Originally published January 17, 20204, on news.fiu.edu.

Written by Michelle Chernicoff

Florida International University has secured the nation’s only forensic science Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) for the second time. The Center for Advanced Research in Forensic Science (CARFS) brings together top academic forensic science researchers to develop solutions to industry partners’ top needs. The CARFS Phase II is a five-year award with intended funding of $4.25 million.

FIU is collaborating with Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University on this effort.

“Each university truly brings unique strengths to this partnership,” said Kenneth G. Furton, CARFS director and executive director of the Global Forensic and Justice Center at FIU. “It’s called a cooperative research center for a reason – and it’s because, in the end, we’re all working towards a common goal of strengthening justice through forensic science.”

The first step is for the Industry Advisory Board (IAB) members to submit their top research needs. CARFS has 14 IAB members including the FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). IAB members also provide funding to support the research efforts, which combined with The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)‘s $750,000 IUCRC base award, with a goal of $4.25 million in research dollars.

IAB members review proposals from CARFS universities and affiliated researchers and vote on which are funded.

“It’s one thing for something to work in the lab under a controlled environment,” Furton said. “These industry leaders know their uncontrolled environment and have perspective on what has the greatest potential of success. By having the problem delivered to them, researchers can focus on finding a solution instead of trying to solve a problem that might not be a priority for the industry.”

During CARFS Phase I, 20 industrial partners collaborated and supported more than 40 faculty and 75 students. These individuals were involved in 65 different projects, culminating in hundreds of conference papers, more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, and six patents.

“I am extremely excited that the NSF and NIJ will continue to support this unique center connecting universities with top forensic government agencies and corporations to advance forensic science technologies,” Furton said.The first projects will be awarded in Spring 2024.