Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science - Encyclopedia Abstract

Oct 3, 2026

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) established the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science in 2014 to address a lack of discipline-specific forensic science standards. OSAC’s mission focuses on strengthening the nation’s forensic science use through development of technically sound standards and guidelines and by promoting their adoption across the forensic science community. With 800-plus members and affiliates, OSAC supports a transparent, consensus-based drafting and evaluation process and engages expertise across multiple forensic disciplines and related fields.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science

Executive Summary/Introduction

U.S. Standards System

Need for Forensic Science Standards/OSAC

NIST Forensic Science Program Overview

Early OSAC: Mission, Structure, and Membership

Current OSAC: Mission, Structure, Membership, and Funding

OSAC’s Role

OSAC Registry

OSAC Registry Implementation

Other Work Products

Conclusion

References

Relevant Websites

Figures

Table of Contents ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC AREA COMMITTEES (OSAC) FOR FORENSIC SCIENCE ...................................2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY/INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................3 U.S. STANDARDS SYSTEM ................................................................................................................................4 NEED FOR FORENSIC SCIENCE STANDARDS/OSAC..........................................................................................4 NIST FORENSIC SCIENCE PROGRAM OVERVIEW .............................................................................................6 EARLY OSAC: MISSION, STRUCTURE, AND MEMBERSHIP ...............................................................................7 CURRENT OSAC: MISSION, STRUCTURE, MEMBERSHIP, AND FUNDING ........................................................9 OSAC’S ROLE ................................................................................................................................................. 12 OSAC REGISTRY............................................................................................................................................. 12 OSAC REGISTRY IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................. 16 OTHER WORK PRODUCTS............................................................................................................................. 20 CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................................ 22 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................. 22 RELEVANT WEBSITES .................................................................................................................................... 22 FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................................ 24 NIST Disclaimers: Certain commercial entities are identified to specify experimental procedures as completely as possible. In no case does such identification imply a recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, nor does it imply that any of the entities identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose. Key Points/Objectives: • Administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) • OSAC was created in 2014 to address a lack of discipline-specific forensic science standards. • OSAC members and affiliates work in forensic laboratories and other institutions around the country and have expertise in 22 forensic disciplines, scientific research, measurement science, statistics, law, and policy. • OSAC: o Drafts proposed standards and sends them to standards developing organizations (SDOs), which further develop and publish them; o Evaluates and approves standards for the OSAC Registry; and, o Promotes the use of OSAC endorsed standards throughout the forensic science community. Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences, Third Edition ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC AREA COMMITTEES (OSAC) FOR FORENSIC SCIENCE Author and Co-author Contact Information John Paul Jones II NIST 100 Bureau Drive, MS 6020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 [j](john.jones@nist.gov)[ohn.jones@nist.gov](john.jones@nist.gov) ORCID: 0000-0002-3258-0770 Co-Author(s) Name Allison Getz NIST 100 Bureau Drive, MS 6020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 [allison.getz@nist.gov](allison.getz@nist.gov) ORCID: 0000-0002-0648-9463 Co-Author(s) Name Donna Sirk NIST 100 Bureau Drive, MS 6020, Gaithersburg, MD 20899 [donna.sirk@nist.gov](donna.sirk@nist.gov) ORCID: 0000-0002-9844-6670 Abstract The National Institute of Sta

FAQs

What problem did NIST aim to solve by creating OSAC for Forensic Science in 2014?

NIST created OSAC to address a lack of discipline-specific forensic science standards.

What is OSAC’s mission?

OSAC’s mission is to strengthen the nation’s use of forensic science by facilitating technically sound standards and guidelines and encouraging their use across the forensic science community.

How does OSAC develop and evaluate forensic science standards?

OSAC drafts and evaluates standards through a transparent, consensus-based process that enables participation by all stakeholders.

Oct 3, 2026

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