Hawkesbury. Study to boost forensic standards

A new University of Western Sydney research venture, to be undertaken by a staff member awarded a 2008 Churchill Fellowship, would ensure that Australia's forensic scientists and crime scene investigators are of a global standard, the university said. Jennie Nelson, from the School of Natural Sciences, will travel to the United Kingdom and Canada, in 2009, to investigate the best practice procedures of forensic investigation. As part of the study, Ms Nelson would analyse the procedures used to induct staff, manage professional development, and supervise occupational health and safety, in various universities and forensic institutions. The UWS Hawkesbury campus is the base for the only 'crime scene house' in NSW – a dedicated training facility which allows students to practice forensic science skills such as detecting and analysing footprints, fingerprinting, blood spatter and glass evidence.