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Special Programs Office (SPO)

News and Updates

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Fire Investigator Qualifications Standard Approved for OSAC Registry

December 22, 2016

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science has approved the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard for

Department of Justice and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Name New Member of National Commission on Forensic Science

December 13, 2016

DOJ Contact: Office of Public Affairs, 202-514-2007 WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and

Trace Evidence Databases: A Force Multiplier for Forensic Investigators

November 7, 2016

A window is broken. A home is burglarized. Investigators identify a suspect and find a sliver of what appears to be glass embedded in his shoe. In the forensics

Laboratory Standard ISO/IEC 17025 Added to OSAC Registry

September 27, 2016

Today, the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science announces the addition of the International Organization for Standardization

Fire and Explosion Investigation Guideline Approved for OSAC Registry

September 20, 2016

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science has approved the National Fire Protection Association Guide for Fire and Explosion

Robotic Exoskeletons: The Standards Gap

September 15, 2016

Robotic exoskeletons are a common sight in science fiction movies—think Ironman, or the power loader that Ellen Ripley used to wrestle her nemesis in Aliens—but

The box cover for Asteroids for the Atari 7800 gaming system

Digital Forensics Rescues Retro Video Games and Software

September 12, 2016

Starting in the mid-1980s, a young man named Stephen Cabrinety filled his home with video games and software. He piled unopened boxes to the ceilings—everything

Department of Justice and National Institute of Standards and Technology Name Two Experts as New Members of National Commission on Forensic Science

June 16, 2016

DOJ Contact: Office of Public Affairs, 202-514-2007 WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Commerce's National Institute of

How to Quantify the Weight of Forensic Evidence: A Lively Debate

June 2, 2016

On May 5 and 6, 2016, NIST hosted a technical colloquium on an important question facing virtually every branch of forensic science today: How should forensic

R&D by NIST and Partners Yields New Standard for Safer Ambulances

September 22, 2015

Thanks to a newly updated standard for ambulance design based on research and development by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and two

U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce Name Six Experts as New Members of National Commission on Forensic Science

August 6, 2015

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced six

New Report Recommends Policies for Improved Preservation of Biological Evidence

April 20, 2015

All states should have laws ensuring that criminal justice systems properly handle, store and retain forensic biological evidence, according to a new report*

NIST Presentations at AAFS 2015 Point to the Future of Forensic Science

March 20, 2015

The future of forensic science was on display at last month's American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Several NIST researchers

Mapping Microscopic Surfaces Could Help Solve Crimes

March 10, 2015

Topographic maps that display surface features like mountains, valleys and coast lines, have long helped people navigate great distances. Forensic science

NIST Forensic Science Standards Committees to Hold First Public Meetings in February 2015

January 27, 2015

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC), which coordinates the development of standards and guidelines for the forensic science community under

Mountaintop Sensor Finds High Methane over LA

January 14, 2015

From NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Jan. 13, 2015 A study using two years of observations from a novel mountaintop instrument finds that Los Angeles' annual

NIST Announces Initial Members of Forensic Science Digital Evidence Subcommittee

December 22, 2014

Digital evidence plays a growing role in a wide variety of crimes as cell phones, computers, GPS and other digital devices carry increasing amounts of

NIST-Funded Researcher Wins Honor for Food Safety Test

December 4, 2014

News article courtesy the University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering University of Maryland (UMD) Fischell Department of Bioengineering

NIST Study 'Makes the Case' for RFID Forensic Evidence Management

December 4, 2014

Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags—devices that can transmit data over short distances to identify objects, animals or people—have become increasingly

402 Members Named to Forensic Science Standards Organization

October 29, 2014

The U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today the final appointments to the Organization for Scientific

NIST Megacities Carbon Project Named 'Project to Watch' by United Nations

September 15, 2014

A greenhouse gas field measurement research program developed by scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and several

It's a Match: NIST and Prince George's County Crime Lab Team Up on Ballistics Research

August 11, 2014

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology are working to improve ballistics matching methods with assistance from the Prince George's

NIST engineer pointing at a firing pin impression.

NIST Names Members to First Forensic Science Standards Board

June 26, 2014

As part of its efforts to improve the scientific basis of forensic evidence used in courts of law, the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of

New Report Addresses International Disaster Resilience for U.S. and Partner Countries

June 17, 2014

While national security efforts seek to prevent terrorist attacks, the United States and partner countries should also prepare to work together to mitigate the

Forensic Committee Application Closes for 2014; Candidates May Apply for 2015

May 14, 2014

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has received more than 1300 applications for new committees and subcommittees it is establishing to

Advanced communications
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