U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) on Wednesday announced that the University of Alabama had been awarded $4 million from the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) agency for the establishment of a National Center on Forensics.
UA will establish and operate the center in partnership with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences (ADFS) and the Alabama District Attorney’s Association.
Shelby, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, praised the award as being critical to the long-term advancement of forensic science.
“The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded The University of Alabama $4 million for the development of a National Center on Forensics, one of the first of its kind in the United States. This is outstanding news,” advised Shelby. “The NIJ funding will allow UA to implement important training and learning opportunities in fields where forensic science and law intersect, with a heightened focus on underserved rural areas. I look forward to the lasting benefits that this new center will undoubtedly have on forensic science for years to come.”
.@TheJusticeDept @OJPNIJ has awarded the @UofAlabama, in partnership with ADFS and @AlabamaDAA, $4 million for the development of a National Center on Forensics, one of the first of its kind in the United States. This is outstanding news. More info: https://t.co/GrO9OQ4mbK
— Richard Shelby (@SenShelby) December 8, 2021
According to Shelby’s senate office, the funding was allocated through the fiscal year 2021 “Consolidated Appropriations Act.”
The center will serve to develop and implement scientific and technical educational opportunities with a concentration on underserved rural areas for the medical and legal communities. Additionally, it will also provide forensic science and legal training to criminal justice professionals.
Dr. John Higginbotham, UA’s lead on the grant and senior associate vice president for research and economic development, expressed gratitude to Shelby for his support in securing the funding.
“This unique and emergent initiative will enable our UA team and our UAB partners to help improve forensic investigation, particularly in rural areas of our state, and become a national leader for these training and learning opportunities,” said Higginbotham. “The grant will provide many valuable benefits, including the ability to offer medical and legal learning opportunities for students training as deputy medical examiners or coroners, with a special emphasis for those planning to live and work in underserved rural areas.”
He added, “We are grateful for the support of Senator Shelby during this highly competitive grant process and look forward to formally presenting this to the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees.”
ADFS director Angelo Della Manna outlined the role the center will play in furthering forensic science educational opportunities.
“The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences is one of the nation’s oldest forensic science systems, and has a long and well established history of excelling in several previous NIJ forensic science initiatives,” stated Manna. “As the only accredited provider of forensic science services in Alabama, ADFS is uniquely positioned to help train medical students early on in their medical school education sequence on the exciting career options of becoming a medical examiner/coroner through the Center, as well as helping the Center provide local, state, and nationwide training to forensic science practitioners on new and emerging technologies in the field.”
He concluded, “We offer our deepest thanks to Senator Shelby for his long standing support of forensic science and look forward to partnering with UA in this exciting endeavor to create the National Center on Forensics on the campus of the University of Alabama.”
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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