Dr Allan Jamieson, Director, has been delighted to accept the post and title of Visiting Professor from Napier University in Edinburgh. Professor Jamieson has been helping several universities develop their forensic degree courses. As Chair of the Forensic Science Society's Standards Committee and Education Group, he has also been involved in the development of the Society's Accreditation Scheme for Higher Education courses in forensic science. The scheme is now in operation with the first assessments due this year. More information on the Society at:-

www.forensic-science-society.org.uk

Register now for Human Identification Web conference (It's FREE!)

Those of you who hate to travel to conferences will be delighted to hear of the expansion of our e-symposia programme. After the success of the Digital Evidence e-symposium, our next planned web conference is on Human Identification, or HUMID 2005. A top-flight international selection of speakers will speak on the theory, practice, and legal aspects of DNA, Fingerprints, and other identification technologies. An organising panel including Professor David Faigman (U.S.), Professor Jim Fraser (UK), and Dr Bob Bramley (UK), supported by an international review panel, have brought together some of the world's leading authorities in this area. The e-symposia programme is organised by The Forensic Institute in conjunction with e-symposium Ltd. If you have not yet experienced this innovative conferencing method, find out more at

http://www.e-symposium.com/humid.html

Register now. This is one of a series of forensic on-line symposia. The next will be Forensic Medicine. If you are interested in taking part, or have ideas for others, drop a note to meet@theforensicinstitute.com .

Law Society Conference

Our seminar programme in partnership with the Law Society of Scotland and their Update programme continues with a one-day Forensic Medicine seminar in Edinburgh on 22nd February. Go to "http://www.lawscot.org.uk" and click Update Courses.

American Academy of Forensic Sciences

The AAFS meeting is in New Orleans from 21st-26th February. We will be there in the shape of Professor Jamieson. If you are interested in meeting up over there, why not drop Allan a note via the website; he has been known to buy a round - but not often!

Research project on presentation of evidence

Something for everyone in this project. Course tutors, here is the ideal topic for your students. The idea is to see how technical evidence is provided to juries. The project is being led by The Forensic Institute and Dr Shara Lochun at London Metropolitan University. Details and downloadable reporting forms are on our R & D section of the website. Why not give it a go? For further information, you can contact Shara at "s.lochun@londonmet.ac.uk" or the R & D department of the Institute.

FIRN is a collection of academics working together to a common goal to improve research and teaching in forensic science. The project launch in Edinburgh was attended by over 50 delegates. Among the projects to emerge are; an academic conference scheduled for 7th - 9th July 2005 supported by the Learning and Teaching in Science Network; a new on-line open-access journal with an international Editorial Board already lined up; a national research strategy to help channel the efforts of the many students now involved in forensic science courses into a large database of projects that contribute to a range of operational questions. More info on FIRN and its projects can be found on our website.

If you would like to be part of the FIRN just drop your contact details, including your email address to Our R & D Department via our website. If you are not on the research or teaching staff of a university then please also provide some information on your interest in FIRN.

Also driven by our expanding workload - Much of The Institute's casework is performed through our Consultants' Network. The Network is international and intended to cover almost any forensic topic that we may be asked to deal with - a recent case request involved the issue of the existence of Red Mercury (it doesn't!). The increasing caseload at The Institute now means that we are interested in hearing from anyone who has expertise that could become part of The Institute's Network. Eventually, a consultant may be invited to become a Member of The Institute with access to the other consultants and a collegiate approach to casework and an obligation to contribute to and be part of our quality assurance programme. If you are interested, or would like to recommend someone else, please contact Professor Jamieson by using our Consultancy contact form on our site. Please note that you must be an experienced scientist or forensic practitioner to be considered.

… and trainers too.

We are extending our involvement in the delivery of training and education programmes. In particular, our on-line modules are being expanded. We are seeking individuals who can write good, informative material for use in a wide range of on-line topics. These could be anything from basic statistics to advanced DNA analysis. You don't necessarily need experience here; just be able to show that you can write in a way that can be understood by the course students. Contact the Institute to arrange an informal chat.

If you've visited our website then you may have come across our News & Views section. We would like to use this as a vehicle for (informed) discussion on relevant topics. Why not have a look and either kick off a new topic, or respond to something in there already.

Change of contact information

Our expanding list of clients, casework, and training activities (and Edinburgh's anti-car policies!) has finally caused us to move.Our new contact details are;