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- Trend Reports
- Public Alerts
- Drug Checking
- Clinical Reports
- Scope Recommendations
- Analytical Toolkits
- Monographs In collaboration with toxicology labs, medical examiner and coroner offices, crime laboratories, clinical partners, and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the CFSRE is documenting the first reports of NPS in the United States through analysis of drug materials and/or biological samples. These reports are generated using comprehensive analytical techniques (e.g., GC-MS, LC-QTOF-MS, NMR) and include available information about the new substances identified at the time of reporting, as well as the analytical data generated during testing. Learn More >
- Trend Reports The CFSRE is developing quarterly trend reports associated with NPS occurrence in the United States. These trend reports are intended to provide near real-time information regarding NPS prevalence, positivity, and turnover. Testing was performed using biological samples, sample extracts, and/or datafiles. The CFSRE received funding from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop this initiative. Learn More >
- Public Alerts The CFSRE is developing Public Alerts and related reports to increase public awareness regarding NPS involvement in adverse intoxications, mass overdoses, and fatalities. These reports are generated based on subsets of data collected at or near the time of first report or incidence and may not necessarily reflect all results for a specific emerging NPS. Learn More >
- Drug Checking The CFSRE is collaborating with public health agencies to collect up-to-date information regarding the drug supply in various cities and communities across the United States. Drug checking allows individuals to draw scientifically backed opinions and understand complex drug data based on accurate and reliable testing protocols. Our leading team of toxicologists and chemists help acquire data and interpret results based on years of knowledge and experience. Learn More >
- Clinical Reports Drug use can lead to adverse events and overdose scenarios where individuals present to emergency departments for clinical evaluation and/or treatment. The culprit can be traditional drugs (e.g., heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine) or novel psychoactive substances (NPS); however, proper drug testing methodologies must be employed for accurate identification and characterization. The CFSRE is collaborating with clinicians and emergency department physicians to employ comprehensive drug testing of clinical biological specimens collected after suspected NPS-related overdoses in various cities across the United States. Learn More >
- Scope Recommendations The NPS landscape is changing rapidly, requiring laboratories to constantly remain abreast of new and emerging drugs locally, nationally, and internationally. To meet individualized needs, laboratories amend existing methods or develop new ones for detection and confirmation. This can be challenging for scientists as information about NPS detections can be regionalized and/or out-of-date, making it difficult to determine which drugs should be prioritized at a given time. The CFSRE and the SOFT NPS Committee have established recommendations for NPS scope based on information from extensive collaborations, partnerships, and initiatives which yield national perspectives. Learn More >
- Analytical Toolkits The CFSRE is developing NPS Discovery Toolkits as a consolidation of our program outcomes into a comprehensive new document detailing relevant information about the detection and characterization of a specified NPS. This “toolkit” includes basic drug information, date of first appearance, prevalence, temporal trends, geographical trends, demographics, poly-drug combinations (including with other NPS), metabolism, methods for identification and confirmation, reference concentration ranges, and much more. Learn More >
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Journal of Forensic Sciences
As the official publication of AAFS, the Journal of Forensic Sciences (JFS) brings you original investigations, observations, scholarly inquiries and reviews in various branches of the forensic sciences. Through the JFS , we aim to strengthen the scientific foundation of forensic science in legal and regulatory communities around the world. If you are not a member of the Academy, you must subscribe to JFS in order to access full length articles or utilize the purchase instant access option.
Explore this section
- Frequently Asked Questions
- JFS Editorial Board
- Author Information
- JFS Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence
- About JFS Noteworthy Articles
- JFS Issues 1972 to 2005
I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude once again for your invaluable assistance in facilitating the publication of our research. We are truly delighted with the exceptional quality of work displayed throughout the rigorous evaluation process. Your commitment to excellence is evident and greatly appreciated.
Based on our positive experience, I am excited to share with you that we will definitely be submitting our future manuscripts to this esteemed journal. Your dedication to advancing scholarly research is commendable, and we look forward to collaborating again in the future.
Thank you once more for your unwavering support and professionalism.
What is the JFS Noteworthy Articles initiative?
JFS Noteworthy Articles is a collection of JFS articles chosen to feature some of the most impactful scientific articles representing the breadth and multidisciplinary nature of forensic science. JFS Editors select the articles annually, which are in turn featured as a special collection made openly available and free to read for a limited period of time. Selection of an article for the collection highlights the published work of author(s) or a research team.
- List of 2023 Noteworthy Articles
- View Articles
- Frequently Asked Questions - Noteworthy Articles
Virtual Issue Celebrating National Forensic Science Week!
The articles in this collection illustrate how JFS has been an important vehicle in helping the forensic science community understand the breadth, depth, and complexity of the digital world – which truly touches all aspects of forensic science.
From the Current Issue
- Early View Articles
- Latest Issue
- Emergence of semi‐synthetic cannabinoids in cannabis products seized in Eastern Denmark...
- An analysis of 105 female‐perpetrated mass murders
- A comparative review of error rates in forensic handwriting examination
From the Journal
There are over 6,000 current JFS articles that are digitally available, and that number is continuously increasing as authors are aiming to publish new research everyday in order to keep up with the tremendous advancement of forensic science. Use these resources to properly navigate JFS content.
