Dundee University awarded £10m for forensic science research

Dundee University has been given £10 million to build a new forensic science research centre to ensure science remains a “vital component” of the criminal justice system.

The grant was awarded by the Leverhulme Trust to Dundee and three other UK universities.

It will be led by Professor Sue Black who said it would deal with the “crisis” in the scientific field.

Professor Black is director of the University’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification.

She said: “Forensic science is a highly valued component of the criminal justice system but it is widely recognised to be in crisis.

“We have research gaps in a range of evidence types, from fingerprinting to DNA analysis and we have to raise the bar in the standards of science underpinning these vital techniques.”

She added the investment recognised Dundee University’s international reputation in forensic science but said more had to be done to restore “public and judicial confidence” in the science.

The other recipients of the awards were the universities of Sheffield, Liverpool and Cambridge.