Thirty-Fifth Annual Crime Laboratory Development Symposium—Balance: A Focus on Competing Needs

Laura Turner
Training Specialist
Quality Assurance and Training Unit
FBI Laboratory
Quantico, Virginia

The FBI Laboratory is proud to announce the 35th Annual Crime Laboratory Development Symposium, June 12–14, 2007. We have the pleasure of partnering with The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business for this valuable academic management program. The faculty is excited to work with our community and looks forward to sharing ideas in the field of management and leadership. This year’s theme of Balance is one that many of us can identify with, whether it means a balance between home and work, administrative requirements and scientific processes, or former peer friendships that are becoming supervisor-subordinate roles. We are all faced with important balancing acts every day. This year’s symposium is designed to address our need to achieve balance as laboratory leaders and managers.

As in previous years, laboratories are welcome to submit as many applications as they want. It is suggested that laboratory directors internally rank the applications submitted by their organizations. Selection of attendees will be based on the total number of application forms received by the FBI Laboratory, the total number of laboratories submitting applications, and the size of the laboratory or laboratory system submitting the application. As in past years, our program capacity is 250. Applicants must be employed by a publicly funded forensic laboratory in order to attend this program. International attendees are welcome to apply, but their agencies will be responsible for funding travel to the host city. We expect that there will be more applications than available seats and therefore discourage late arrivals and early departures. Substitutions will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

So that the community has a better understanding of our process, the following timeline is provided:

January 2007: The formal announcement for the symposium and call for applications is published in this issue of Forensic Science Communications. Interested parties should complete and submit the attached application form by February 1, 2007.

Note: Application data will be transmitted electronically this year via e-mail and the Internet, by clicking the “SUBMIT” button at the bottom of the application. Applicants must have the most recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader for this task. The Reader may be downloaded at no cost from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html. If you have trouble sending the form using the SUBMIT button, save and send your application as an e-mail attachment. If you do not receive an e-mail within five days confirming receipt of your application or have any other questions, contact Laura Turner at laura.turner@ic.fbi.gov or + 1-703-632-8316.

February 1, 2007: Due date for submission of application forms. FBI Laboratory staff will contact laboratory directors in order to determine the ranking of applicants and then select attendees based on previously mentioned criteria.

March 1, 2007: Registration packets will be mailed to selected attendees. Attendees must complete and submit all required registration materials by April 1, 2007, in order to be officially registered for the symposium. Registration materials will include course descriptions and registration confirmation.

April 1, 2007: Registration materials are due.

June 11, 2007 (Monday): Attendees travel to the host city and register on the evening of June 11.

June 12–14, 2007: Symposium takes place. Attendees are expected to remain for the entire program and should request departing flights for no earlier than 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 14.

June 15, 2007 (Friday): Attendees travel home.

The FBI Laboratory will provide the following:

• All program materials and program content.



• Single-occupancy lodging for attendees at the contracted hotel for Monday arrival through Friday departure.



• Round-trip airfare to the host city or mileage and hotel self-parking reimbursement for personal vehicles. Mileage must be equal to or less than the contract government airfare. Travel to the host city for international attendees must be paid for by the attendee’s agency or with personal funds.



• Breakfast, lunch, and breaks on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.



• Symposium dinner hosted at the lodging site one evening.

The attendee’s agency or the individual will be responsible for:

• Meals not provided during the program (travel days, dinner for two evenings).



• Mileage from and to the home city airport and airport parking fees.



• Transportation to and from the host city airport and the lodging site.



• Government vehicle mileage and parking fees.



• Incidental hotel charges (room service, Internet usage, phone charges, etc.).



• Any additional room charges for more than one guest, additional days’ stay, or room upgrades.

Detailed information will be provided to selected attendees in their registration materials (March 1 mailing date) and on-site registration materials (June 11). The Virtual Academy will not be used for registration. If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact the Quality Assurance and Training Unit of the FBI Laboratory.

Symposium Manager: Robert Stacey Unit Chief Quality Assurance and Training Unit Phone: + 1-703-632-8284 robert.stacey@ic.fbi.gov

Symposium Administrator: Laura Turner Training Specialist Quality Assurance and Training Unit Phone: + 1-703-632-8316 laura.turner@ic.fbi.gov