Research and development in all forensic science areas: the rapidly expanding digital forensics; “conventional” areas such as fingerprints and DNA; and many other niche areas. Using general scientific advances and insights in the forensics domain.
Background
Crimes such as homicide and theft, and drugs such as heroin and cocaine have always been of public concern, and there has been a recent focus on areas such as child sexual abuse, modern slavery, new psychoactive substances, online fraud, and online indecent images of children.
Next steps
Get in touch with research@homeoffice.gov.uk
Source
This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
Areas of research interest relevant to the Home Office GOVUK
Topics
Related UKRI funded projects
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Natural Traces: Natural Traces in forensic investigations - how the analysis of non-human evidence can solve crime
Literally any crime scene contains animal, plant, soil, microbial or environmental traces. Examples include pet hairs or saliva, pollen and algae, soil and soil organisms like bacteria or nematodes, fungal spores, insect...
Funded by: Horizon Europe Guarantee
Why might this be relevant?
The project focuses on the analysis of non-human biological traces in forensic investigations, which aligns with the broader scope of research and development in forensic science areas mentioned in the question.
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NEXUS: Next-generation Evidence eXamination Underpinned by Semantics — A First-of-a-kind AI Platform for Digital Forensics Investigations
The police face an uphill struggle against criminals. This struggle is aggravated by globalisation and the widespread availability and increasing capabilities of the Internet, and the mass market for digital technology, ...
Funded by: Innovate UK
Why might this be relevant?
The project focuses on developing AI tools for digital forensics investigations, including addressing the identification of CSA victims and serious organized crime, aligning with the question's emphasis on digital forensics advancements.
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BlindSite: Blood, Lipid and Illicit Narcotics Detection and Situation
After a serious crime such as murder, physical or sexual assault, crime scenes are forensically examined for body fluids such as blood, saliva, sweat and semen; however, the detection and visualisation of such physical e...
Funded by: Innovate UK
Why might this be relevant?
The project addresses the detection of bodily secretions, drugs, and explosives at crime scenes, which is relevant to forensic science advancements, but does not fully cover the range of topics mentioned in the question.