Greetings ASCLD Colleagues and Friends,
Here in the Midwest it is a winter wonderland! I was running around early Saturday morning getting children ready for hockey and our Saturday activities, but I took a moment to gaze out to my wooded backyard and enjoyed the scenery with a hot cup of coffee. It was my one moment of peace before chaos ensued!
Last week we announced the ASCLD Listening Session via an email communication from Executive Director John Byrd. This is an opportunity for our ASCLD members to directly interface with myself and President Elect Tim Kupferschmid. We want to hear directly from the membership to ensure we are representing you well. The meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams on Monday, December 12, 2022, from 10:00AM – 11:00AM Eastern (9:00AM Central, 8:00AM Mountain, and 7:00AM Pacific). We hope to see you there!
The 2023 ASCLD Symposium in Austin is our 50th Symposium Anniversary and President Elect Tim Kupferschmid has been toiling away with our Symposium Planning Committee on this fantastic event. Be on the lookout for Early Bird registration…it opens up November 28th, so get it on your calendars. It will fill up fast!
Nominations for the Board of Directors are now being accepted and will be voted on by the membership during the business meeting at the upcoming 2023 symposium in Austin, TX. There will be three (3) vacancies to fill this year. I hope folks will consider running for the ASCLD BOD. I can speak from experience that this has been one of the best opportunities of my career, and I have been so honored to learn from the folks who volunteer their time to be a part of ASCLD. Please email your nominations to Scott Hummel: gregory.hummel@kcpd.org
I am again very excited to share that the ASCLD Forensic Research Committee is gearing up for the next episode of a virtual “Lightning Talk”. The next episode will be held on Thursday December 8th at 1:00 ET and will focus on one of my favourite topics- forensic toxicology. It will feature talks by Sherri Kacinko (NMS Labs) and Marthe Vandeputte (University of Ghent). Make sure you register:
Well, I must get ready as my daughter, Cadence, will be playing the part of an Oompa Loompa in the musical Willy Wonka Kids. She has been practicing for months and it is fun to see all of her hard work out on stage. Before I scoot, I would be remiss if I did not show my gratitude and thanks to all of the volunteers that contribute their time to ASCLD. I also must give thanks to the folks on the ASCLD BOD who work so hard to ensure that our membership is represented well and who also dedicate their time. Lastly, I am very grateful for all the work of ASCLD’s Executive Director, John Byrd, and ASCLD’s Administrative Assistant, Ramona Robertson. Both of you work so hard to keep us afloat and to advise the ASCLD BOD when we need to make decisions. More than that, you are both wonderful mentors and friends.
I hope everyone has an opportunity this week to slow down, appreciate those you work with, and to spend time and be thankful for friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving all!
With Thanks and Gratitude,
Jen
Jennifer D. Naugle
ASCLD President
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ASCLD monthly board meeting
The next Board of Directors meeting date will be on
Friday, December 16th at 1pm Eastern Time
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Weekly News and Resources |
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NEW ADDITIONS TO THE CLM THIS WEEK |
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- CFSO Board Meeting summary from November 7
- 2023 FRC Awards (ASCLD News)
- Validations (FRC section)
- New ASCLD Board Member Nominations (ASCLD News)
- Ed Rhodes Scholarship application (ASCLD News)
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The CFSO Board met in Washington D.C. the week of November 7th.
Monday afternoon the CFSO board met with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The topics discussed included:
• Field testing of oral fluids (lots of discussion about their MJ oral and breath testing)
• Portable breath alcohol testing
• Toxicology standards and turnaround times
• NHTSA presentation at forensic conferences (increasing their presentations at our meetings)
• NFLIS-Tox and getting data to NHTSA from that and other programs
• Expansion of the relationship with SOFT for more regional toxicology resources
• Buy-America provisions in NHTSA grants and funding
• NHTSA collaboration with NIST and IEEE on standards drafting (we provided them with contact information for OSAC)
• The current RFI they have out for “Challenges of Testing” is in the federal register. NHTSA asked us to engage our members to reply to the RFI:
• They provided the following resources:
Ongoing research projects: descriptions and key information about ongoing research can be found HERE .
Published research reports are available at https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/collection_nhtsa_bsr. Among these, items we discussed included:
The “Request for Comments on Barriers and Solutions for Submitting Toxicology Data to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System…” can be accessed here. Your comments and insights would be valued.
