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The FBI Research
Partnership Program
Counterterrorism
and Forensic Science Research Unit
Laboratory Division
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Quantico, Virginia
Introduction
Benefits of the Research Partnership Program
Responsibilities of
the Participants in the Research Partnership Program
FBI Laboratory Research
and Development and the Research Partnership Process
National Forensic Database Development
Partnerships
Forensic Science Research and Development
Partnerships
Requesting Research Partnership
Program Participation
Introduction
In 1999, the
FBI Laboratory reengineered its forensic science research effort,
adapting many best practices from private industry. The underlying
philosophy of this approach is meeting the scientific requirements
of the examiner at the bench level. Significant emphasis is placed
on ensuring that each research and development effort provides clear
deliverables to the hands of the case-working scientists in the
shortest time possible. The productivity of the Laboratory’s Counterterrorism
and Forensic Science Research Unit (CTFSRU), as measured by deliverables,
presentations, and publications, has grown dramatically under this
new structure.
CTFSRU
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1999
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2000
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2001
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Deliverables
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-
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25
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35
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Presentations
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39
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33
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51
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Publications
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9
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16
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22
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As a part of
this reengineering, the Unit solicits research and development requirements
annually from the examiners in case-working and operational response
units. These requirements become the foundation and focus for the
research program for that year. In 2001, this process resulted
in the identification, framing, and detailed documentation of more
than 90 research requirements. Consequently, the Senate mark on
the 2002 Federal Appropriation Bill contained the following language:
“The Committee is aware that the FBI Laboratory has a long list
of unfunded research projects, including proposals for new techniques
to detect: (1) date rape drugs or metabolites in the blood stream,
(2) latent fingerprints left by children, and (3) gunshot residue
on shooters’ hands and other surfaces. The Committee recommendation
includes $12,200,000 to fund the highest priority research submitted
to the Committee on April 30, 2001.”
This increase
in funding provided the means to initiate over 47 new, high-priority
research and development projects, for a total of 93 active projects
in 2002. This funding was also beneficial to the FBI Laboratory’s
response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Unit's
spending plan for this funding was presented to Congress in February
of 2002. Subsequently, the Senate mark on the 2003 Appropriation
Bill contains the following: “The FBI Laboratory’s forensic research
spending plan for fiscal year 2002 was very impressive. The Committee
is aware that the FBI Laboratory still has a long list of unfunded
research projects. The Committee recommendation includes an increase
of $8,056,000 over last year’s level to fund the highest priority
forensic research proposals submitted to the Committee as part of
the fiscal year 2002 spend plan.”
Although this
funding is specifically directed to address the FBI’s forensic research
needs, it also has enabled the FBI Laboratory to reach out to state
and local counterparts with a new initiative, the Research Partnership
Program. This program is part of the Laboratory’s leadership effort
to improve forensic science by establishing strong, viable teaming
partnerships with state and local forensic laboratories. The intent
of the Research Partnership Program is to maximize the impact of
the FBI research and development funding by partnering with state
and local counterparts when their research needs are in alignment
with our requirements. The primary goals of the Research Partnership
Program are:
- To enhance
the transfer of new forensic technologies and procedures to case-working
examiners in state and local forensic laboratories by collaborative
research and development, testing, and validation studies.
- To facilitate
the implementation of scientific working group-defined protocols.
- To catalyze
the development of national forensic databases.
The Research
Partnership Program is a collaborative teaming of FBI, state, and
local scientific personnel for mutual benefit. It is not a grant
program, but an opportunity to contribute to and benefit from FBI-supported
forensic science research and development projects and database
development. The FBI provides all funding and support for internal
and outsourced efforts. There are two main types of projects:
- Research
and development projects that involve evaluating new, state-of-the-art
analytical equipment and/or developing new forensic procedures
through collaborative research and development, testing, and validation
studies. These projects are offered as independent study classes
to Research Partnership Program research and development participants.
