Center: IUCRC Phase II Texas A&M AgriLife Research: Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS)

In recent decades, translation of fundamental discoveries to forensic method development has improved forensic investigations. Efforts continue to address scientific limitations and expand fundamental research that can contribute to existing and developing forensic applications. Investigators at Florida International University (lead site), Sam Houston State University, and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, along with collaborators at Boston University, Howard University, Syracuse University, and University of Michigan, address aspects of this broad challenge through the continuation of the Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS). This Phase II Industry University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) will continue to serve as a platform for innovative and, in many cases, interdisciplinary forensic science research activities at the interface of academia, government, and industry, bringing together forensic science leaders in state-of-the-art research laboratories, specialized facilities, and institutes across the nation. CARFS researchers will conduct projects in a range of forensic areas including forensic biology, chemistry, toxicology and medicine, as well as digital evidence, environmental forensics, and nuclear forensics. The Center communicates 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, ultimately supporting safety and justice for the nation. The Center's research sites provide training and internship opportunities to a diverse group of students, thus supporting the future US STEM and forensic workforce. The current state of forensic science has required advanced and novel techniques and approaches that have pushed the boundaries of traditional scientific areas such as chemistry and biology and require the collaboration of engineers and computer scientists to develop next generation devices and analysis methods. The goal of CARFS is to bring together industrial partners, including the end-user community, with academic forensic science researchers with an aim to develop, implement and commercialize tools that benefit the national forensic science enterprise. Across the sites and collaborators of CARFS Phase II, projects are proposed to the industrial advisory board in the following initial areas, with potential for expansion based on evolving research needs: Forensic Biology (e.g., entomology, genomics, microbial), Forensic Chemistry (e.g., trace, biosensors), Forensic Medicine (e.g., anthropology, taphonomy), Forensic Toxicology (e.g., metabolomics, biomarkers), Digital Evidence (e.g., mobile devices, authentication), Environmental Forensics (e.g., trafficking, source attribution) and Nuclear Forensics (e.g., source signatures). CARFS will continue to grow its partnerships, research, and footprint to mentor and foster the future forensic science workforce. The center leverages additional NSF opportunities for student training and mentoring, including through the REU, INTERN, and START supplement programs. This grant is jointly supported by the National Science Foundation (Division of Chemistry, Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate; Division Of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate; and Division of Social and Economic Sciences, Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate) and the National Institute of Justice (Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.