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ASCLD Forensic Research Committee Provides Useful Resources for Researchers and Practitioners

ASCLD Forensic Research Committee

The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) Forensic Research Committee (FRC) works to identify the research, development, technology and evaluation needs and priorities for the forensic science community. The FRC has several initiatives and resources available on its website to aid both researchers and practitioners. Below, we highlight a few of those resources.

For more information, visit the FRC website: https://www.ascld.org/forensic-research-committee/.

Collaboration Hub

The FRC collaboration hub hosts the Researcher-Practitioner Collaboration Directory. The directory helps connect researchers with ongoing projects to practitioners who are willing to participate in the studies. The searchable directory includes descriptions of each project, including an abstract and the estimated participant time involved. Researchers can easily submit their projects for inclusion in the directory by completing an online form.

ASCLD Research Priorities

FRC has created a list of high-impact research opportunities that help to identify key areas where impactful research would support the forensic science community and enhance lab operations. The research priorities list for 2022-2024 can be downloaded at https://www.ascld.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ASCLD-Research-Priority-Areas-2022-2024.pdf.

Lightning Talks

The FRC hosts a virtual “Lightning Talks” series to highlight new and emerging research in all areas of forensic science. Each episode features three short talks given by practitioners, researchers or students. Previous Lightning Talks are archived on FRC’s YouTube page.

Laboratories and Educators Alliance Program (LEAP)

LEAP facilitates collaborative research between academia and forensic science laboratories. This program identifies forensic science needs and provides a platform for laboratories, researchers and students to seek projects aligning with their mutual research capabilities. The FRC website includes a map of LEAP partners, a short video explaining LEAP and sign-up forms for crime labs and universities. LEAP is a joint effort between ASCLD and the Council of Forensic Science Educators (COFSE).

Validation and Evaluation Repository

The Validation and Evaluation Repository is a list of unique validations and evaluations conducted by forensic labs and universities. ASCLD’s summary of the repository states, “It is ASCLD’s hope that this listing will foster communication and reduce unnecessary repetition of validations and evaluations to benefit the forensic community.” The searchable repository is available at https://www.ascld.org/validation-evaluation-repository/

Research Executive Summaries

The Future Forensics Subcommittee of the FRC has initiated the publication of brief executive summaries of the recent literature within the forensic sciences. The summaries are written by ASCLD members and are meant to provide a brief overview of noteworthy publications and trends in the literature. Currently, the summaries include reviews in the areas of fingermarks, controlled substances, paint and glass evidence, forensic toxicology, forensic biology, gunshot residue analysis and firearms and toolmarks.