Liaison to the National Institute of Justice

• NCJ Number: 247269
• Date Published: May 2013
• Author(s): Ryan Tomcik
• Length: 1 page
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description

Annotation

This comment by Ryan Tomcik - the newly appointed liaison of the International Association for Identification (IAI) to the U.S. Justice Department's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) - discusses the common concerns of IAI and NIJ and the importance of IAI's maintaining regular contact with NIJ services and products.

Abstract

NIJ and IAI share similar objectives. The IAI Constitution outlines a mission centered on the advancement of the forensic identification sciences and crime detection through research, the production and sharing of knowledge, and support of continuing education opportunities. NIJ's mission is to improve knowledge and understanding of crime and justice issues, particularly at the State and local levels, through silence. The majority of NIJ's effort in support of forensic science initiatives resides within its Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences (OIFS). OIFS services include technology transition workshops, laboratory capacity enhancement, developing and updating investigative resources, training curriculum development and delivery, and forensic science research and development. Currently, there are two relevant NIJ solicitations available at the time of this article's publication. The FY 2013 Social Science Research on Forensic Science will close May 15, 2013; this solicitation aims to stimulate research on the impact of advances in the forensic science disciplines on the criminal justice system, as well as changes and policies needed to adapt to the greater use of forensic evidence. The FY 2013 NIJ Graduate Research Fellowship Program closes May 23, 2013; it provides awards for research on criminal justice-related topics to accredited universities that support graduate study leading to research-based doctoral degrees.