U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Innovation in Forensics: A Community Effort

NCJ Number
304675
Date Published
January 2020
Annotation

This “in-brief” introduces the concept of the forensic innovation ecosystem and further identifies and addresses the roles of various stakeholders and activities required for success in the forensic innovation ecosystem.

 

Abstract

Innovation in forensic science involves the development and testing of new technologies and techniques that improve the scientific foundation of the field and the objective collection, analysis, and interpretation of evidence. Incorporating technologies and knowledge into practice is challenging and requires strategic and committed community engagement. Based on this perspective, this report introduces the forensic innovation ecosystem concept as a framework for understanding and improving the transition of research and technology into forensic practice. The forensic innovation ecosystem is composed of a network of multiple stakeholders, including researchers, funding agencies, development partners, suppliers, legal and policy professionals, accrediting bodies, and criminal justice end users working together in developing, validating, and implementing forensic technology transition solutions. Stakeholders in this ecosystem play key roles in enabling technology adoption and transitioning knowledge into practice. This report identifies and considers the roles of various stakeholders and activities required for success in the forensic innovation ecosystem.