A crisis for the future of forensic science: Lessons from the UK of the importance of epistemology for funding research and development

This study presents analysis of forensic science research funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research councils (2009–2018), representing 150 projects with a cumulative value of £56.1 m (0.01% of the total UKRI budget over this time period). The findings indicate that dedicated forensic scie...

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Main Authors: R.M. Morgan, E.A. Levin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2019-01-01
Series:Forensic Science International: Synergy
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X19301457
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author R.M. Morgan
E.A. Levin
author_facet R.M. Morgan
E.A. Levin
author_sort R.M. Morgan
collection DOAJ
description This study presents analysis of forensic science research funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research councils (2009–2018), representing 150 projects with a cumulative value of £56.1 m (0.01% of the total UKRI budget over this time period). The findings indicate that dedicated forensic science funding represents only 46.0% of the projects included in the dataset. Research focussed on developing technological outputs represented 69.5% of the total funding (£37.2 m) in comparison to foundational research which represented 19.2% (£10.7 m). Traditional forensic science evidence types such as fingerprints and DNA received 1.3% and 5.1% of the total funding respectively, in comparison to digital and cyber projects which received 25.7%. These data offer insight into the scale of the funding crisis in forensic science in the UK, and the need to increase the resources available, to develop ways of articulating value and to ensure that both technological and foundational research are enabled. Keywords: Forensic science, Research, Funding, Crisis, Technological and foundational
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spelling doaj.art-4dd47f140c774e0d98bd45dbb2ff74be2022-12-21T23:53:16ZengElsevierForensic Science International: Synergy2589-871X2019-01-011243252A crisis for the future of forensic science: Lessons from the UK of the importance of epistemology for funding research and developmentR.M. Morgan0E.A. Levin1Corresponding author.; UCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences, UCL Department of Security and Crime Science, 35 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9EZ, UKUCL Centre for the Forensic Sciences, UCL Department of Security and Crime Science, 35 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9EZ, UKThis study presents analysis of forensic science research funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research councils (2009–2018), representing 150 projects with a cumulative value of £56.1 m (0.01% of the total UKRI budget over this time period). The findings indicate that dedicated forensic science funding represents only 46.0% of the projects included in the dataset. Research focussed on developing technological outputs represented 69.5% of the total funding (£37.2 m) in comparison to foundational research which represented 19.2% (£10.7 m). Traditional forensic science evidence types such as fingerprints and DNA received 1.3% and 5.1% of the total funding respectively, in comparison to digital and cyber projects which received 25.7%. These data offer insight into the scale of the funding crisis in forensic science in the UK, and the need to increase the resources available, to develop ways of articulating value and to ensure that both technological and foundational research are enabled. Keywords: Forensic science, Research, Funding, Crisis, Technological and foundationalhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X19301457
spellingShingle R.M. Morgan
E.A. Levin
A crisis for the future of forensic science: Lessons from the UK of the importance of epistemology for funding research and development
Forensic Science International: Synergy
title A crisis for the future of forensic science: Lessons from the UK of the importance of epistemology for funding research and development
title_full A crisis for the future of forensic science: Lessons from the UK of the importance of epistemology for funding research and development
title_fullStr A crisis for the future of forensic science: Lessons from the UK of the importance of epistemology for funding research and development
title_full_unstemmed A crisis for the future of forensic science: Lessons from the UK of the importance of epistemology for funding research and development
title_short A crisis for the future of forensic science: Lessons from the UK of the importance of epistemology for funding research and development
title_sort crisis for the future of forensic science lessons from the uk of the importance of epistemology for funding research and development
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589871X19301457
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