- November 2024 Issue
- September 2024 Issue with Special Section on Disaster Victim Identification
- September 2023 Issue with Special Section on Fentanyl and its Analogs in Forensic Science
- Most accessed
- Browse Free Sample Issue
- 2023 Noteworthy Articles
- 2022 JFS Noteworthy Articles
- 2021 JFS Noteworthy Articles
- 2020 JFS Noteworthy Articles
- 2019 JFS Noteworthy Articles
- 2024 JFS Virtual Issue: Artifacts in Digital & Multimedia Forensics
- 2023 JFS Virtual Issue: The Path Forward – Forensic Sciences Response to the National Academies of Sciences Report 2009
- 2022 JFS Virtual Issue: Role of Forensic Anthropology in Mass Disaster Identification
- 2021 JFS Virtual Issue: Forensic Science and Terrorism
- 2020 JFS Virtual Issue: Advances in Pattern Recognition
For Authors
Each year, JFS publishes scientific research from authors around the world. We welcome original manuscript submissions focusing on research with theoretical or practical implications for the forensic sciences.
- Subscribe to JFS
As a dues paying AAFS member, you receive a digital subscription to the Journal of Forensic Sciences . Students of AAFS receive discounted journal access.
- Renew your membership
Recent JFS News
Jfs newly published november 2024 issue now available, jfs honors peer review week 2024, announcing wiley research heroes prize, jfs compiles virtual issue to celebrate national forensic science week, journal of forensic sciences announces “special section on disaster victim identification”..., jfs announces ninth forensic lab talks seminar, journal of forensic sciences announces new associate editor, jfs announces eighth forensic lab talks seminar, jfs newly published july 2024 issue now available.
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Forensic Science Research and Development
Through its funding of forensic science research and development, NIJ continues to advance the speed, accuracy, and scope of forensic analysis, which ultimately bolsters the administration of justice. NIJ affirms that scientific advancements and technological breakthroughs are essential to the continued growth and strengthening of the forensic sciences.
Under this portfolio, NIJ builds and maintains the forensic science research infrastructure. NIJ's research and development funding enhances the development of (1) physical capital by supporting the acquisition, maintenance, and development of laboratory instrumentation; (2) intellectual capital by supporting researchers and providing learning and training experiences for scientists at all career stages; and (3) structural capital by funding projects that support databases and add to the scientific literature.
Funded Research and Development Projects
View a list of all forensic science research and development projects ; or by discipline:
- Controlled substances/seized drugs
- Digital evidence forensics
- Forensic anthropology/odontology
- Alternative genetic markers
- Compromised DNA evidence
- Human DNA quantitation
- Miniaturization and automation
- Mitochondrial DNA
- Non-human DNA
- Y-chromosome analysis
- Microbial analysis
- Sperm detection and separation
- Fire and arson
- Forensic pathology
- Impression and pattern evidence
- Forensic toxicology
- Trace evidence
See also NIJ's program for Research and Evaluation in Publicly Funded Forensic Laboratories
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Recent advances in forensic science research
For immediate release, acs news service weekly presspac: april 20, 2022.
Forensic scientists collect and analyze evidence during a criminal investigation to identify victims, determine the cause of death and figure out “who done it.” Below are some recent papers published in ACS journals reporting on new advances that could help forensic scientists solve crimes. Reporters can request free access to these papers by emailing newsroom@acs.org .
“Insights into the Differential Preservation of Bone Proteomes in Inhumed and Entombed Cadavers from Italian Forensic Caseworks” Journal of Proteome Research March 22, 2022 Bone proteins can help determine how long ago a person died (post-mortem interval, PMI) and how old they were at the time of their death (age at death, AAD), but the levels of these proteins could vary with burial conditions. By comparing bone proteomes of exhumed individuals who had been entombed in mausoleums or buried in the ground, the researchers found several proteins whose levels were not affected by the burial environment, which they say could help with AAD or PMI estimation.
“Carbon Dot Powders with Cross-Linking-Based Long-Wavelength Emission for Multicolor Imaging of Latent Fingerprints” ACS Applied Nanomaterials Jan. 21, 2022 For decades, criminal investigators have recognized the importance of analyzing latent fingerprints left at crime scenes to help identify a perpetrator, but current methods to make these prints visible have limitations, including low contrast, low sensitivity and high toxicity. These researchers devised a simple way to make fluorescent carbon dot powders that can be applied to latent fingerprints, making them fluoresce under UV light with red, orange and yellow colors.
“Proteomics Offers New Clues for Forensic Investigations” ACS Central Science Oct. 18, 2021 This review article describes how forensic scientists are now turning their attention to proteins in bone, blood or other biological samples, which can sometimes answer questions that DNA can’t. For example, unlike DNA, a person’s complement of proteins (or proteome) changes over time, providing important clues about when a person died and their age at death.
“Integrating the MasSpec Pen with Sub-Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization for Rapid Chemical Analysis and Forensic Applications” Analytical Chemistry May 19, 2021 These researchers previously developed a “MasSpec Pen,” a handheld device integrated with a mass spectrometer for direct analysis and molecular profiling of biological samples. In this article, they develop a new version that can quickly and easily detect and measure compounds, including cocaine, oxycodone and explosives, which can be important in forensics investigations.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, e-books and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News . ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
Registered journalists can subscribe to the ACS journalist news portal on EurekAlert! to access embargoed and public science press releases. For media inquiries, contact newsroom@acs.org .
Note: ACS does not conduct research but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies.
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https://www.nist.gov/forensic-science/research-focus-areas
Forensic Science Program
Research focus areas.
The Forensic Science Research Program accelerates the development of science-based measurement methods, standards, tools, and assessments to underpin reliable, accurate, interoperable, and validated forensic analysis.
Our objectives are to strengthen the quality and practice of forensic science by conducting impactful research and development; producing reference materials, data, and tools; creating guidelines and manuals; supporting method testing, evaluation, and validation; and fostering partnerships with forensic stakeholders.
Forensic Science Research Program Manager
- Robert Ramotowski [email protected] (301) 975-4772