www.ascld.org/the-crime-lab-minute/). 

The Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC) (https://www.houstonforensicscience.org/) is another 

early implementer of the OSAC Registry Approved standards. In December 2018, Dr. Peter Stout, 

HFSC’s CEO and president asked HFSC’s board of directors to pass a resolution to adopt the OSAC 

Registry Approved standards into HFSC’s quality manual. That resolution passed unanimously and 

HFSC was on its way. The first OSAC Registry approved standards HFSC is adopting are in the seized 

drugs and toxicology sections. The HFSC is part of a broader effort throughout Texas for forensic 

science service providers to implement standards. Read more (https://www.nist.gov/newsevents/news/2019/10/houston-forensic-science-center-early-implementer-standards-osac-registry)

from Dr. Stout about the benefits and challenges to implementation and the steps HFSC took to 

address them.

The Texas Forensic Science Commission (https://www.txcourts.gov/fsc/) is the first regulatory body in 

the United States to recommend implementation of standards on the OSAC Registry and unanimously 

recommended at its October 25, 2019 Commission meeting that all crime laboratories accredited to 

perform forensic analysis in the State of Texas voluntarily adopt standards published on the OSAC 

Registry. The Commission encourages the forensic community in Texas to follow the OSAC Standards 

Bulletin and actively participate in the standards adoption, including opportunities to comment on 

standards before they reach consensus and publication on the Registry. More than forty agencies in 

Texas and forty outside Texas are directly impacted by the Commission’s recommendation

(https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/11/texas-forensic-science-commission-recommendscrime-laboratories-adopt-osac).

The New York State Police Crime Laboratory System

(https://www.troopers.ny.gov/Crime_Laboratory_System/) hosted a meeting in Albany in November 

2019 of the New York Crime Laboratory Advisory Committee (NYCLAC). A representative of the OSAC 

Program Office was invited to give a presentation and provided guidance during the Q&A session that 

followed. Approximately two dozen laboratories were represented during the highly interactive 

session. As an FSSB member, NY State Police Forensic Investigation Center (FIC) Director Ray 

Wickenheiser volunteered to serve as a pilot site leader to help NY crime laboratory directors begin 

the standards implementation process. 

The OSAC Program Office continues to arrange presentations to forensic science organizations, 

criminal justice conferences and meetings with individual agencies to facilitate the implementation of 

standards on the OSAC Registry. Come visit us at our exhibitor booths at the upcoming 2020 AAFS 
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Scientific Annual Meeting in Anaheim in February and the ASCLD Symposium in Denver in March to 

learn more about how your agency can start on its implementation journey. 

Already started? Then complete the Laboratory Implementation Declaration Form

(https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2020/01/13/OSACLabDeclarationNov2019.pdf) and 

send it to mark.stolorow@nist.gov to let us know. Share your implementation story and be featured in 

a future OSAC news post. 

Implementation Survey Coming Soon

An online survey is under construction to capture the implementation 

of standards listed on the OSAC Registry. The survey is being 

developed by The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors 

(ASCLD)( https://www.ascld.org/) Forensic Research Committee and 

Standards & Accreditation Initiatives Committee. Among its benefits, 

the survey aims to provide baseline information and feedback about 

the extent to which documents included on the OSAC Registry have been or are being implemented

into crime laboratory standard operating procedures, and to identify key challenges many 

laboratories face with implementation initiatives. Once this baseline is established, the Standards & 

Accreditation Initiatives Committee will continue to evaluate the operational impact of proposed 

OSAC standards through Impact Surveys distributed to the ASCLD membership. These surveys 

provide a deeper understanding to issues surrounding implementation and will enable the ASCLD, 

OSAC and other stakeholders to develop solutions to lower the barriers and promote greater 

consistency across the forensic science community. OSAC is grateful to collaborate with the ASCLD on 

this endeavor.
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Committee Updates

Participate in OSAC’s Organic Gunshot Residue Inter-Laboratory Study

OSAC’s Organic Gunshot Residue Task Group is looking for 

participants to join an inter-laboratory study on the 

collection and analysis of organic gunshot residues. This 

study is intended to support a draft standard practice the 

task group has developed which contains methodologies for 

gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid 

chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analyses of 

organic gunshot residues. 

Visit the Gunshot Residue Subcommittee webpage

(https://www.nist.gov/topics/organization-scientific-areacommittees-forensic-science/gunshot-residuesubcommittee) to learn more about the study and how you 

can participate.

Standards Development Activities

Here’s a look at the standards development activities OSAC committees are working on:

Credit: Niels Noordhoek [CC BY-SA]
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Tier 1: A document on the OSAC Registry; approved by OSAC with the highest level of vetting.

Tier 2: OSAC supported document that completed the SDO consensus process and was published by 

an SDO.

Tier 3: An OSAC draft document that was sent to an SDO for further development. The document was 

drafted with input from OSAC’s Resource Committees and approved by the SAC.

Tier 4: A working draft document inside OSAC’s development process and not yet publicly available.

For a complete list of discipline specific documents that are currently in the development process, 

please visit the relevant OSAC subcommittee (https://www.nist.gov/topics/organization-scientificarea-committees-forensic-science/osac-subcommittees) webpage. 

