As new and emerging technologies advance (artificial intelligence, drones, virtual/augmented reality, etc.) their use in novel and unusual criminal activity is inevitable (deepfakes, synthetic IDs, AI-generated images of disinformation, etc.). Concurrently, with the increase of internet access and mobile phones across the globe, the world is more interconnected now than ever before; but also is more vulnerable to new scams, frauds, and schemes. The confluence of these events, will present new challenges for both law enforcement agencies and forensic science laboratories.

Over the last few years, the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) Forensic Research Committee (FRC) has created and launched tools to help advance forensic science research and further research collaborations within the forensic science community which will help the field be able to successfully address these new challenges. Additionally, this presentation is for individuals who are looking to become more engaged in forensic science research and want to learn more about the opportunities that the ASCLD FRC is creating to benefit the forensic science community.