OSAC Standards Bulletin – March 2023 

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 MARCH 2023 

This Standards Bulletin from the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science 

provides a monthly update on: 

• Standards moving through the OSAC Registry approval processes for published and OSAC 

Proposed Standards. 

• Standards moving through the development process at standards developing organizations 

(SDOs).

Bulletin Summary:

• New standards added to the OSAC Registry: 1 

• Standards under consideration for the Registry and open for comment: 1 

• Standards open for comment at SDOs: 4 

OSAC REGISTRY UPDATES 

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 help ensure 

that the results of forensic analyses are reliable and reproducible.

All the standards on the OSAC Registry have passed a rigorous technical and quality 

review by OSAC members, including forensic science practitioners, research scientists, 

statisticians, and human factors and legal experts. 

One New OSAC Proposed Standard Added to the OSAC Registry

• OSAC 2023-N-0004, Standard for Interactions Between Medical Examiner, Coroner and All Other 

Medicolegal Death Investigation Agencies and Organ and Tissue Procurement Organizations and 

Eye Banks (added March 7, 2023).
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Standards Open for Comment for OSAC Registry Approval

SDO Published Standards

The OSAC Registry approval process for published standards is used to review existing SDO published 

standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry.

• There are no SDO published standards currently open for comment for placement on the OSAC 

Registry.

OSAC Proposed Standards

The OSAC Registry approval process for OSAC Proposed Standards is used to review OSAC drafted 

standards for technical quality and placement on the Registry. The following draft OSAC Proposed 

Standard is being considered for submission to an SDO. The final draft provided to the SDO will be 

available on the OSAC Registry as an “OSAC Proposed Standard.”

OSAC welcomes comments on whether the current draft is suitable for release to the SDO as well as 

suggestions for improvements in content and wording. To be considered, comments must be placed in 

the OSAC Comment Form and sent to comments@nist.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on April 3, 2023.

• OSAC 2023-N-0011, Standard Practice for a Physical Fit Analysis Training Program.

New Published Standards

ASB has recently published the following standards:

• ANSI/ASB Standard 098, Standard for Mass Spectral Analysis in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition, 

2023.

• ANSI/ASB Standard 113, Standard for Identification Criteria in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition, 

2023.

ASTM has recently published the following standard:

• ANSI/ASTM E3295-2023, Guide for Using Micro X-Ray Fluorescence (u-XRF) in Forensic Polymer 

Examinations. 

SDO UPDATES

Is your organization implementing standards on the OSAC Registry?

Complete OSAC’s Registry Implementation Declaration Form found on the OSAC website and send it to

mark.stolorow@nist.gov to let us know. Your organization will subsequently be awarded an OSAC Registry 

Implementer Certificate.
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Standards Open for Comment at SDOs

Stakeholders from the forensic science community are encouraged to provide input on standards as 

they are being developed at SDOs. For SDO published standards going through the OSAC Registry 

approval process, the public will have an opportunity to comment on a standard during the SDO’s public 

comment period but will not be given a second opportunity to comment through OSAC on whether the 

resulting standard should be placed on the Registry. 

Visit OSAC’s Standards Open for Comment webpage to see the full list of forensic science standards 

open for comment at SDOs and how to submit your feedback. This page consolidates and tracks 

comment deadlines for you and will be updated on a weekly basis. It currently includes:

• Four standards are open for comment at ASB in firearms & toolmarks (2) and biology/DNA (2). 

New Work Proposals

On February 24, 2023, a Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) was published on page two in the 

ANSI Standards Action. This will begin ASTM’s work on the following standard:

• BSR/ASTM WK85075-202x, New Practice for Uncertainty Estimation of Quantitative 

Measurements in the Analysis of Seized-Drugs. This standard provides minimum requirements 

for the estimation of uncertainty for quantitative measurements in the analysis of seized drugs.

OSAC FSSB Meeting: Public Feedback Session

Beginning in March 2023, the OSAC Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB) will have a public feedback 

session available during their quarterly meetings. The purpose for this public session is to provide 

stakeholders with an opportunity to share feedback with the FSSB related to agenda items or matters 

within the FSSB’s authority. The FSSB will consider all feedback from the public and remarks can be 

made by the submitter or by the OSAC Program Office on behalf of the submitter. 