Tuesday we met with Office of Investigative and Forensic Sciences (OIFS) staff at NIJ to talk to them more about our research interests and several other topics including:
• Overview of the OIFS Group
• Greg Dutton (impression evidence)
• Jennifer Love (NamUs contract/FTCoE)
• Tracey Johnson (DNA)
• Jonathan McGrath (Detailee/MDI/Forensic Intelligence
• Lucas Zarwell (Office Director)
• Danielle McCloud (MDI/Crime Scene)
• Francis Scott (Tox and Drugs)
• Priorities for the new NIJ Director—Research focus, NAS Recommendations, Strategic Plan for Forensic Science, Transparency (solicitations), how they communicate forensic science research to community,
• NamUs issues—CFSO brought several concerns to them about NamUs not having enough capacity. They were told that they continue to grow the program, they are focused on what forensic services to provide, cost efficiency, and development of more professional users. Their goal is to support the professionals that are using it to identify known missing persons: Fingerprints, Dental, Anthropology, DNA (traditional and mito). They are focused on an infrastructure/framework that they can scale so that it is not centered all in one place, but rather that any lab that wants to participate can participate. They did admit that they were struggling with capacity in mitochondrial DNA testing and could not talk about contracts in the works, but referenced that the pressures on the program would be released in a report soon. They are very focused on missing indigenous persons. They also noted that all FGG done on NamUs had to be related to sexual crime or homicide due to the DOJ interim policy.
• Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Grant—administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) now has very little input by NIJ
• National Centers on Forensics—the information is listed on the George Mason University (GMU) website. They will and get us information about the Alabama center.
• CFSO and NIJ had a long discussion on research about getting a true research assessment of where forensic services are available in the United States and being able to access what additional workforce is needed based on what forensics services should be available in all jurisdictions, the timeframe those services are needed in, and the crime rate in those areas. CFSO asked for more quantitative research data to help us as we scope our requests to Congress and federal agencies. CFSO also recommended that they dashboard some of the information from the BJS census to give us a better visual of what the data shows.
• Finally, CFSO discussed federal forensics research and were told that they are committed to a federal research meeting once every two years. They said this is more of a sharing meeting than a coordination meeting. They noted that NIJ has several ways of getting research ideas. They use ASCLD, FSRD-TWGs, and we recommended that they use the FLN-TWG more for vetting research priorities and ideas.
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FRC Awards
The Forensic Research Committee of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors would like to announce the open nomination period for all 2023 FRC Awards:
- Innovation Award
- Outstanding Evaluation/Validation Award
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·LEAP Collaboration Award
This is your opportunity to highlight the great work your lab has completed. The winners will be recognized at the 2023 ASCLD Annual Symposium. They will receive a plaque and a unique electronic award icon for use on letterhead, reports, e-mail signatures, etc. The application window extends from September 5, 2022 – January 20, 2023.
Application Process:
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Complete the application, found at https://www.ascld.org/forensic-research-committee/
- Include a 1 – 2 page description of the evaluation/validation study, specifically addressing the criteria
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Submit the completed application electronically to ascldfrc@gmail.com
For additional information:
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ASCLD Board of Directors Nominations
Nominations for the Board of Directors are now being accepted and will be voted on by the membership during the business meeting at the upcoming 2023 symposium in Austin, TX. There will be three (3) vacancies to fill this year. If you are interested in getting more involved in the organization, this is a great way to do so. Please email your nominations to Scott Hummel: gregory.hummel@kcpd.org
Ed Rhodes Scholarship
ASCLD receives 1 (one) complimentary sitting per calendar year for any American Board of Criminalistics, Inc. (ABC) examination. The complimentary sitting is for either an ASCLD member or someone in a member’s organization. Information and the application can be found on the ASCLD website http://www.ascld.org/nominations/. Applications are due December 31, 2022, for any test date in 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact Nominations & Awards committee chair Scott Hummel: gregory.hummel@kcpd.org
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Standards Checklists now Available
Standards Checklists are now available for download on the Standards Resources and Training page of the AAFS website. These resources are being made available as part of a Cooperative Agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This partnership is designed to support implementation efforts and broaden awareness of forensic science standards among communities of interest. Standards Factsheets, which provide a concise summary of forensic science standards, are also available. These highlight the purpose of a standard, benefits of adoption, and key elements of the standard using language that is understandable to the lay person.
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There are many standards open for comment on the ASB website. Be sure to check them out and provide your valuable input!
