OSAC Standards Bulletin – February 2023 

1 

 February 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: 0 

• Standards under consideration for the Registry and open for comment: 3 

• Standards open for comment at SDOs: 13 

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. 

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. Please submit your comments by 11:59 

p.m. ET on March 6, 2023, on whether the following SDO published standards should be included on the 

Registry: 
OSAC Standards Bulletin – February 2023 

2 

• AES 76-2022, AES Standard for Audio Forensics – Speech Collection Guidelines for Speaker 

Recognition: Interviewing at a Temporary Location. Submit your comments here.

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 

Standards are 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 drafts are 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 March 6, 2023.

• OSAC 2022-S-0037, Standard for DNA-based Taxonomic Identification in Forensic Entomology.

• OSAC 2023-N-0010, Standard Practice for the Collection of Primer Gunshot Residue (pGSR) 

Particles from Clothing, Vehicles, and Other Inanimate Objects Using Scanning Electron 

Microscopy (SEM) Stubs. 

New Published Specification

BSI, the UK’s National Standards Body, has published a Publicly Available Specification (PAS), PAS 

377:2022, Consumables used in the collection, preservation and processing of material for forensic 

analysis – Product, manufacturing and forensic kit assembly. 

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:

• 5 standards open for comment at ASB in firearms & toolmarks (2), friction ridge (1), and 

forensic anthropology (2). 

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.
OSAC Standards Bulletin – February 2023 

3 

• 8 standards open for comment at ASTM in facial identification (2), ignitable liquids and 

explosives (3), gunshot residue (2), and trace materials (1). 

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 Wednesday, March 15 from 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. ET. If you wish to share feedback with 

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

meetings can be found on the FSSB Meetings webpage.

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

Access to ASTM Standards

OSAC has worked with ASTM to improve access to the E30 (forensic sciences) collection of standards. 

Through an agreement with ASTM, the public now has free access to these documents.

The published ASTM E30 standards can be accessed from the OSAC Registry webpage. Simply click on 

the link to the ASTM standard you would like to read, and you will be taken directly to the document!

OSAC PROGRAM OFFICE NEWS
OSAC Standards Bulletin – February 2023 

4 

OTHER FORENSIC SCIENCE NEWS, EVENTS & TRAINING

Forensic Seized Drug Analysis Interlaboratory Study Engagement Survey

Several groups at NIST are working on developing a series of interlaboratory studies to support the

forensic seized drug community. To prepare for these studies, information about the current technology

and needs of the community is needed. Forensic practitioners actively involved in seized drug analysis

are invited to participate in this six-question survey which is intended to gauge interest in the first two

planned studies and better define the direction of future studies. The survey will close February 28,

2023. 

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 45+ standards on the OSAC Registry. 

• Standards checklists are a tool 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 50+

standards on the OSAC Registry. 

• 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. 

Upcoming Events 

75th Annual American Academy of Forensic Sciences Meeting | February 13-18, 2023 | Orlando, FL

There will be many OSAC and standards-related presentations and workshops at this year’s AAFS 

Meeting! Check the full lineup at OSAC at AAFS or the AAFS Program Information and mark your 

calendars! 

NIST (which includes OSAC) will be exhibitors at the conference - visit us at booth #127 to learn more 

about forensic science research and standards efforts. 

2023 NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium | February 14, 2023 

At the R&D Symposium, researchers and practitioners will meet to discuss, discover, and share new 

approaches and applications to elevate the status of forensic science and increase its impact. This event 

will be held at the AAFS Meeting with both in-person and virtual components.