Partnerships and Funding
NFSTC operates with support from a variety of funding sources including the National Institute of Justice, the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Through cooperative agreements, grant awards and congressionally directed funding, NFSTC contracts with agencies at the federal and state level to provide programs and services that advance the practice of forensic science throughout the United States.
Partnering to Leverage Organizational Strengths
NFSTC partners with a host of organizations to leverage the combined expertise of our nation’s foremost subject matter experts. NFSTC has forged close working relationships with organizations including Ron Smith & Associates, the High Tech Crime Institute, AT Solutions, Marshall University Forensic Science Center (MUFSC), the National Clearinghouse for Science, Technology and the Law (NCSTL), National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS) and Midwest Forensic Resource Center (MFRC).
Partnering to Ensure Public Safety
For almost a decade, NFSTC has worked closely with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research, development and evaluation agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ), to develop resources that support the mission of the criminal justice community. From facilitating symposiums to evaluating the latest technologies to developing training programs, NIJ relies on NFSTC to consistently deliver innovative programs to enhance the practice of forensic science.
In 2007, NIJ awarded NFSTC a grant to operate the Forensic Technologies Center of Excellence (FTCoE). The FTCoE is the only Center of Excellence focused on forensic research and development. Through the Center, NFSTC evaluated mature and emerging technologies and provided forensic science practitioners with objective information on new tools and technologies that can be leveraged to more effectively investigate crime.
Innovative Training Solutions for the Justice Community
Through cooperative agreements with NIJ, NFSTC provides valuable training and technology assistance to the forensic science community at little or no cost. This valuable funding provides support to forensic professionals who might not otherwise have access to advanced training due to agency budget constraints.
From training that gives first responders to a crime scene the knowledge to collect the most critical evidence, to education programs that explain DNA analysis to non-scientists, NFSTC has developed a wide range of interactive multimedia training programs for the NIJ.
NFSTC developed a large percentage of the web-based training for the President’s DNA Initiative, located at www.DNA.gov, including the widely utilized Principles of Forensic DNA for Officers of the Court (available online at http://dna.gov/training/otc/). And in 2008, the NFSTC was the recipient of four competitively awarded cooperative agreements from the NIJ to provide training to members of the justice community.