- National
forensic database development projects that provide formal training
in the latest scientific working group-defined forensic protocols
and building and populating national forensic databases. This
effort builds on the lessons learned from the FBI’s earlier effort
to disseminate standard DNA protocols and construct databases.
Benefits
of the Research Partnership
Program
To
state and local laboratories:
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To
the FBI:
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- Addressing the forensic community’s research
and development need
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- Optimizing the return on research and development
investment
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- Implementing newly developed technologies
and procedures
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Accelerating the implementation of new technologies in operational
laboratories
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- Training in scientific working group-defined
forensic protocols and advanced technologies
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- Using state and local laboratory scientists’
expertise in research and development
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- Participating in grassroots efforts to build
national forensic databases
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- Constructing new national forensic databases
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- Technical assistance/guidance from FBI research
scientists and examiners
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- Publishing scientific papers coauthored with
FBI personnel
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Building
a strong rapport between FBI and state and local forensic
scientists
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Responsibilities
of the Participants in the Research Partnership Program
FBI
Counterterroirism and Forensic Science Research Unit provides: |
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All funding and support for internal and outsourced research
and development and database design and software.
- Personnel
for research, training, testing, validating, and implementing.
- Funding
and support for the state and local scientists to participate
in testing and validating studies at the FBI Laboratory.
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FBI
Training Unit provides: |
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Training on scientific working group-defined protocols as
a prerequisite to participating in national forensic database
development projects.
- Credit
for a research and development independent study class as
part of the FBI’s specialized training program.
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State
and local laboratories provide: |
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Personnel for training, testing, validating, and implementing
database contributions.
- Reporting
on research and development implementation or national forensic
database contributions.
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FBI
Laboratory Research and Development and the Research Partnership
Process
The FBI forensic
science research and development model establishes a sound foundation
based on end-user requirements and maintains this focus throughout
each project. The Research Partnership Program is an extension of
this process. A close, collaborative relationship between the end-user
and the research scientist is an essential element of success, as
outlined below:
- Requirements
are defined by the end-user (the operational point of contact).
The point of contact and an FBI scientist work together to define
the requirements and outline an action plan.
- Requirements
are compiled for prioritization by FBI management.
- Selected
projects are executed using internal resources (FBI scientists
and equipment) or are outsourced, as appropriate. Although an
FBI scientist is responsible for research and development execution,
close communication between the researcher and the point of contact
is required throughout the project.
- Upon completing
the research and development effort, the point of contact becomes
actively involved with the testing and validation studies.
- The point
of contact implements the results of the research and development
effort in the forensic laboratory.
- Clear, well
defined, and relevant deliverables.
- Short project
time (typically one year or less).
- Close communication
between an FBI scientist and the point of contact at all project
stages.
- Commitment
of point of contact to testing, validating, and implementing the
research and development product.
There are several
mechanisms enabling state and local laboratories to become involved
in the Research Partnership Program. A research partner may submit
a requirement for a need at the state or local level. In this case,
an FBI scientist works with the potential participant to frame and
scope research and development projects based on end-user requirements.
These proposals, along with proposals to address FBI internal requirements,
are included in the annual review process by which FBI management
determines research and development priorities. A partner may request
to join an ongoing research and development project. A partner may
collaborate on a requirement to populate a national forensic database.
In the Research
Partnership Program, scientists from participating laboratories
work closely with FBI research personnel. Some research projects
may be performed by FBI personnel at Quantico, Virginia, or by a
reliable contractor. When the partner completes a project, participants
actively take part in testing and validating studies at the FBI’s
Research Laboratory in Quantico, and when appropriate, coauthor
technical publications. It is also the responsibility of the research
partner to implement the new technology. For the Research Partnership
Program national forensic database development projects, participants
will travel to Quantico to receive training in scientific working
group-defined protocols and to perform analysis on database samples.
In addition to training and contributing to the database, Research
Partnership Program national database partner laboratories receive
the most recent version of the database and all subsequent updates.
