The IAFSM David Dustin Memorial Research Grant

The IAFSM David Dustin Memorial Research Grant
Call for Applications

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Submission Deadline: May 4, 2026

The International Association of Forensic & Security Metrology (IAFSM) invites applications for the David Dustin Memorial Research Grant in the amount of $500 USD. The intent of this award is to support innovative research in forensic and security metrology, including but not limited to the development, evaluation, or application of high precision measurement systems, techniques, and/or software to address current knowledge gaps or challenges in the forensic and security metrology fields.

This award honors the legacy of David Dustin, a self taught innovator with a lifelong passion for technology and measurement. David, a past IAFSM President, started numerous family businesses in this industry, was a tireless advocate for training and research and finally worked for the FBI-OPU as the capstone to his career. Throughout his time with us he was known for his compassion, scientific rigor, mentorship, love of learning and his unwavering support for colleagues and newcomers alike. Through this grant, IAFSM seeks to recognize and encourage research that reflects David’s spirit of curiosity, technical excellence, and generosity toward others.

Eligibility Requirements

• Applicants must be engaged in the field of forensic or security metrology (law enforcement, military, private or public sector, laboratory, academic, or consulting roles are all eligible).
• Eligible applicants may include:
• • Students (certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs)
  • Early‑career and experienced practitioners
  • Retired professionals actively contributing to research or education in forensic metrology
• Projects must have a clear forensic or security metrology component, such as measurement, documentation, analysis, or visualization of crime, crash, or security‑related scenes.
• Research must be completed within 12 months of award.
• Upon project completion, a research article related to the proposal must be submitted to a scientific journal (IAI; ACSR; JFS etc) for peer review and potential publication, or the research may be presented at the following year's IAFSM training conference.  
  

Applicants must submit a current CV/Resume and a detailed research proposal including:

• Objectives / research questions
• Methods and planned work
• Expected outcomes and impact on forensic or security metrology
• Brief description of how the $500 USD will be used

Application requirements should be added to a word or pdf document and uploaded using the online submission form.

Evaluation criteria

Applications will be evaluated by a committee appointed by IAFSM using criteria such as:

• Relevance of the project to forensic and/or security metrology
• Scientific and technical merit of the proposed work
• Feasibility of completing the project with the proposed methods and timeline
• Potential impact on practice, standards, education, or technology in the field
• Alignment with the innovative, rigorous, and collaborative spirit exemplified by David Dustin