President's Message
Special Announcement of the 2020 ASCLD Annual Meeting
 
The Board of Directors has been committed to finding the correct pathway to allow ASCLD to move forward during this rather unconventional year. With the assistance of RTI International, ASCLD is going to be able to host a virtual annual meeting, which we believe will help us move forward as an organization.
 
Announcement of Annual Meeting, as required by ASCLD Bylaws. This CLM is providing 60 days’ notice that ASCLD, with the support of RTI International, will have our annual meeting on Wednesday, June 17 th , 2020, at 1pm (ET) . The ASCLD annual meeting is usually held at the Symposium for the following reasons:

• to elect members to the Board of Directors,
• to vote on the preceding year’s business meeting minutes,
• to report to the membership on the activities of the Board and its committees,
• to present matters such as bylaws revisions to a vote of the membership (of which there are none this year); and
• to present other issues that may require input or consensus from the membership.
 
Although this meeting may be slightly different than we are all used to, we have been reading, discussing, and evaluating, the bylaws very carefully. It is the consensus of the Board that there is nothing in the ASCLD Bylaws to address an Annual Meeting during a pandemic nor does it prohibit us from calling a virtual Annual Meeting. 
 
Election of the new Board of Directors. The candidates for the Board of Directors are currently making a 2-3min video explaining why they would like to serve on the Board, and how they feel they are a good fit for the Board. The video links will be posted on the ASCLD website for all of you to view. Don’t forget, their bios and other pertinent information were posted in the Executive Digest, which is also posted on the website. Per the ASCLD Bylaws, there will also be an opportunity to take nominations from the floor. ASCLD will be using an online voting program called Election Buddy . It is very important to note, that at the beginning of the meeting, you will be receiving an email from American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors < invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com > . The email will be sent to all eligible members using the email you have on file with ASCLD. You will have approximately thirty minutes to complete your ballot so we can tabulate, verify, validate and then announce the results before the end of the meeting.  
 
Vote on 2019 Business Meeting Minutes .  On the same ballot as the Board of Directors will also be a “Yes” or “No” vote to approve or reject the 2019 Business Meeting Minutes. The Draft 2019 Business Meeting Minutes are posted for review on the ASCLD website File Repository under Members/ASCLD Business Meeting Minutes/2019. 
 
To verify your vote, you will need your membership number, which our Executive Director will be happy to provide to you, if needed, ahead of time. 
 
A reminder email or two will be sent out between now and the annual meeting. Instructions for logging into the virtual meeting will be provided in those emails. Please help us continue to move forward as an organization.
 
Should you have any questions or you would like more information, please do not hesitate to send an email to asclddirector@gmail.com .
 
Stay safe and stay healthy! I hope you have a great week.
 
Brooke

Looking Ahead
May 15, 2020 - Board Meeting - telephonic
June 17, 2020 - Annual Meeting - virtual
Weekly News and Resources
Community Research, Newsletters, and Surveys
Message from the Trauma & Stress Working Group:

Recently, the Trauma & Stress Working group has added a document to the Manger’s Toolkit which will help managers detect and mitigate stress, vicarious trauma, and burnout in forensic practitioners. The timely detection and mitigation of these issues is critical for the individual's well-being and the employer's retention of productive employees. We would like to encourage everyone review the document  Management Detection and Mitigation of Stress, Vicarious Trauma, and Burnout in Forensic Practitioners
SWGDRUG Would like your Input

The Scientific Working Group for the Analysis of Seized Drugs (SWGDRUG) has posted two DRAFT revised documents for review by the forensic science community. To ensure the document addresses the needs of the community, SWGDRUG invites your comments and suggestions.  

The two documents are available on the SWGDRUG website  http://www.swgdrug.org/pending.htm . Please provide your comments on this proposed document using the provided survey links. 

PART IV A- QUALITY ASSURANCE/GENERAL PRACTICES:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2C3Z2XN

SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENT SD-5, REPORTING EXAMPLES:    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2QJXQZK

Responses from the community will be collected until May 10, 2020. Thank you for taking part in the recommendation process. SWGDRUG appreciates your efforts in helping to build consensus within the community.  


Laboratory managers and supervisors may be interested in getting their laboratory involved in this very important study. See attached for announcement from NIST and Noblis.
Forensic Research Committee Bulletin - March Issue
The goal of the Laboratories and Educators Alliance Program (LEAP) is to facilitate collaborative research between academia and forensic science laboratories. This joint effort between the American Society of Crime Lab Directors (ASCLD) and the Council of Forensic Science Educators (COFSE) identifies forensic science needs and provides a platform for laboratories, researchers, and students to seek projects aligning with their mutual research capabilities. Read more...
Funding Opportunities
Important notice: deadlines for NIJ solicitations are unchanged (with a couple of 3/2020 exceptions), applications are due by the 4/20/2020 deadline. 
  
