Achievements

Commercial activities

CFS is engaged in consulting and short courses activities in relevant areas of expertise (mainly through accessUTS) with an estimated annual earning of $30K.

External Engagement

  • President of the International Association of Forensic Sciences (2017-2020)
  • Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Criminal Court
  • President of the Australian & New Zealand Forensic Science Society (ANZFSS)
  • Vice-President of the Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences
  • ANZFSS NSW Vice-President
  • Assessors and grants review panel members for various national and international funding bodies
  • Editorial Board members and reviewers for a number of top-ranked journals
  • Chair of international symposium and conference Organising Committee members for various international conferences
  • Plenary, keynote and invited presentations at national and international scientific meetings
  • Members of by-invitation only research group (e.g. International Fingerprint Research Group).

Funding

External Funding

  • $6.9 million in 2011-2016 (5.4 million when fractionalised) – 55% Category 1 grants and 31% Category 2 grants
  • Three successful Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects in 2016 (50% of the university’s success)
  •  One philanthropic donation of $549K in 2015.

International Funding

  • $650K from the US Department of Defense - Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office over the last 3 years, with an extension currently being submitted for an additional $250K
  • $75K grant from Shanxi Science and Technology Bureau (China).

Infrastructure

Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) Infrastructure

Home to the first Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER) and the only facility of its kind outside of the USA, funded by a 2015 ARC LIEF grant ($430K + $250K partner contributions); three ARC LIEF grants over the years ($724K + $240K partner contributions).

Industry-funded and other Infrastructure

Multimillion Agilent Elemental Bio-Imaging Facility; Thermofisher laboratory ($640K) and multimillion dollar purpose-built specialised forensic science laboratories.

Rankings and recognition

National rankings

  • CFS is the largest and most successful forensic science group in Australia in terms of the volume, quality and impact of papers, research income, engagement and leadership in general
  • In the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2015 National Report, CFS contributed to the ERA 5 (well above world standard) in chemical sciences, agricultural & veterinary sciences and ERA 4 (above world standard) in biological sciences and law & legal studies.

International rankings

  • CFS is the 3rd most prolific publishing institution considering the six top forensic science journals since 2002
  • Widely recognised as being in the top 3 internationally.

University recognition

  • CFS is regularly positively assessed in annual reviews by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Office (including receiving performance-based bonus) and CFS members received various UTS Research and Alumni Awards
  • Recognised by the University as being “one of the ten UTS areas being in the top ten internationally”.

Media and communication

  • Over 60 news stories, in particular about forensic taphonomy, DNA and fingerprint research, including TV (e.g. news, Catalyst), radio interviews including internationally (e.g. BBC radio), Sydney Morning Herald, other newspapers and magazines (e.g. New Scientist)
  • Presentations in the Sydney Science Festival, UTSpeaks and in a number of public and/or community forums.

Research and teaching

Fellowships

  • One Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow
  • One Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship
  • Two UTS Chancellors Postdoctoral Research Fellowships.

Research awards

  • UTS Chancellors Awards – DVC Medal for Research Impact
  • Young Tall Poppy Award
  • UTS Alumni Awards including UTS Luminary
  • USAID Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge Prize Winner, best paper awards in top journals and at International conferences
  • Over 20 National Institute of Forensic Science best paper awards.

Research publications

  • Members of CFS regularly publish in high impact, discipline-specific and trans-disciplinary journals, including Nature, Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Analytical Chemistry, PLoS One and Forensic Science International
  • CFS’s research has appeared on journal covers and has been the subject of invited reviews in top journals.

Research supervision

  • A successful track record in Higher Degree Research supervision (over 30 since 2002) and on-time completion
  • Early Research Career mentorship and research-inspired teaching
  • Many CFS PhD graduates have become national and international leaders in the industry and in academia.

Teaching

  • Strong integration teaching: research; our research builds upon and inspires the successful forensic science teaching program – the new degree is set to sustain this success with 244 UAC 1st preferences for the 2017 intake (55% of MaPS first preferences)
  • Strong and sustained graduate outcomes with forensic science graduates being employed in a large variety of positions in relevant industries, including at senior managerial levels.
Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.