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COPS Office Announces Launch of First eLearning Course Developed Through NHTSA Partnership
The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced August 31, 2022, the launch of its first eLearning course developed in partnership with the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Over the last two years, the COPS Office has been collaborating with NHTSA to develop a series of resources and trainings aimed at improving traffic safety and reducing injury and death related to impaired driving. The first of those trainings, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) Refresher, launched August 31, 2022 on the COPS Training Portal. This course is the culmination of more than 20 months of work between the COPS Office and NHTSA under an inter-agency agreement, the first of its kind between the two offices.
NHTSA’s ARIDE training is a 16-hour, in-person instructor-led course that builds on the skills of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests to enhance a law enforcement officer’s ability to detect impaired driving and enforce relevant laws. With the development of the 4-hour ARIDE Refresher eLearning course, peace officers trained in ARIDE can refresh their skills without having to attend an in-person course; instead, they can access the course when their schedule allows, from anywhere with an internet connection. Featuring highly skilled and well-trained subject matter experts from across the country, this course will allow learners to re-engage with the material from the in-person course while testing their knowledge through realistic scenarios and testing before, during, and after the training. For more information on this course and other training opportunities, visit https://copstrainingportal.org/.
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The CLM will be going to a bi-monthly publication. If there is information that is time sensitive and cannot wait for the next CLM, you will be getting an email from Executive Director Byrd. This new bi-monthly publication will go a long way in helping the volunteers get back some of their time on weekends while still providing a quality newsletter for the organization. Direct questions to Communications Committee Co-Chairs, Lisa Burdett and Sheri Lemons.
The CLM publication dates are:
2022
December 5 and 19
2023
January 9 and 23
February 6 and 20
March 6 and 20
April 3 and 17
May 8 and 22
June 5 and 19
July 10 and 24
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WATCH HERE FOR 2023 SPRING ACADEMY INFORMATION
Thank you for your interest in the ASCLD Leadership Academy. The next Level 1 and Level 2 Leadership Academies are scheduled for January through April 2023. Watch here for registration information to be posted October 31, 2022. Registration will go live in November. If you would like to be the first to know when future registrations open, please click the button below and leave us your information.
Click HERE for more information
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ANAB offers a wide variety of live and self-paced online training related to accreditation standards and concepts that allow participants to attain needed training according to their own schedules. We have courses available in both English and Spanish as well as other languages on demand. Visit our website HERE to see our current trainings we're offering.
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The Research Forensic Library is officially launched and provides access to thousands of articles and reports in the scientific literature, a critical step in the forward momentum required of forensic science and its varied applications.
The Library is part of a cooperative agreement with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). You can find the full release on our website to republish and share:
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The ASCLD Forensic Research Committee is proud to announce the next episode of a virtual “Lightning Talks” series to highlight new and emerging research in all areas of forensic science. Each episode will feature three short talks given by practitioners, researchers, and/or students. The next episode will be held on Thursday December 8 th at 1:00 ET and will focus on forensic toxicology. It will feature talks by Sherri Kacinko from NMS Labs and Marthe Vandeputte from Ghent University. The live event is limited to 100 people. To register, visit https://www.ascld.org/forensic-research-committee/ .
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The Forensic Research Committee releases Bulletin Volume #3, Issue #3 with information on Lightning Talks, the FRC Collaboration Hub, the Laboratories and Educators Alliance Program (LEAP), new LEAP Research Partners, recent submissions to the Evaluation and Validation Repository, and FRC Award Winners! Check out https://www.ascld.org/forensic-research-committee/ for exciting developments from the FRC!
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ASCLD FRC Validation and Evaluation Repository – Confirmation and Quantitation of Antiepileptic and Acidic Drugs by LC/MS/MS
The ASCLD Forensic Research Committee (FRC) is proud to announce a new submission to the Validation and Evaluation Repository. As you may already know, the purpose of this FRC initiative is to create a central repository of forensic validations and evaluations. ASCLD hopes that this repository will foster information sharing and promote collaboration with the forensic science community.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office / Miami Valley Regional Crime Laboratory recently submitted a summary validation report highlighting their internal validation for a new protein crash extraction and LC/MS/MS method for confirming and quantitating 14 antiepileptic/acidic drugs in blood, serum, urine and tissue homogenate. The method was validated using 7 blood calibrators and low, medium, and high controls in blood, serum, urine and tissue homogenate. The validation parameters are all included in the validation summary submitted.