Examples
of Potential Research Partnership Program Activities
Participants
in the Research Partnership Program may make valuable contributions
to almost any project involving crime scene processing, collecting
evidence, developing new analytical methods, comparing analytical
alternatives, or generating reference databases. A few examples
include:
- Developing
a new method for analyzing a class of drugs.
- Participating
in field testing under conditions and in locales managed primarily
by state and local agencies.
- Enhancing
a DNA-extraction protocol.
- Comparing
commercially available DNA typing kits.
- Testing
a field kit for arson and explosives residue.
- Expanding
a spectral database library.
- Evaluating
a new developer for latent fingerprints.
- Developing
a more precise method of neutralizing an improvised explosive
device.
National
Forensic Database Development Partnerships
Many types of
forensic examinations require the support of a large, up-to-date
reference collection, preferably in the form of a searchable database.
The FBI is encouraging the Research Partnership Program to support
the grassroots construction of a variety of databases. Forensic
examiners from laboratories are then encouraged to participate in
the generation or enhancement of national forensic databases.
For a national
forensic database development project, a participant will travel
to Quantico, Virginia, for two to four weeks training in the scientific
working group-defined standardized forensic analysis protocols.
As a member of the national forensic database team, the participating
agency would work with FBI scientists to assist in the collection
and measurement of reference samples in order to populate the database.
The Research Partner will receive a copy of the database and subsequent
database updates. In addition to generating and augmenting databases,
Research Partnership Program national forensic database development
projects benefit the forensic community by promoting standardization
of methods and protocols.
Examples
of 2003 Databasing Requirements
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Auto Carpet Fiber Database
- Commercial
Products Database
- Database
of Petroleum Background Profiles from Household Materials
- Expansion
of the National Forensic Tape File Database
- Polymeric
Libraries of FTIR and Py-GC/MS Spectra
- Statistical
Analysis of Handwriting Characteristics
Forensic
Science Research and Development Partnerships
The
Research Partnership Program was introduced as a pilot program to
the state and local laboratories at the FBI’s 2002 Annual Symposium
on Crime Laboratory Development in St. Louis, Missouri. Interested
laboratories were asked to submit their research requirements to
the FBI. Twenty-five state and local forensic laboratories requested
to participate in the Research Partnership Program through collaboration
in ongoing 2002 research projects or proposed 2003 research projects.
State and Local
Forensic Laboratories Requesting Participation in the FBI’s Research
Partnership Program
Anne Arundel
County Police Crime Laboratory, Maryland
Arkansas
State Crime Laboratory
California
Department of Justice
Colorado
Bureau of Investigation
Forensic
Laboratory Division ACCO (Allegheny County, Pennsylvania)
Honolulu Police Department
Idaho
State Police
Illinois
State Police
Indianapolis-Marion
County Forensic Laboratory, Indiana
Institute
of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico
Johnson
County Criminalistics Laboratory, Kansas
Kentucky
State Police Division of Forensic Services
Louisiana
State Police Crime Laboratory
Maryland
State Police
Massachusetts
State Police Crime Laboratory
Michigan
State Police
Minnesota
Forensic Science Services
Oklahoma
State Bureau of Investigation
Orange
County Sheriff, California
Phoenix
Police Department, Arizona
Rhode
Island State Crime Laboratory
Santa
Clara County District Attorney=s Crime Laboratory, California
St. Louis
Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri
Ventura
County Sheriff=s
Forensic Sciences Laboratory, California
Washington State Patrol
2002-2003
Research Partnership Program
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2002 Research and Development Projects (Active)
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Development of a Precise Aiming Mechanism
for an Explosive Device Disrupter
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Automation
of STR Analysis
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Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Laboratory, Indiana
- Institute
of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico
- Johnson
County Criminalistics Laboratory, Kansas
- Louisiana
State Police Crime Laboratory
- Michigan
State Police
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Evaluation
of a Commercially Developed mtDNA Control Region Typing Kit
That Uses a Linear Array of Sequence Specific Oligonucleotide
Probes to Assess Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms
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Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
- Phoenix
Police Department, Arizona
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Development
of a Field Kit for Arson and Explosives Residues
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Refinement
and Certification of the IR/ATR Explosives Library
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Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory
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Validation
for Toolmark Identification: Manufacturing Methods
- Minnesota
Forensic Science Services
- Washington
State Patrol
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Independent