OSAC In the News

AFQAM website:

Houston Forensic Science Center is an Early 

Implementer of Standards on the OSAC Registry

A Census of Medicolegal Death Investigation in the 

United States: A Need to Determine the State of our 

Nation’s Toxicology Laboratories and Their 

Preparedness for the Current Overdose Epidemic:

OSAC mentioned on page 5

The Forensic Enewsletter:

OSAC Adds 25th Standard to the Registry

ISHI Blog:

OSAC Adds 25th Standard to the Registry

Forensic Laboratory Services Bureau (FLSB) Forensic Library Services (repost of OSAC’s article):

OSAC’s Friction Ridge Subcommittee Develops Friction Ridge Process Map

Promising Practices in Forensic Lab Intelligence:

OSAC Lexicon referenced on page 9

ADA News:

ADA forensic dentistry standard created after 9/11 added to federal registry

November 2019 ISHI Report:

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

ASTM Standardization News:

OSAC mentioned in the “Crime Scene Photography” article on page 8 

Credit: Pixabay
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Rank One’s Face Recognition Blog:

Facial Recognition Code of Ethics

Evidence Technology Magazine:

Two DNA Standards Considered for Registry 

Upcoming OSAC/Major Events

FEBRUARY 

17-22: 2020 AAFS Annual Scientific Meeting in Anaheim, CA. 

Visit OSAC, along with NIST, at Booth #103! 

MARCH 

10-13: OSAC In-person Meeting in Norman, OK.

Participants include the Chemistry & Crime Scene/Death Investigation 

SACs and SCs (not including Odontology).

29-April 2: 2020 ASCLD Symposium in Denver, CO. Stop by and see

OSAC at Booth #17!

APRIL 

21-24: OSAC In-person Meeting in Norman, OK.

Participants include the Biology/DNA, Digital/Multimedia, Physics & Pattern Interpretation SACs and 

SCs, and Odontology SC.

Mark your calendars for these OSAC and other events!

Credit: Pixabay
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Professional Organization Spotlight

By Lucy A. Davis, OSAC FSSB AAFS Representative

American Academy of Forensic Sciences 

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) (https://www.aafs.org/) is a 

multidisciplinary professional organization that provides leadership to advance 

science and its application to the legal system. The objectives of the Academy 

are to promote professionalism, integrity, competency, education, foster 

research, improve practice, and encourage collaboration in the forensic 

sciences. With over 6,600 members divided into eleven sections, AAFS is unique 

in representing the forensic community as a whole. Included among the 

Academy’s members are physicians, attorneys, dentists, toxicologists, 

anthropologists, document examiners, digital evidence experts, psychiatrists, 

physicists, engineers, criminalists, educators, and others. Representing all 50 

United States, Canada, and 70 other countries worldwide, they actively 

practice forensic science and, in many cases, teach and conduct research in the field. The AAFS 

represents its membership to the public and serves as the focal point for public information 

concerning the forensic science profession. It provides service to our community through the Journal 

of Forensic Sciences (an internationally recognized scientific journal), the Academy Newsfeed, its

annual scientific meeting, conducting of webinars, and the initiation of actions and reactions to 

various issues of concern.

In 1973, AAFS became affiliated with the Forensic Science Foundation (FSF), a nonprofit organization 

committed to studying the application of science to the resolution of social and legal issues. The FSF 

has become the educational, scientific, and research arm of the AAFS. Charitable donations to FSF are 

used to promote public education concerning all disciplines in the forensic sciences; to develop and 

conduct education and training programs; to develop new ways to improve the forensic sciences; and 

to support research in fields relating to the forensic sciences.

The AAFS recognized the need to support the OSAC’s development of a national registry of consensusbased standards. AAFS members are active participants on all the OSAC subcommittees. In February 

2016, AAFS created the Academy Standards Board (ASB), a wholly owned subsidiary organization 

accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a standards development 

organization (SDO). This organization works closely with OSAC and its subcommittees by developing 

American National Standards (ANS) based on OSAC documents. To date, ASB has published 26 ANS 

with five approved for the Registry and over 100 additional draft OSAC standards going through the 

standards development process. 

AAFS is proud of our role working with OSAC and the forensic science community to advance the field 

of forensic science both nationally and internationally. 

Lucy A. Davis, OSAC FSSB 

AAFS Representative
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NIST Activities 

Kennedy Assassination Bullets Preserved in Digital Form

(https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/12/kennedyassassination-bullets-preserved-digital-form).

Read about how NIST scientists used advanced imaging 

techniques to create digital replicas of these important historical 

artifacts. 

Stopping Fentanyl at the Border: Can Chemical Detectors Help?

(https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/11/stopping-fentanylborder-can-chemical-detectors-help) Scientists at NIST test whether a 

chemical detection technology called ion mobility spectrometry, or IMS, 

can be used to screen vehicles for fentanyl. 

A Solution to a Hairy Problem in Forensic Science

(https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/11/solutionhairy-problem-forensic-science). Learn how scientists at 

NIST have developed a new way to dissolve hair proteins 

without destroying them. 

Credit: N. Hanacek/NIST

Credit: NIST

Credit: NIST