Planning Grant: I/UCRC for Center For Advanced Research in Forensic Science

法医学高级研究中心（CARFS）拟议中心的使命是提供一个多学科论坛，以推进法医学的研究和创新，加强相关科学学科的教育，并改善法医学从业者发现的解释和道德交流。拟议中的中心的建立将解决两个主要领域。开展新的研究，以便更好地了解法医学实验室目前使用的方法的可靠性和准确性。此外，将寻求新的想法来改进和发展这些方法。其次，与工业界的伙伴关系将有助于制定解决方案，以解决这些领域所需的改进问题。无论其类型或性质如何，法医证据的一项基本要求是有一种强有力的解释方法。进一步的研究将着眼于发展新的解释方法。所有这些领域（包括特定的证据类型）都在美国国家科学院关于法医学的报告（2009年）中提到。对司法程序的影响将确保证据得到正确的权衡，不会以不平衡的方式支持特定的主张。研究的首要目标是评估在某些领域遇到的问题的程度，并制定解决方案。在西弗吉尼亚州，通过头发显微镜对悬案中的错误定罪进行评估，将允许对与案件有关的具体问题进行分析，并指定更适当的分析技术。新方法的技术评估和证据的解释性将在一些项目中进行，例如使用微拉曼光谱对喷墨打印机油墨的表征和区分，无监督深度机器学习算法来预测法医元信息（来自潜在指纹的手指位置、性别、种族和年龄），以及评估用于体液鉴定的便携式实验室，以确保结果的更高精度和准确性。还将对法医质谱法（法医实验室中使用最广泛的分析技术之一）进行重大评价，以开发新型微型便携式质谱仪。使用IBIS对枪支识别的统计分析将使用贝叶斯网络进行解释，为枪支证据解释提供坚实的基础。从社会角度和NAS报告（2009）提出的其他问题来看，还将确定积压减少计划的有效性，评估法医实验室的司法独立性以保证质量和成本效益，以及以法医科学为模型吸引更多女性从事STEM相关职业的过程。这项计划拨款是由美国国家科学基金会和国家司法研究所共同支持的。

Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS)The mission of the proposed Center is to provide a multidisciplinary forum for advancing research and innovation in forensic sciences, enhancing education in relevant scientific disciplines, and improving the interpretation and ethical communication of forensic practitioner findings. The establishment of the proposed center will address two main areas. The development of new research which will develop a better understanding of methods currently used in forensic science laboratories in terms of their reliability and accuracy. Furthermore, new ideas will be pursued to improve and develop such methods. Secondly, the partnerships with industry will help to develop solutions to address improvements required in such areas. A fundamental requirement of forensic evidence, irrespective of its type or nature, is a robust method for its interpretation. Additional research will be directed to developing new methods of interpretation. All of these areas (including specific evidence types) are noted in the NAS report on Forensic Science (2009). The impact in the judicial process will ensure that evidence is correctly weighted, and will not support a specific proposition in an unbalanced fashion.The overarching goals of the research are to evaluate the extent of problems encountered in certain areas and to develop solutions. The evaluation of wrongful convictions in West Virginia through hair microscopy in cold cases will allow for the analyses of the specific issues related to the cases and for the designation of more appropriate techniques of analysis. Technical evaluation of new methodologies and the interpretative nature of the evidence will be performed in projects such as the characterization and discrimination of inkjet printer inks using micro Raman spectroscopy, the unsupervised deep machine learning algorithms to predict forensic meta-information (finger position, gender, race, and age from a latent fingerprint), and the evaluation of a portable lab for body fluid identification to ensure higher precision and accuracy of results. A significant evaluation of forensic mass spectrometry (one of the most widely used analytical techniques in forensic laboratories) to develop new types of miniature, portable mass spectrometers will also be undertaken. Statistical analysis of firearm identification using IBIS will be interpreted using Bayesian networks to provide a solid basis for firearms evidence interpretation. From a social perspective and other issues rasied through the NAS report (2009), a determination of the efficacy of backlog reduction programs, assessment of the jurisdictional independence of forensic laboratories for quality assurance and cost effectiveness, and the process of attracting more women to STEM related occupations using forensic science as a model will also be undertaken.This planning grant is jointly supported by NSF and the National Institute of Justice.