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Institute Looks to Businesses for Help with New Training, Research Labs
A $2 million grant from the National Institute of Justice could put the investigation before the crime.
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Business New Haven
4/28/2003
By: Melissa Nicefaro
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A $2 million grant from the National Institute of Justice could put the investigation before the crime.
A series of small laboratories are being developed at the institute. They will provide research training for scientists and students in of forensic science, including DNA analysis, biological evidence, arson, crime-scene analysis and cyber-crime.
“This fall we're going to launch standardized training at crime scenes at the new international crime scene training center,” Lee explains. “We're going to provide training to crime scene detectives and technicians and forensic laboratory scientists around the country. We are going to provide them with the most updated training.”
As Harper adds, “We're basically cross-training so that everybody understands what the exigencies of each side are so that they can work together better and improve efficiency and accuracy in collecting and analyzing physical evidence.”
Scientists at the new center are also going to research and develop new instrumentation and new chemicals for crime-scene analysis.
As part of another component of the program, the institute is seeking local companies to help foster incubator activities for small-business development, test or develop specialized equipment or adapt existing equipment for forensic, law enforcement and fire science needs.
Last October, the UNH National Crime Scene Training Center was established after the university received a $2 million federal start-up grant, the largest in the university's history and the first ever for this purpose. The center is a first-of-its-kind program to develop uniform methods for training investigators across the country.
“What I'd like to do is form partnerships with small, innovative companies that have either a service or technology that can be applied in the forensic or law enforcement community,” Harper explains.
“It's that kind of partnering where we've got the problems and they've got the technology and together we can create a solution,” he says. “There are lots of really neat businesses in New Haven that have something to contribute to this and we'd love to hear from them and partner with them.
UNH officials say they expect crime-scene investigation methods developed by the institute with the aid of the grant may eventually be adopted nationally.
- M.N.
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