Please consider submitting information about your lab’s validations or evaluations to the repository. Information could include basic information such as validation/evaluation title, lab name, and point of contact information (which enables other forensic scientists to contact you with questions) or additional information such as a short validation or evaluation summary or even a full validation or evaluation report. By sharing this information, you are supporting other laboratories that wish to expand their forensic capabilities!
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The ASCLD Forensic Research Committee (FRC) is pleased to announce a new submission within the Collaboration Hub.
As you may know, the purpose of the Collaboration Hub is to create a directory to connect researchers with ongoing projects to practitioners who are willing to participate in the studies or support the research. It is ASCLD’s hope that this program will further communication and cooperation between forensic researchers and practitioners.
Recently, a new project was added to the Collaboration Hub that aims to explore factors that may play a role in the decision-making of triaging items collected from crime scenes. The Principal Investigator for this study is Dr. Ifat Levy from Yale University with collaborators from the University of College London. The researchers are seeking volunteers to participate in an online study where participants will be asked to evaluate a forensic casework brief and photographs of items collected from a crime scene. Under a hypothetical scenario in which the participant is the expert assigned to this case, the participant will make a series of decisions about the case. The study will take approximately 30-40 minutes to complete.
If you are interested in supporting this project and contributing to forensic science research, please check out the ASCLD FRC Collaboration Hub.
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The ASCLD Forensic Research Committee (FRC) is proud to announce eight new submissions to the Validation and Evaluation Repository
For more information about this validation or other validations or evaluations within the can be found HERE
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The Project FORESIGHT benchmark report for FY2021 is now available HERE
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Are you a Forensic Scientist, or otherwise involved in the detection, collection, or analysis of forensic evidence? Are you curious to know if the stressors of the job, including exposure to potentially traumatic material and/or burnout from constant backlogs, resource constraints, and shift work are negatively affecting the ability to effectively perform your work duties? If you have answered yes to either of these questions, then consider participating in this IRB approved comprehensive research study that aims to inform the criminal justice stakeholder community of the potential impact of vicarious trauma and/or burnout across all forensic science disciplines on work ability. The direction of this survey has been shaped by the ASCLD Stress and Trauma Working Group and the results of this dissertation research study will be used add to the growing body of literature surrounding this important topic!”
To participate in this research study, please click here.
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Please send all CLM submissions to our new electronic form!
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Please continue to tag your photos on social media with the hashtag #ASCLDfun |
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Opt Out.
ASCLD sells your email information to vendors for marketing and promotional material purposes. You may ‘opt-out’ of receiving vendor information not directly related to ASCLD by emailing executivedirector@ascld.org. If you do not opt out then your acceptance of this Agreement will constitute your affirmative consent to receiving marketing and promotional material from ASCLD.
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Crime Lab Minute Sponsors
For More Information, Click the LOGO below:
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Safety Topics for your Lab |
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Health and Safety in the Laboratory series by Jane Northup PhD, RI State Crime Laboratory
Click on links below for articles
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ANAB Trainings
With the ability to reach wider audiences, we are expanding offerings of current courses in Spanish.
The following courses will be available live online in Spanish:
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Forensic Technical Assessor
- Forensic ISO/IEC 17025 Internal Auditor
- Risk-based Thinking for Forensic Service Providers
We are also excited to introduce our courses:
Uncertainty, Sampling and Data Analysis: Understanding Statistical Calculations. This course provides an introduction to statistical concepts and techniques used for the collection, organization, analysis, and presentation of various types of data. The course touches on both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, including how to compute measures of central tendency and dispersion, and how to assess the relationship between two variables. More..
Verification and Validation for Laboratories and Inspection Bodies. This course provides an introduction to the validation and verification of analytical methods and the common elements of a validation or verification plan. In addition, a general approach to performing a validation or verification will be reviewed along with ISO/IEC 17025 requirements for validation and verification of methods. More…
Webinars:
We continue our monthly Webinars and stay tuned for information about upcoming Feature Sessions.
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Donations to ASCLD can now be made online! This is a great way to honor the memory of a forensic colleague, to commemorate a life event for that person who has everything, or to otherwise assist in supporting the tireless efforts of the ASCLD organization in the pursuit of excellence in forensic science management. The donation page can be accessed by clicking HERE or by visiting the ASCLD website and clicking on "Donate to ASCLD" under the "Member Site" tab (this donation page is accessible even to non-members). Please consider donating and do share this information with anyone you think might be interested.
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The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors
65 Glen Road, Suite 123
Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919.773.2044
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