Criminal Investigation DX (CIDX)

The CIDX Project

The CIDX project is a research initiative funded by NWO, in which 19 organizations collaborate with the goal of developing, testing, and validating two new technological innovations for application at crime scenes. These innovations aim to directly contribute to public trust in our legal system and the safety of our society. One of the innovations involves rapid tests to determine whether sufficient DNA material is present in a trace, ensuring that no samples are sent to forensic labs that yield “no result” due to insufficient DNA material. The other innovation focuses on rapid tests that can extract information from human biological traces, such as determining whether the trace belongs to a male or female, helping to guide on-site investigations more quickly and effectively.

This project is financially supported by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) through the Research along Routes by Consortia program under the National Science Agenda (NWA-ORC).

Desired societal change and objectives

The consortium wants to contribute to the improvement of societal security, increasing citizens’ trust in law enforcement and related sense of security by gearing the project to help solving more criminal cases, solving them faster and with a reduced chance of flaws. This is realized by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice chains. The project not only focuses on technological and scientific objectives but also on integrating the developed innovations into practice, involving the entire criminal justice chain. Public engagement is ensured through the inclusion of a media partner, who will inform citizens (for instance, through a true crime documentary), allowing them to form their own opinions.

The CIDX project partners

The CIDX consortium consists of 19 different entities, comprising (technical) universities, a university medical centre and a university of applied sciences, the Police Academy, the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), industrial partners and the entire criminal justice chain. These represent the key stakeholders, micro-/nanotechnology, lateral flow assays, (forensic) DNA analysis, biochemical assay development, biosensors, criminology and application of technology in forensic applications, which are required for succesful execution of the project.

Research

Several research groups from various institutes join forces to develop knowledge, expertise and technology that is key for what is set out to achieve. These include Saxion University of Applied Sciences, University of Twente (UT), University of Wageningen (WUR), the AmsterdamUMC (AMC), Vrije Universiteit (VU), Police Academy and the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI).

SMEs and industrial partners

Researchers from the different universities and knowledge institutes work closely together with a number of SMEs and industry partners. These include Micronit, Nytor, D’Andrea & Evers Design, Salvitat, Benchmark, Beleef!Media, Novel-T, Twinx and Pervatech. These combine high tech knowlege and expertise, communication experts, business development and project management.

Criminal justice chain

End users within the forensic domain must be able to use practical tools, receive analysis results that are as reliable and impartial as possible, and understand how to handle these results. For this reason, training is being developed and provided to end users on both the technology and the legal foundations. The entire criminal justice chain is involved in the project to ensure the usability of the innovations in legal proceedings.

Impact pathway

The so-called ‘impact pathway’ is part of the Theory of Change and schematically represents the route towards societal impact. It is a visualization of the proposed process of change resulting from the implementation of the project. The pathway illustrates this process, starting from the direct results of the project (output), through the direct and indirect effects of these results (outcome), and leading to long-term impact. This provides a simplified representation of the societal impact the consortium aims to achieve and the route to get there.

Output

Requirements for rapid LFA test devices
Protoypes of rapid LFA test devices
Requirements for microfluidic test devices
Prototypes of microfluidic test devices
Training program for stakeholders
Educational content
Decision support systems for investigators
Working methods for stakeholders
Media content
Novel academic insights

Immediate outcome

Production of developed LFA tests
Production of developed microfluidic tests
Trained stakeholders in this technology
New resources/scientists are being trained
Use of the new technology in ‘test environments’
(National) media content

Intermediate outcome

Use of rapid LFA tests in practice
Use of rapid microfluidic tests in practice
Stakeholders and society are informed through the media

Impact

More criminal cases solved
Criminal cases are solved faster
Less errors made in criminal justice process

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Leads to more impact

Improved societal security
Improved citizens’ trust in law enforcement
Improved sense of safety
Improved motivation of professionals

Work packages

The project activities are structured in the work packages below.

WP1 - Program of requirements

Identify user requirements & establish program of requirements for successful development and implementation of rapid analysis technologies.

Technology

WP2 - Rapid test device for determining presence of DNA

Develop a rapid test device to determine the presence of human DNA, including a direct sampling method, a method to store and re-analyze the sample and technical validation.

WP3 - Rapid test device for analysis of biological traces

Establishing requirements for microfluidic tests and developing a microfluidic rapid test. This also includes developing a direct sampling method, a method for storage and reanalysis in a laboratory, as well as technical validation.

Embedding

WP4 - Judicial

Identify involved legislation, legal implications of the new technology and gaps in current legislative framework. Develop a legal framework of legal operational procedures and police reports.

WP5 - Behavioral, practical, societal & ethical

Develop working methods and decision support systems (DSS) to optimize the use of the rapid microfluidics device and the rapid LFA device in practice. This work package also includes development of training programs, educational resources, communication strategy and media outreach for a broader societal impact .

WP6 - Testing and validation in forensic practice

Develop test protocols and validate prototypes of rapid LFA test devices and microfluidic test devices, including DSS and working methods for crime scene investigators.