Apply to Join OSAC

The success of OSAC's efforts to facilitate the development and promote the use of technically sound standards depends on the collaboration and dedication of volunteers who have expertise in a broad array of forensic science disciplines as well as scientific research, statistics, law and policy.

Do you want to participate in the standards development process and make an impact on the forensic science community? Complete and submit OSAC's online application form to be eligible and considered for OSAC membership.

Applicant Selection

• OSAC accepts membership applications on a continuous basis. Potential members, affiliates, and Scientific & Technical Review (STR) members will be selected from this applicant pool. 
• OSAC members are appointed on an annual basis (each October) to the Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB), scientific area committees (SACs), subcommittees and interdisciplinary committees and may also serve on task groups.
• OSAC affiliates are appointed as needed to serve on task groups. For example, OSAC subcommittees routinely form task groups to address specific forensic science issues. OSAC affiliates are selected from the applicant pool and appointed by the chair of the relevant OSAC committee to help with the specific task group assignments.
• STR members are appointed to serve on specific STRs for the duration of that STR's review process which is typically three- to four-months in duration. STRs members are permitted to serve on multiple STRs concurrently. 
• Applicants who are not selected for OSAC positions will remain in the applicant pool for three years and will continue to be eligible for future OSAC membership vacancies during this time. 
• Applicants are encouraged to complete a new application at least every three years to maintain accurate information on file. 

Membership Commitment Requirements

• OSAC membership positions have three-year terms and are eligible for reappointment to a second three-year term.
• OSAC members must sign and adhere to the OSAC Code of Responsibility.
• The SACs, subcommittees and task groups will conduct business through both virtual and in-person meetings. Virtual meetings typically occur once a month and require approximately two hours of time commitment. Members may also be invited to participate in an annual in-person meeting funded by NIST that generally runs 3.5 days.
• OSAC members are also required to review and edit documents on a periodic basis.

associated links

• Read the Terms of Reference (ToR) documents found on OSAC's Governing Documents webpage to learn about the roles and responsibilities of the various OSAC units. 
• View the OSAC Overview Flyer to learn more about the benefits to volunteering.

The information collected in the application process will not be shared with any third parties and will be used solely by the OSAC Program Office to make selections to committees or task groups. 

If you've previously applied and would like to withdraw your application, please contact the OSAC Program Office (forensics [at] nist.gov (forensics[at]nist[dot]gov)).

If you've previously applied and need to update your information, please submit a new application.