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.
Check out our new Legal Document Repository!
This repository provides a collection of legal documents to assist investigators, prosecutors, and other criminal justice professionals in navigating the legal complexities often associated with cold case investigations and prosecutions.
New on-demand training resource now available!
The Virtual Training for Forensic DNA Professionals: Kinship and Parentage Analysis is now available! Visit the resource webpage to learn more about this course and how to access it.
New Resource Alert! Coverdell Program Certification Form Quick Tips
This resource is intended to provide an overview of elements required for each Coverdell Program certification, including key considerations for both understanding certification criteria and submitting the accompanying certification form.
The 3rd Annual BJA Forensics Programs Grantees Meeting archive is now available!
The event archive, which includes recorded sessions, PDFs of slide decks, and accompanying resources, is now available for on-demand viewing.
KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS
DNA Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program
- More than 1.6 million cases completed
- More than 3.9 million database samples completed
- More than 706,000 forensic (crime scene) profiles uploaded to Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)
- More than 3.7 million databasing profiles uploaded to CODIS
- More than 341,000 CODIS hits
Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program
Since its inception in 2022, MUHR Program funds were used to:
- Make 24 identifications via Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) associations
- Make 13 identifications via direct DNA comparisons
- Make 21 identifications via other methodologies such as fingerprints
- Repatriate 39 cases to relatives or next of kin
Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants (Coverdell) Program
From FY2011-FY2021 Coverdell Program funds were used to:
- Analyze more than 1.8 million backlogged cases resulting in more than 350 agencies decreasing their backlogged cases
- Support more than 19,000 forensic personnel, more than 2,000 medical examiners/coroners, and more than 40 pathologists (FY2021 only) to attend training
- Help more than 400 agencies improve their timeliness in case analysis
- Enable more than 20 agencies obtain initial accreditation between FY2017-FY2021
- Assist more than 40 forensic personnel complete certification in FY2021
- Identify the presence of controlled substances in more than 85% of seized drug cases tested in FY2021
Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence (Postconviction) Program
- More than 55,000 new cases reviewed and more than 125,000 continuing cases reviewed with current and previous grant funding
- More than 740,000 hours of case review performed, representing an estimate of more than 350 work years
- More than 2,200 cases where DNA analysis was performed
- More than 350 profiles uploaded to Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and more than 100 CODIS hits
- 65 exonerations have resulted from this program representing more than 1,200 years served in prison
Prosecuting Cold Cases Using DNA (COLD) Program
Since 2019, COLD Program funds were used to:
- Upload multiple suspect profiles to Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS/AFIS)
- Identify 94 suspects who were initially unknown
- Prosecute 20 cases that have resulted in convictions
- Identify 39 suspects via Forensic Genetic Genealogy work
- Charge or indict 66 cases
- Resolve 83 cold cases
Strengthening the Medical Examiner-Coroner (ME/C) System Program
Fellowship/Purpose Area 1:
- 64 fellowships funded
- 49 participants completed fellowship training
- 11,798 deaths investigated by fellows
- 12,893 autopsies performed by fellows
Accreditation/Purpose Area 2:
- 148 individuals sought certification
- 31 individuals achieved certification
- 15 organizations achieved accreditation
PROGRAMS
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Live Facebook Feed
From the Forensics TTA Vault: In April 2025, Forensics TTA hosted a webinar featuring team members from the University of North Texas Center for Human identification (UNTCHI) who shared tips on how to best utilize UNTCHI resources. They provide guidance for submitting samples for DNA analysis, utilizing Forensic Genetic Genealogy in casework, and accessing UNTCHI resources for sexually motivated Jane and John Doe homicide cases. As we continue to raise awareness for the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, we recognize the commitment UNTCHI made to use their Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program award to focus on servicing missing and unidentified indigenous persons cases. Watch the webinar archive: ow.ly/hggJ50YRF3z #MMIW #MMIWAwareness #EndViolenceAgainstIndigenousWomen #missingpersons #missingpersoninvestigations #crimescene #unidentifiedpersons #humanidentification #forensicprocessing #dna #unidentifiedhumanremains OJP Bureau of Justice Assistance; National Indigenous Women's Resource Center
Today is the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, established in response to the disappearance and murder of Hanna Harris, a 21-year-old woman who lived on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. On July 4, 2013, she left her home to watch Independence Day fireworks in a nearby town but never returned. On this day, we honor her memory and recognize all Indigenous women whose cases remain unsolved. We also highlight BJA’s Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program which directly supports efforts to locate and identify missing persons and unidentified human remains across the United States. In recognition of this day of awareness, we especially commend the MUHR Program Purpose Area 3 grantees for their commitment to providing resources and services that assist small, rural, and tribal entities address their missing persons and unidentified human remains cases. Learn more about BJA’s MUHR Program: ow.ly/flF950YRAtO #MMIW #MMIWAwareness #EndViolenceAgainstIndigenousWomen #missingpersons #missingpersoninvestigations #crimescene #unidentifiedpersons #humanidentification #unidentifiedhumanremains OJP Bureau of Justice Assistance; National Indigenous Women's Resource Center
Coming soon! The Forensics TTA Team is developing a Biological Evidence Retention Legislation Repository to assist investigators, prosecutors, scientists, and other criminal justice professionals in navigating the legal complexities of evidence retention and understanding how those timelines relate to postconviction analysis. This repository will provide a centralized collection of legislation excerpts related to biological evidence retention practices for each state and territory, allowing users to review relevant legislation across their practice areas, as well as utilize a comparison feature to facilitate knowledge sharing and the opportunity for standardization of best practices within the community. This repository is coming soon, but until then, explore the postconviction resources we currently have available: ow.ly/e3QW50YAI4A #postconviction #postconvictioncase #postconvictiontesting #postconvictiondna #biologicalevidence #evidence #forensics #ForensicScience OJP Bureau of Justice Assistance
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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.