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.
Explore the additional resources added to the Accreditation Document Repository for Medical Examiner and Coroner (ME/C) Offices today!
This repository provides a collection of example policies, procedures, and related documents to support ME/C offices in achieving accreditation.
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.
Check out the 2026 Forensics TTA Calendar of National and Regional Events!
This downloadable resource provides a centralized view of national and large-scale regional conferences, trainings, and other events of interest to BJA Forensics Programs grantees occurring in 2026.
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
🔬 Celebrating National Forensic Science Week!
National Forensic Science Week is an opportunity to recognize the forensic science professionals whose expertise, dedication, and commitment to quality help strengthen the criminal justice system every day. From crime scene investigators and forensic laboratory analysts to medical examiners, coroners, prosecutors, law enforcement partners, and many others, these professionals play a vital role in advancing justice through science.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Forensics Portfolio supports a diverse community of forensic practitioners working to increase capacity, improve quality, implement innovative technologies, solve complex cases, identify the missing and unidentified, and help ensure that evidence-based practices remain at the forefront of the field. The Forensics TTA Program is honored to support these efforts through the provision of training and technical assistance.
Throughout the week, we'll be spotlighting:
✅ BJA Forensics Programs and their impact
✅ Success stories and achievements from BJA Forensics Programs grantees
✅ Resources that strengthen forensic science practice
✅ Employee mental and physical health and resilience tips for forensic professionals
✅ The dedicated individuals working behind the scenes to advance justice through science
Thank you to all forensic professionals whose work makes a difference in communities nationwide.
Learn more about the BJA Forensics Portfolio and Forensics TTA here: ow.ly/qGjc50ZMnl7 #NationalForensicScienceWeek #NFSW #NFSW2026 #ForensicScience
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau has identified human remains discovered near Sugar Loaf Mountain in 1981, as Thelma Gaston. With support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program, investigators exhumed the remains in 2022 for additional testing. Forensic Genetic Genealogy generated new leads, and investigators later located antemortem dental records associated with Gaston. A forensic odontologist compared those records with postmortem dental information, and the dental findings, together with the genetic evidence, confirmed the identification. This collaborative effort restored Gaston’s identity after more than four decades, and her family is now making arrangements for her final resting place. Learn more about the case: ow.ly/Sw2V50ZGIAl #missingpersons #missingpersoninvestigations #unidentifiedpersons #humanidentification #forensicprocessing #dna #forensicgeneticgenealogy #forensicodontology #coldcase #caseresolution #unidentifiedhumanremains OJP Bureau of Justice Assistance; County of Riverside - Government; Riverside County Sheriff's Office
A man who died after a fatal stabbing in Fort Worth in 1985 has been identified as Barry Thompson. For decades, investigators had no name for the victim despite documenting physical characteristics, sharing photographs with the public, and entering the case into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). In 2024, advanced DNA testing produced a profile suitable for Forensic Genetic Genealogy. New leads connected investigators with a close relative who recognized the case as that of her missing uncle, and a reference DNA comparison confirmed the identification. This resolution was supported by a cold case review initiative funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Missing and Unidentified Human Remains (MUHR) Program. Learn more about the case: ow.ly/s2WT50ZGIuL #missingpersons #missingpersoninvestigations #crimescene #unidentifiedpersons #humanidentification #forensicprocessing #dna #forensicgeneticgenealogy #coldcase #caseresolution #unidentifiedhumanremains OJP Bureau of Justice Assistance; Tarrant County
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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.