NIJ FY18 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program- FORMULA

Currently in the United States there are a limited number of qualified forensic pathologists and a backlog of cases in most medical examiner and coroner offices. Our goal is to increase the number of qualified forensic pathologists in Virginia and the United States, by training and certifying a forensic pathology fellow in the OCME in VA.

Completion of 12 months of hands on training of a forensic pathology fellow will improve effectiveness, documentation, and enhance recruitment.

As the demand for forensic analysis services from DFS increases; the agency needs to ensure its scientists have the training necessary to accomplish their assigned caseloads as efficiently as possible. In addition, submissions of powerful synthetic opioids have increased and continue to stretch the Department’s available resources. Our goal is to ensure that personnel in the Chemistry, Physical Evidence, Toxicology program areas, as well as laboratory management, receive ongoing training to allow them to continue to provide timely forensic science services.

The goal of the opioid-related project is to increase staff’s knowledge of current issues related to the opioid crisis and improve case workflow. The anticipated impact of the proposed scientific training is an increasingly knowledgeable staff that is able to provide more efficient, timely and relevant services.

nca/ncf