Northumbria University Centre for Forensic Science (NUCFS)
Northumbria University Centre for Forensic Science was established on 1 January 2010 with a clear and ambitious mandate to provide investigators, scientists and policy makers with analysis and insight into practice and ethics in the use of science in the Criminal Justice System. Its interests encompass basic science, forensic science, and social studies of policy and practice in forensic science and the related domains of public health and safety, and human rights.
Members of the Centre have a successful track record in research, research training and education in forensic science, and in initiating changes of policy and practice. The Centre's research aims to offer further opportunities to improve decision making in current practice and future strategy, and to develop responsive new forensic technologies and applications. For more information on Centre activities, please visit our research, innovation and events pages.
The Centre is a catalyst for inter-disciplinary research with regional, national and international partners. It benefits from links with academic colleagues in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Portugal, Singapore, Spain and the United States. Members of the Centre have worked with leading organisations in the sector, including the Association of Chief Police Officers, Home Office Forensic Science Regulator, Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Australian Federal Police, Environmental Science and Research (New Zealand) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (United States), as well as with agencies in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Research has benefited from the support of the Royal Society, United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Economic and Social Research Council (UK), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK), Nuffield Foundation (UK), Wellcome Trust (UK), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada) and Technical Support Working Group (USA).
Members of the Centre have participated in a number of human rights abuse and Disaster Victim Identification deployments. They have undertaken forensic case work in forensic archaeology and anthropology, forensic facial reconstruction, forensic facial comparison, DNA profiling, low-template DNA analysis, familial searching, and cases where the potential for innocent transfer of DNA evidence is at issue. They have assisted in police investigations into serious crime, and have been instructed by both Prosecution and Defence counsel.
