Dear ASCLD Colleagues,
Happy President’s Day! Typically, many of us would be gathering at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting. Due to the pandemic, this meeting has moved to a virtual platform. But it still has all of the great content that we have come to expect at an Academy meeting. I hope many of you are taking part.
Forensic science has many stakeholders. This includes our primary customers, attorneys and investigators, as well as jurors, judges, social scientists, research programs, granting agencies, the communities we serve, and more. Many of you may have community engagement programs or educate these stakeholders in some way.
This week we are showcasing two crime laboratories and videos they created to engage stakeholders, the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory and the lab where I got my start in forensics, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department Regional Crime Laboratory.
Check out these two minute pieces:
Have a terrific week!
Be well,
Erin
Erin P. Forry
ASCLD President
|
|
ASCLD monthly board meeting, 3rd Friday of every month
Next meeting: February 19th, 2021 at 1:00pm EST
|
|
Weekly News and Resources |
|
ASCLD has a few award opportunities with deadlines listed below. If you have any questions, please contact office@ascld.org and your questions will be forwarded to Nominations & Awards committee chair, Director Scott O’Neill.
deadline February 15th
deadline April 30th
|
|
“Attention! The Forensic Research Committee of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors announces it will be extending the deadline for submissions to March 1st!”
The Forensic Research Committee of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors announces
The LEAP Collaboration Award. (flyer)
The Outstanding Evaluation/Validation Award. (flyer)
The Second Annual Innovation Award. (flyer)
Application Process:
1. Complete the application, found at https://www.ascld.org/nominations/
2. Include a 1 – 2 page description of the evaluation/validation study, specifically addressing the criteria
Application Window: December 14th, 2020 - March 1, 2021
|
|
Also, please continue to submit your photos to social media with the hashtag #ASCLDfun
Here are some photos of forensic science in action!
|
|
Is your laboratory doing something exciting like building a new lab, incorporating new standards or tackling and overcoming operational challenges during COVID? Are you interested in submitting an article for publication in the CLM? Please submit articles electronically to https://www.ascld.org/clm-submission/
|
|
NIJ recently released a new FY2021 solicitation on “Research and Evaluation on Crime Laboratory Systems and Processes”. With this solicitation NIJ seeks proposals for research and evaluation projects aimed at understanding and strengthening the accuracy and reliability of a crime laboratory’s systems and processes.
Closing date is March 22, 2021
Please note:
In FY 2021, applications will be submitted in a new two-step process, each with its own deadline:
1. Submit an SF-424 and an SF-LLL in Grants.gov.
Step 1, Grants.gov, Deadline: March 8, 2021, by 11:59 PM ET
2. Submit the full application including attachments in JustGrants.
Step 2, Application JustGrants, Deadline: March 22, 2021, by 11:59 PM ET
For more information, click HERE. |
|
Community Research, Newsletters, and Surveys |
|
ASB updates from ANSI Standards Action
To view a summary of items of interest to ASB members in ANSI Standards Action, visit the ANSI Standards Action Weekly Report folder on the ASB Workspace page. Please contact asb@aafs.org if you have difficulties logging on to the Workspace site.
|
|
The Forensic Science Masters Program at Arcadia University is currently working on a project to gather the opinions of forensic biologists about “Activity Level Evaluative Reporting” through a Qualtrics survey. With the increased stress and uncertainty because of COVID19, we understand that time is limited. The survey should not take more than 5-10 minutes depending on the depth of your answers. This survey bridges important gaps in forensic literature and aims to better inform practitioners regarding activity level
reporting.
Please feel free to share the link to the survey below with your lab staff. We would appreciate getting the thoughts and opinions of as many forensic scientists as possible.
|
|
The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science monthly Standards Bulletin is now available. Read about the latest DNA standard to be added to the OSAC Registry and the nine other standards currently open for Registry comment. Also learn about the recently published toxicology and footwear and tire standards, the eight standards open for comment at standards developing organizations, and the new documents being initiated.
|
|
|
|
August 22-26, 2021 | Together Toward Tomorrow | Boston, MA
|
Are you interested in presenting at ASCLD 2021? Click HERE to submit an abstract.
Continue to watch the 2021 ASCLD Symposium website here. for important updates. If you have any questions, please contact our Symposium Chair, Laura Sudkamp, laura.sudkamp@ky.gov.
|
|
NEDIAI would like to announce that they are offering FREE Webinars for the months of March/April. The following forensic track webinars will be given FREE through our ZOOM platform (see attachment). These are free to members in good standing.
The fee for the NEDIAI membership renewal is $25.00, which can be paid via our link to PayPal: https://www.nediai.org/membership.html or you may send a check to NEDIAI, PO Box 3044, Kingston RI 02881.
|
|
2021 NIJ FORENSIC SCIENCE R&D SYMPOSIUM
The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) will be assisting the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) in hosting the annual NIJ Forensic Science Research and Development (R&D) Symposium on February 16, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 5:40 PM ET.
Click HERE for more details.
|
|
ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Webinar Series (Archived)
Providing training and education to our membership is a core mission for ASCLD. Despite the unfortunate cancellation of our annual symposium this year, the Symposium Planning and Training and Education Committees found a way to bring timely and relevant content that would have been experienced in Denver, to the ASCLD membership.
Through a generous partnership with the Forensic Technology Center of Excellence at RTI International, ASCLD presented a three-part webinar series entitled ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Wellness. Providing training and education in employee wellness is part of the current ASCLD Strategic Plan. In an already stressful profession, as we adapt and lead through the COVID-19 pandemic, this topic is particularly timely.
In June 2020, ASCLD Emerging Issues: Employee Wellness presented the webinars bleow. To view these and other archived training opportunities please visit: https://forensiccoe.org/allresources/
Speakers: Andrew Levin, Jonathan McGrath, Heidi Putney, & Danielle Crimmins
Speaker: Jody Wolf
Speaker: Robert Kirkby
|
|
ANAB - Upcoming training events
New! ANAB is offering live instructor lead online courses to meet the need for continued learning in light of widespread travel restrictions and the need for social distancing. Each class is offered via WebEx and includes the opportunity for participants to submit questions, as well as interact with the instructor and other participants.
Self-paced Training (Web-based)
Self-paced Training (Web-based)
|
|
Crime Lab Minute Sponsors
For More Information, Click the LOGO below:
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
