News and Updates

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A large circle with a smaller circle in the middle. The small circle says "protect the American public from the dangers of illicit drugs" and has an icon of a mountain with a flag on top. The outer larger circle has icons and titles as follows: customs & border interdiction (passport icon), public health & harm reduction (hand with heart icon), law enforcement & first responder (shield icon), forensic science (beaker icon), emergency medicine (red cross icon), medical examiner & coroner (footprint icon),etc

NIST Report Outlines Challenges and Strategic Opportunities to Enhance Drug Detection and Data Sharing

October 24, 2024

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published the Drug Detection, Analysis, and Monitoring Workshop Report , which identifies

A laboratory technician wearing gloves, a mask and a lab coat holds a dropper over a vial with liquid that is held in the other hand. There are digital images floating around the center of the image as if seen on an invisible screen. The dropper is not exactly lined up with the opening of the vial, indicating that we are looking at the moment after the task of putting the liquid from the dropper into the vial is done and now the digital analysis will take place.

NIST Report Outlines Strategic Opportunities to Advance Forensic Science in the U.S.

September 4, 2024

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published Strategic Opportunities to Advance Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward

NIST’s New Hemp Reference Material Will Help Ensure Accurate Cannabis Measurements

July 8, 2024

This will help forensic labs correctly determine whether a seized material is hemp, which is legal in all 50 states, or marijuana, which is a controlled

Person pours a cream-colored liquid alongside a shoeprint in the dirt.

Spotlight: Forensics Videos and App for Collecting Trace Evidence

January 8, 2024

When it comes to crime scene investigation, a lot needs to happen behind the scenes so that judges and juries can trust the validity of evidence presented at

Carina Hahn sits at a workstation and looks at a computer screen.

Spotlight: Measuring the Decisions of Human Facial Forensic Examiners

September 19, 2023

Human facial forensic examiners are trained to determine whether an image depicts a specific person or not.

Researchers Analyze THC in Breath of Cannabis Smokers

May 22, 2023

Distinguishing between recent use and past use remains an elusive goal.

A person in a baseball cap and face mask stands at a computer surrounded by scientific equipment, including a curving black plastic tube.

Animal Tranquilizer Floods Illicit Drug Markets in Maryland

March 16, 2023

NIST study shows alarming changes in the illegal drug supply.

Overview of the OSAC Seized Drugs Process Map

OSAC's Seized Drugs Subcommittee Develops Process Map

November 30, 2022

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science’s Seized Drugs Subcommittee has developed a process map that captures the decision

De-Identifying Government Data Sets: Third Public Draft Available for Comment

November 15, 2022

NIST has released the third public draft of NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-188, De-Identifying Government Data Sets, for public comment. De-identification

Boxes of old software stand on a shelf, inlcuding a flight simulator, Dark Souls II and a Kaspersky anti-virus product.

Step Inside the National Software Reference Library

October 18, 2022

More than one billion pieces of software rest in a closely monitored storage facility on the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

A blurry figure in the background holds out a black police helmet with a silver seal that reads "Norfolk Constabulary."

Spotlight: An Honor From Abroad for the National Software Reference Library

October 18, 2022

Far from home, an official ceremonial constable’s helmet from the United Kingdom rests comfortably in an office at NIST. But why?

A diagram showing the the teeth of the upper and lower human jaws, with central incisors, lateral incisors, canines, premolars and molars appearing in different colors.

Forensic Bitemark Analysis Not Supported by Sufficient Data, NIST Draft Review Finds

October 11, 2022

NIST scientific foundation reviews address issues of accuracy, reliability and validity in forensic science.

A fired cartridge case and a fired bullet.

Two New Forensic Firearm Examination Standards Added to the OSAC Registry of Approved Standards

August 8, 2022

Registry notches its 100th standard, marking a milestone for the forensic science organization.

Side view of Danielle Brager at a desk, looking at a monitor, hand on a computer mouse.

Spotlight: Danielle Brager on the Move in Mathematics

July 28, 2022

Nearly every step of her success has involved an element of personal discovery, plus the advice of good mentors.

NIST Update to Software Reference Library Will Aid in Criminal Investigations

June 27, 2022

Expanded, more searchable database will help law enforcement find incriminating images in electronic media.

NIST Publishes Review of Digital Forensic Methods

May 10, 2022

Report documents the scientific foundations of digital evidence examination and recommends ways to advance the field.

OSAC's Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee Develops DNA Analysis Process Map

May 5, 2022

The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science’s Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee, with contributions from the Scientific Working

Two tiny square chips are shown with a coin for scale.

Spotlight: A Literal Blast From the Past With NIST Quantum Sensors

February 10, 2022

This mite of a sensor just showed its forensic might. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory used the NIST sensors shown here to demonstrate a highly

Sneezes, Rain Clouds and Ink Jets: NIST Improves the Ability of Optical Microscopes to Measure the Volume of Microdroplets

December 20, 2021

Sneezes, rain clouds, and ink jet printers: They all produce or contain liquid droplets so tiny it would take several billion of them to fill a liter bottle

Forensic Science