COMBINING EXPERTISE FOR EFFECTIVE JUSTICE

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides federal funding through multiple forensic science programs to combat violent crime, resolve cases, lower recidivism, increase public safety, and enhance justice. In collaboration with BJA, the Forensics Training and Technical Assistance (Forensics TTA) Program, led by RTI International, offers a team of subject matter experts who provide expertise and assistance to grantees in support of BJA’s overall mission to strengthen America’s criminal justice system.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS

PROGRAMS

Dark purple-filled circle with a DNA spiral icon inside

DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program

The CEBR Program provides federal funding for publicly funded accredited forensic DNA laboratories to process, and increase capacity to process, eligible samples for entry into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

Purple-filled circle with three standing people icons with the middle person having a question mark

Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program

The MUHR Program provides federal funding to eligible entities so they can improve reporting, transportation, forensic testing, and identification of missing persons and unidentified human remains in the United States, including migrants.

Pink-filled circle with a microscope icon inside

Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program

The Coverdell Program provides federal funding for states and local government units to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner/coroner (ME/C) services.

Grey-filled circle with a justice scale icon inside

Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence (Postconviction) Program

The Postconviction Program provides federal funding for states and local government units to defray the costs associated with postconviction DNA testing in cases of violent felony offenses (as defined by state law) in which actual innocence might be demonstrated.

Dark grey-filled circle with a woman holding a sword and a justice scale inside

Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA (COLD) Program

The COLD Program provides federal funding for agencies to resolve violent cold case crimes by providing them with resources to investigate and prosecute cases where a suspect’s DNA profile has been generated.

Dark eggplant-filled circle with a medical icon inside

Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner (ME/C) System Program

The ME/C Program provides federal funding to help address medicolegal death investigation (MDI) workforce needs to increase the number of practicing board-certified forensic pathologists and to support ME/C offices’ needs to implement and follow quality standards and performance criteria in an effort to provide a consistent and equitable application of MDI services.

HIGHLIGHTS

CEBR Funding Contributes to Approximately Half of All CODIS Hits to Date

Recent performance data from grantees show that CEBR funding is responsible for more than 500 CODIS hits per week. Based on the reported metrics, the CEBR Program has contributed to...

Coverdell funding enables the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to increase annual death investigations

Using Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program funding, the Maine Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) contracted with board-certified forensic pathologists which enabled the office to investigate...

Maui man walks free after 30 years behind bars, with help of Hawaiʻi Innocence Project

Gordon Cordeiro had been serving a term of life in prison without parole for charges stemming from an apparent drug deal robbery gone bad. Court records show that on August...

She was left strangled outside. 46 years later, police found a suspect

More than 45 years ago, Kathryn Donohue, a 31-year-old union secretary, went out for dinner in Georgetown with co-workers after work. Early the next morning, on March 3, 1979, a...

Broward County Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services helps address the national shortage of medical examiners through ME/C funding

Since being awarded grant funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner (ME/C) System Program, the Broward County Office of Medical Examiner and Trauma Services (BCOMETS)...
Live Facebook Feed
Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
22 hours ago
Did you know that Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) is being used to not only identify unknown perpetrators and victims of crimes, but to also help exonerate people who have been wrongfully convicted? Watch one of our keynote sessions from the 2025 BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting to hear from Albert “Ian” Schweitzer, a man who was exonerated thanks to FGG, speak about his experience being wrongfully convicted in 1991 for kidnapping, rape, and murder. This session will soon be available for viewing on the Forensics TTA website.

Did you know that Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) is being used to not only identify unknown perpetrators and victims of crimes, but to also help exonerate people who have been wrongfully convicted? Watch one of our keynote sessions from the 2025 BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting to hear from Albert “Ian” Schweitzer, a man who was exonerated thanks to FGG, speak about his experience being wrongfully convicted in 1991 for kidnapping, rape, and murder. This session will soon be available for viewing on the Forensics TTA website. ... See MoreSee Less

Forensic science service providers (FSSPs) are currently having to navigate a lot of change – whether it’s through keeping up with the latest technical advances in the field or staying efficient despite an increasing workload. We recognize that the pressures and expectations of this field can become a threat to the employee experience, and we want to do what we can to preserve and prioritize their wellbeing. Trainings, tools, and resources on how to identify and mitigate workplace stress, are available in this workshop session from the 3rd Annual BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting. This workshop session will soon be available for viewing on the Forensics TTA website.

Forensic science service providers (FSSPs) are currently having to navigate a lot of change – whether it’s through keeping up with the latest technical advances in the field or staying efficient despite an increasing workload. We recognize that the pressures and expectations of this field can become a threat to the employee experience, and we want to do what we can to preserve and prioritize their wellbeing. Trainings, tools, and resources on how to identify and mitigate workplace stress, are available in this workshop session from the 3rd Annual BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting. This workshop session will soon be available for viewing on the Forensics TTA website. ... See MoreSee Less

Before choosing a forensic method to support your investigation, it is important to first validate whether they are fit-for-purpose. Key principles to follow when validating include proactively defining the performance criteria you want your desired method(s) to have, simulating the conditions of the given casework, and assessing limitations of the methods you are considering. Ensure that your methods are reliable and defendable by learning how to create a robust validation process. This year’s BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting featured a workshop session on this topic and will soon be available for viewing on the Forensics TTA website.

Before choosing a forensic method to support your investigation, it is important to first validate whether they are fit-for-purpose. Key principles to follow when validating include proactively defining the performance criteria you want your desired method(s) to have, simulating the conditions of the given casework, and assessing limitations of the methods you are considering. Ensure that your methods are reliable and defendable by learning how to create a robust validation process. This year’s BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting featured a workshop session on this topic and will soon be available for viewing on the Forensics TTA website. ... See MoreSee Less

LOAD MORE

Get timely
FORENSICS TTA PROGRAM updates

The Forensics TTA Team wants to hear from you!

If BJA Forensics Programs funding has played a role in your organization’s success, no matter how small or how large, we would love to hear about it! Please share your achievements with the Forensics TTA Team by clicking the ‘Submit Highlight’ button.