The next quarterly FSSB meeting will be held virtually on March 15-16, 2023. The public session will take 

place virtually on Thursday, March 16 from 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. ET. If you wish to share feedback with the 

FSSB, please complete and submit this form by March 10, 2023. The schedules and agendas for 

upcoming FSSB meetings can be found on the FSSB Meetings webpage.

OSAC PROGRAM OFFICE NEWS
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Calling All Forensic Biologists: OSAC’s Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee 

Needs Your Input

OSAC's Human Biology Research Task Group is seeking input regarding current research needs, 

standards, and training for the forensic biology community. This survey will aid the OSAC Human Biology 

Task Group in (1) identifying the most practitioner-relevant research needs in the forensic biology 

community, (2) generating new standards or training documents based on practitioner feedback, and (3) 

understanding and identifying future training needs.

The survey will take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete. Participation requires that you are at 

least 18 years of age or older. Participation in this survey is fully voluntary and all responses will be 

anonymous. There is no compensation for completing the survey. If you have questions, please contact 

Dr. Nadja Schreiber Compo at schreibe@fiu.edu.

Access the survey here: https://go.fiu.edu/OSACSurvey

OTHER FORENSIC SCIENCE NEWS, EVENTS & TRAINING

OSAC’s 2022 Registry Implementation Survey Report is Now Available

In the summer of 2022, the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science 

released our second annual OSAC Registry Implementation Survey to better understand how the 

standards on the Registry are being used, the challenges around standards implementation, and what 

support is needed to improve it. We shared a preliminary report of the survey results in our 2022 Fall 

Newsletter & Annual Report.

A report providing a detailed look at the implementation status of each of the 95 standards represented 

in the 2022 survey is now available. Visit the OSAC website to learn more about the survey and access 

the 2022 report. 

AAFS Standards Resources and Training 

As part of a cooperative agreement with NIST, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) is

developing training, tools, and resources to enhance implementation efforts and broaden awareness of

forensic science standards among communities of interest. 

• Standards factsheets provide a clear, concise, and easy way to understand the purpose of a 

specific standard, why it is needed, and the benefits of adoption. Standards factsheets are

available for 50+ standards on the OSAC Registry.

• Standards checklists are tools that forensic science service providers can use to track progress

towards implementation, identify gaps or barriers to implementation, or document objective

evidence of implementation or compliance with a standard. Checklists are available for 70+ 

standards on the OSAC Registry. 
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• Standards webinars are available for free from AAFS Connect. Learn about the standards

development process, standards development activities in various disciplines, and information

about specific SDO published standards on the OSAC Registry. 

NIJ Solicitation: FY23 Research and Development in Forensic Science for 

Criminal Justice Purposes

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is seeking proposals for basic or applied research and development 

projects that will:

• Increase the body of knowledge to guide and inform forensic science policy and practice; or

• Lead to the production of useful material(s), device(s), system(s), or method(s) that have the 

potential for forensic application. 

Please note that the closing date for submissions is April 26, 2023. For more information, visit the NIJ 

website. 

On Page 5 of NIJ’s solicitation they note that applications/projects should address the challenges and 

needs of the forensic science community, including but not limited to priorities outlined in the NIJ 

Forensic Science Strategic Research Plan and operational needs identified at NIJ’s TWG meetings, which 

may be found on NIJ.OJP.gov. Additional research needs of the forensic science community can be 

found at the Organization of Scientific Area Committees website.

Upcoming OSAC & Other Forensic Science Events 

• OSAC’s Physics/Pattern Interpretation, Scene Examination, and Chemistry: Trace Evidence 

Scientific Area Committees (SACs)/Subcommittees Meeting will be held April 17-21, 2023.

• OSAC’s Digital/Multimedia, Medicine, Biology, and Chemistry: Drugs/Toxicology Scientific Area 

Committees (SACs)/Subcommittees Meeting will be held May 15-19, 2023. 

• American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) Annual Symposium will be held April 

30-May 4.