Validation and Verification of Statistical Model for Qualitative
and Quantitative Aspects of Friction Ridge Identification
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Minnesota Forensic Science Services
- Orange
County Sheriff, California
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Interpretation
of Shoe Print Defects on Worn Shoes
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Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Laboratory, Indiana
- Orange
County Sheriff, California
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Field
Tests for Presumptive Detection of Gunshot Residue
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Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory
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Relative
Discriminating Power of Visible, UV/Visible, and UV/Fluorescence
Spectrophotometry of Dyed Textile Fibers
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Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory
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Analysis
of Biological Specimens for Quaternary Ammonium Drugs
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Institute of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico
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Evaluation
of Expert System Software for Short Tandem Repeat Analysis
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Colorado Bureau of Investigation
- Illinois
State Police
- Indianapolis-Marion
County Forensic Laboratory, Indiana
- Johnson
County Criminalistics Laboratory, Kansas
- Kentucky
State Police Division of Forensic Services
- Massachusetts
State Police Crime Laboratory
- Phoenix
Police Department, Arizona
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Bone
Protocol Enhancements
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Identification
of Mitochondrial Control Region SNPs
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High
Ramp Rate Gas Chromatography with Quadrupole MS Systems
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Kentucky State Police Division of Forensic Services
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Raman Spectrometry: Safety Evaluation and Search Algorithm
Enhancement
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Arkansas State Crime Laboratory
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Development
of Rapid Field Methods for RNA/DNA Extraction from Contaminated
Samples
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Ventura County Sheriff’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory, California
- Washington
State Patrol
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Statistical
Analysis of Handwriting Characteristics
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Institute of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico
- Michigan
State Police
- Minnesota
Forensic Science Services
- Phoenix
Police Department, Arizona
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Development
of a mtDNA Typing Assay for the Luminex 100TM Detection Platform
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Evaluation
of Dye Terminator Cycle Sequencing Kits for mtDNA Analysis
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Minnesota Forensic Science Services
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Microarray
Analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms
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Forensic Laboratory Division ACCO (Allegheny County, Pennsylvania)
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Quantitative
Assessment of the Accuracy of Fiber Comparisons
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Kentucky State Police Division of Forensic Services
- Louisiana
State Police Crime Laboratory
- Massachusetts
State Police Crime Laboratory
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Effect
of Latent Fingerprint Developers and Enhancers on DNA Analysis
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Anne Arundel County Police Crime Laboratory, Maryland
- Louisiana
State Police Crime Laboratory
- Orange
County Sheriff, California
- Santa
Clara County District Attorney’s Crime Laboratory, California
- Ventura
County Sheriff’s Forensic Sciences Laboratory, California
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Detection
of Pepper Spray on Clothing and Other Evidentiary Items that
Contain Visible/ Nonvisible Residues
- Ventura County Sheriff=s
Forensic Sciences Laboratory, California
- Massachusetts
State Police Crime Laboratory
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Identification
and Neutralization of PCR Inhibitors in DNA Extracts from
Biological Material Recovered from Soil
- Anne
Arundel County Police Crime Laboratory, Maryland
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2003
Research and Development Projects (Proposed)
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Robotic
Platform for Automated Measurement of Sample Concentration
and Preparation of PCRs
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Spectrochemical
Analysis of Questioned Documents
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Evaluation
of Educational and Training Requirements for Full or Technical
Operation of Portable/On-site Instrumentation
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Anne Arundel County Police Crime Laboratory, Maryland
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Improved
Determination of Muzzle-to-Target Distance
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Database
of Illicit Drug Tablet Logos and Markings
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St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri
