Phase I IUCRC University of South Alabama: Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS)

近几十年来，从基本发现到法医方法发展的快速过渡提高了许多类型法医调查的证据质量。然而，在国家一级，也有人呼吁法医学科解决其科学局限性，并扩大基础研究，以支持和改进现有的和正在开发的法医应用。南阿拉巴马大学(美国)和佛罗里达国际大学(FIU)的研究人员与德克萨斯农工大学(TAMU)、北得克萨斯大学健康科学中心(UNTHSC)、东北大学(NE)和乔治华盛顿大学(GWU)的附属合作者将通过成立法医学高级研究中心(CARFS)来应对这一广泛挑战的各个方面。这个工业大学合作研究中心(IUCRC)将作为一个创新的平台，在许多情况下，在学术界、政府和行业之间开展跨学科的法医科学研究活动。CARFS最初将包括数字取证/数据分析(美国)、法医化学(FIU/NE/GWU)、法医分子生物学(FIU/GWU)和法医微生物学(TAMU/UNT)，未来可能扩大到包括其他法医学科。该中心预计将向一系列利益攸关方提供新的发现和工具，包括法医从业者、研究实验室、工业合作伙伴以及政府和私人法医科学最终用户，并最终支持国家的安全和司法。该中心的研究网站还将为不同的学生群体提供培训机会，从而支持未来法医研究人员的渠道。作为CARFS的一部分，美国网站，包括TAMU和UNTHSC的附属机构，将专注于数字和微生物取证。在美国，研究的重点将是数字法医信息情报，包括开发、测试和实施新的方法，不仅要了解设备、信息系统和软件如何受到攻击，而且要了解如何可靠地确定这些攻击是如何发生的。这项研究将支持具有潜在跨行业影响的新技术的开发：(1)移动设备，(2)添加制造，(3)医疗设备，(4)运输系统，以及(5)大规模数据集的生成和存储(法医微生物学)。在TAMU和UNTHSC，研究将侧重于脊椎动物腐肉的分解和生态循环这一具有法证意义的现象，以支持人类识别和来源归属；攻击学；反恐/毒品拦截；以及验证服务。这项研究将解决取证方面的科学挑战以及在更广泛的人类重要领域(例如，食品安全、工程、结构完整性、农业)中的应用。这笔赠款由NSF(化学、数学和物理科学司；行为和认知科学、社会科学、行为学和经济学司)和国家司法研究所(调查和法医科学办公室)共同支持。

In recent decades, a rapid transition from fundamental discoveries to forensic method development has improved the quality of evidence in many types of forensic investigations. However, there has also been a call, at the national level, for forensic disciplines to address their scientific limitations and expand fundamental research that can underpin and improve existing and developing forensic applications. Investigators at the University of South Alabama (USA) and Florida International University (FIU), along with affiliated collaborators at Texas A&M University (TAMU), the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), Northeastern University (NE), and George Washington University (GWU), will address aspects of this broad challenge through the formation of the Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS). This Industry University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) will serve as a platform for innovative and, in many cases, interdisciplinary forensic science research activities at the interface of academia, government, and industry. CARFS will initially include digital forensics/data analytics (USA), forensic chemistry (FIU/NE/GWU), forensic molecular biology (FIU/GWU), and forensic microbiology (TAMU/UNT), with the possibility of future expansion to include other forensic disciplines. The Center is anticipated to provide new findings and tools to a range of stakeholders, including forensic science practitioners, research laboratories, industrial partners, and government and private forensic science end users, and will ultimately support safety and justice for the nation. The Center's research sites will also provide training opportunities to a diverse group of students, thus supporting the pipeline of future forensic researchers.As part of CARFS, the USA site, including affiliates at TAMU and UNTHSC, will focus on digital and microbial forensics. At USA, research will focus on Digital Forensic Information Intelligence, including the development, testing, and implementation of novel approaches to understand not only how devices, information systems, and software can be compromised, but also how one can reliably determine how those compromises occurred. The research will support the development of new technologies with potentially cross cutting industry impact: (1) mobile devices, (2) additive manufacturing, (3) medical devices, (4) transportation systems, as well as (5) generation and storage of large scale data sets (forensic microbiology). At TAMU and UNTHSC, research will focus on forensically important phenomena of decomposition and ecological recycling of vertebrate carrion, to support human identification and source attribution; taphonomy; counterterrorism/drug interdiction; and validation services. The research will address scientific challenges in forensics as well as applications in broader areas of human importance (e.g., food safety, engineering, structural integrity, agriculture). Across the six institutions involved in CARFS there is also potential for innovative projects that span and integrate digital and laboratory sciences.This grant is jointly supported by NSF (Division of Chemistry, Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate; and Division Of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate) and the National Institute of Justice (Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences).