Please click here for a current listing of SWGDAM Committee participants.

 

In accordance with the SWGDAM Bylaws, Section V, the SWGDAM Body is
organized into Committees that concentrate on different substantive areas
of forensic DNA analysis related to the support of the FBI’s National Quality
Assurance Standards and National DNA Index System (NDIS) Operational
Procedures.  Over the years, SWGDAM has had many standing Committees

in subject areas such as Quality Assurance and CODIS and has convened

other Working Groups, Committees of Correspondence, or other ad hoc groups

as needed to discuss specific topic areas that have arisen within the forensic

DNA testing community.  All SWGDAM Committees, etc. are empaneled and tasked

by the SWGDAM Chair and any work adopted by SWGDAM is shared via SWGDAM.org. 

Current SWGDAM Committees and other Working Groups include:

 

Autosomal STR Committee 

The Autosomal STR (STR) Committee is a standing committee tasked to identify, evaluate, and research issues related to the analysis interpretation, and reporting of autosomal STR analysis methods by forensic DNA testing laboratories.

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Tasks

• The STR Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the SWGDAM Interpretation Guidelines for Autosomal STR Typing for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories.
   

• The STR Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) and/or NDIS Operational Procedures Manual for the consideration of SWGDAM.

 

CODIS Committee

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This CODIS Committee is a standing committee tasked to identify, evaluate, and research issues relating to the use of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in federal, state, and local forensic laboratories.

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Tasks

• The CODIS Committee will discuss topics related to the use of CODIS by law enforcement laboratories conducting forensic DNA testing.
   

• The CODIS Committee will review issues relating to the operation of CODIS such as software functionality and performance as requested by the FBI Laboratory.
   

• The CODIS Committee will review issues submitted by the NDIS Procedures Board as received and develop responses for the consideration of SWGDAM.

 

Laboratory Operations Committee

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The Laboratory Operations Committee is tasked to identify, evaluate, and research issues related to the efficient generation of high-quality DNA testing data by forensic laboratories in compliance with all FBI National QAS and NDIS Operational Procedure requirements.

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Tasks

• The Laboratory Operations Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the:
  SWGDAM Contamination Prevention and Detection Guidelines for Forensic DNA Laboratories,
  SWGDAM Recommendations for the Efficient DNA Processing of Sexual Assault Evidence Kits,
  SWGDAM Guidelines for the Validation of Probabilistic Genotyping Systems,
  SWGDAM Guidelines for the Collection and Serological Examination of Biological Evidence,
  SWGDAM Guidelines for STR Enhanced Detection Methods, and
  SWGDAM Validation Guidelines for Forensic DNA Analysis Methods.
   

• The Laboratory Operations Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) and/or NDIS Operational Procedures Manual for the consideration of SWGDAM.

 

Lineage Marker Committee

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The Lineage Marker Committee is a standing committee tasked to identify, evaluate, and research issues relating to the analysis interpretation, and reporting of forensic mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosome testing data.

 

Tasks

• The Lineage Marker Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the:
  SWGDAM Mitochondrial DNA Analysis Interpretation Guidelines,
  SWGDAM Mitochondrial DNA Nomenclature Examples,
  SWGDAM Guidelines for Missing Persons Casework, and
  SWGDAM Interpretation Guidelines for Y-chromosome STR Typing.
   

• The Lineage Marker Committee will provide guidance for the identification, categorization, and interpretation of mixed Y-chromosome STR typing results.

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• The Lineage Marker Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) and/or NDIS Operational Procedures Manual for the consideration of SWGDAM.

 

Quality Assurance Committee

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The Quality Assurance (QA) Committee is a standing committee tasked to identify, evaluate, and research issues relating to monitoring and maintaining the quality of DNA testing results in forensic laboratories.

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Tasks

• The QA Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the SWGDAM Training Guidelines.
   

• The QA Committee will recommend revisions and/or additions, as necessary, to the SWGDAM QAS Clarification Document which provides supplemental guidance for specific standards and is intended to assist laboratories and auditors to better understand the objective(s) of a given standard and its application to a specific situation(s).
   

• The QA Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) and/or NDIS Operational Procedures Manual for the consideration of SWGDAM.
   

• The QA Committee serves as the primary body for reviewing the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) on behalf of SWGDAM and for the incorporation of proposed changes to the QAS recommended by other SWGDAM Committees.​

 

Next Generation Sequencing Committee

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The Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Committee is a standing committee tasked to identify, evaluate, and research issues relating to the forensic applications of next generation sequencing.

 

Tasks

• The NGS Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the SWGDAM Interpretation Guidelines for Autosomal STR Typing for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories.
   

• The NGS Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the SWGDAM Mitochondrial DNA Analysis Interpretation Guidelines

• The NGS Committee will monitor the potential forensic applications of NGS and make regular reports to SWGDAM.
   

• The NGS Committee will generate and review performance data using forensic NGS applications and make regular reports to SWGDAM.
   

• The NGS Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) and the NDIS Operational Procedures Manual for the consideration of SWGDAM. 

 

Rapid DNA Committee

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The Rapid-DNA Committee is a standing committee tasked to identify, evaluate, and research issues relating to the analysis interpretation, and reporting of Rapid-DNA testing data both in the laboratory and the booking environment.

 

Tasks

• The Rapid-DNA Committee will discuss topics related to the use of R-DNA by law enforcement agencies both within and outside the laboratory.
   

• The Rapid-DNA Committee will review issues relating to the use of Rapid-DNA technology such as instrument performance, legislative considerations, and pilot testing of software functionality and performance as requested by the FBI Laboratory.
   

• The Rapid-DNA Committee will review and, as necessary, recommend revisions to the FBI’s Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) and/or NDIS Operational Procedures Manual for the consideration of SWGDAM.

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Please click here for information regarding the activities of the current SWGDAM Committees.