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Database
of Petroleum Background Profiles from Household Materials
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Minnesota Forensic Science Services
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Y-Chromosomal
Genetic Analysis for Forensic Use
- Anne Arundel County Police Crime Laboratory,
Maryland
- Colorado
Bureau of Investigation
- Phoenix
Police Department, Arizona
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Analysis
of Lead Projectiles
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California Department of Justice
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Detection
of Ethanol-Producing Microorganisms in Liquid Blood Samples
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Fingerprint
Testing
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Orange County Sheriff, California
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Differentiation
of the Optical Isomers of Methamphetamine in Biological Extracts
- Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory
- Ventura
County Sheriff=s
Forensic Sciences Laboratory
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Evaluation
of Near Infrared Spectroscopy for Screening of Controlled
Drugs
- Anne Arundel County Police Crime Laboratory,
Maryland
- Louisiana
State Police Crime Laboratory
- Forensic
Laboratory Division ACCO (Allegheny County, Pennsylvania)
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Comparison
of Fired Bullets and Spent Cartridge Cases
- Honolulu Police Department
- Washington
State Patrol
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Comparison
of Cartridge Cases Using High Magnification
- California
Department of Justice
- Honolulu
Police Department
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Comparison
of Bullets Using High Magnification
- California
Department of Justice
- Rhode
Island State Crime Laboratory
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Evaluation
of Two Gunshot Residue Nitrite Pattern Methods
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Santa Clara County District Attorney=s Crime Laboratory, California
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MS/MS
of Fire Debris to Distinguish Pyrolysate Markers from Fuels
- California
Department of Justice
- Santa
Clara County District Attorney=s Crime Laboratory, California
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Permanence
of Friction Ridge Detail
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Orange County Sheriff, California
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Feasibility
of a Method to Separate Tape Adhesives
- Honolulu Police Department
- Washington
State Patrol
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Colored
Cyanoacrylate for Developing Latent Prints
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Survivability
of Latent Fingerprints on Improvised Explosive Device Components
- Phoenix Police Department, Arizona
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Digital
Rejuvenation of Indented Writing on Documents
- Honolulu
Police Department
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Visualization
of Obliterated Writing
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Honolulu Police Department
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Investigation
of X-ray-based Methods for Non-Destructive Analysis of Trace
Evidentiary Material
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California Department of Justice
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Capillary
Electrophoresis Analysis of Fiber Dyes
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Kentucky State Police Division of Forensic Services
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Requesting
Research Partnership Program Participation
The FBI seeks
additional partners from state and local laboratories to participate
in the Research Partnership Program.
Instructions for participating in research and development projects
A Research Partnership
Program workshop will be held in conjunction with the FBI’s Annual
Symposium on Crime Laboratory Development in September 2003.
Research requirements from the FBI case-working units will be presented
to the attending forensic laboratory directors and managers. At
this time, agencies may sign-up to partner on projects of mutual
interest. Requests to participate with the FBI with existing requirements
will be coordinated individually. Registering for the Annual
Symposium on Crime Laboratory Development is through the FBI
Virtual Academy at fbiva.fbiacademy.edu
(Note: An open section for the symposium will be posted in the summer
of 2003.)
Requirements
originating from state or local laboratories may be submitted at
any time using the New Research Requirement
Form. However, FBI Laboratory management and personnel establish
priorities for research and development requirements in the fourth
quarter of each fiscal year.
Instructions for participating in national forensic database development
projects
As sections
become available, national forensic database development projects
will be posted in the FBI Virtual Academy course catalog at fbiva.fbiacademy.edu.
Participants may request enrollment in national forensic database
development projects any time an open section is listed and until
the deadline is posted.
For additional
information contact:
Stephen
T. Homeyer
Unit Chief
Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit
Laboratory Division
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Quantico, Virginia
703-632-4582
shomeyer@fbiacademy.edu
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