NIJ FY 09 Research and Development in the Forensic Analysis of Trace Evidence

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a component of the Office of Justice Programs (OJP). NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to enhance the administration of justice and public safety. NIJ solicits applications to inform its search for the knowledge and tools to guide policy and practice. With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for research and development in trace evidence investigation for criminal justice purposes. This solicitation is aimed at improving the ability to locate and identify trace evidence and to enhance the ability of crime laboratories to analyze trace evidence. NIJ is particularly interested in the following areas: • Novel methods to detect, collect, and preserve trace evidence from crime scenes and other evidentiary items. • Development of analytical techniques that will improve the discriminatory power of trace evidence beyond current practice. • Research on specificity/importance of microscopic comparisons of hair as compared with other techniques. • Novel approaches and enhancement of current approaches to interpret data derived from trace evidence, including assessment of the significance of association.