Solicitation Reminder and Notice:

NIJ Research and Evaluation on Drugs & Crime Fiscal Year 2020 Solicitation: https://nij.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh171/files/media/document/NIJ-2020-17275.pdf Applications Due: April 20, 2020
 
NIJ's Drugs and Crime Research Program supports rigorous applied research on
evidence-based tools, protocols, and policies for state, tribal, and local law
enforcement and other criminal justice agencies that address drug trafficking,
drug markets, and drug-related violence. The focus of this research solicitation is
narcotics-related criminal investigation, prosecution, intelligence, and community
surveillance relevant to law enforcement and medicolegal death investigation activities.
 
The FY2020 solicitation's drug priorities are: methamphetamine and other
stimulants, including diverted pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and their analogues.
 
Notice: Under the circumstances surrounding the pandemic, NIJ will accept
applications without signed written agreements if proposed research partners are
unable to fully execute those by April 20, but applicants selected for funding must
produce those by January 1, 2021; see solicitation update.
 
A new solicitation from NIJ for FY2020 entitled " NIJ’s National Center on Forensics" has just been released.  The solicitation was posted April 6, 2020, and will be closing 11:59 p.m. eastern time on June 5, 2020. 
See below for more details.


W ith this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals from qualified applicants to establish
and operate the NIJ National Center on Forensics to:

Facilitate a partnership amongst:

  1. A full-service State department of forensic science with a medical examiner function;
  2. An accredited university of higher education with affiliate medical and law schools; and
  3. A statewide district attorneys association.

For the purpose of:

  1. Providing medico-legal learning opportunities for medical students to train as deputy medical examiners/coroners in underserved rural areas;
  2. Providing forensic science and legal training to district attorneys, judges, and law enforcement; and
  3. Developing opportunities, as appropriate, amongst the designated partners to benefit current and future practitioners in the field.

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 5, 2020.
To learn more about NIJ’s Drugs and Crime Research Portfolio, please visit https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/drugs . General application information is available at https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/guidance-applicants-and-awardees .
 
Two NIJ FY2020 Forensic Research, Development, and Evaluation solicitations were posted yesterday, both closing 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 18, 2020.  



FY 2020 Academic-based Drug Field Testing and Training Initiative


Applications are due May 8, 2020
Standards Corner


Click HERE to review standards available for comment.

OSAC News
April 2020 OSAC Standards Bulletin now available, click HERE
Training
For additional information, please visit  https://iafs2020.com.au/
9th Annual Forensic Science Symposium
June 2-4, 2020
Miami, Florida

Join more than 200 forensic science colleagues and aspiring scientists from Florida and beyond at the 9th Annual Forensic Science Symposium at the beautiful Florida International University Modesto A. Maidique Campus in Miami. The symposium will be held June 2-4, 2020.

The 2020 symposium will showcase topics like DNA, chemistry, toxicology, digital forensics and latent prints, and include expanded criminal justice subjects beyond the laboratory. Workshops and a poster session will be included. Registration will be $30 and free for students. Group registration for agencies is also available.

We are looking for innovative topics and dynamic speakers to share their expertise. A call for abstracts will be released soon. 

You can sign up for news on the symposium webpage , follow # FIUForensics for updates, and even visit the event page to set a registration reminder. 

Questions about attending, sponsoring or presenting at the symposium? Email forensic@fiu.edu . 
ANAB - Upcoming training events

April 28-May 1, 2020, San Antonio, TX
June 16-19, 2020, Minneapolis, MN
September 15-18, 2020, Washington, D.C.
November 3-6, 2020, Rancho Cordova, CA
 
April 28-May 1, 2020, New York, NY
May 12-15, 2020, San Francisco, CA
June 9-12, 2020, Milwaukee, WI
June 23-26, 2020, Towson, MD
November 16-19, 2020 Fort Worth, TX

June 23-26, 2020 (2-4pm ET)

June 24-26, 2020 (11am-1pm ET)

April 7-9, 2020, Washington, D.C.

May 5-8, 2020, Washington, D.C.
August 4-7, 2020, St. Louis

May 19, 2020, Cary, NC
May 20-21, 2020, Cary, NC 

April 8-9, 2020, Springfield, VA
ASCLD Partnerships
Crime Lab Minute Sponsors
For More Information, Click the LOGO below:
A2LA WorkPlace Training (A2LA WPT) is a nonprofit organization established with a vision of being the leading management systems, conformity assessment, and measurement training company in the world. Our mission is to provide independent, world-class training programs that inspire confidence in the quality of service and acceptance of results from organizations.
 
Be a leader in your industry by building confidence and consistency in your product through A2LA WPT’s broad spectrum of instructor-led and online e-learning training courses. Move ahead of your competition by learning best practices on international standards, quality systems, technical tools, and soft skill s.
Donate to ASCLD
Donations to ASCLD can now be made online! This is a great way to honor the memory of a forensic colleague, to commemorate a life event for that person who has everything, or to otherwise assist in supporting the tireless efforts of the ASCLD organization in the pursuit of excellence in forensic science management. The donation page can be accessed by clicking HERE or by visiting the ASCLD website and clicking on "Donate to ASCLD" under the "Member Site" tab (this donation page is accessible even to non-members). Please consider donating and do share this information with anyone you think might be interested.
The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors

65 Glen Road, Suite 123
Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919.773.2044