Event

2025 FBI Investigative Genetic Genealogy Trainings

April 28–May 2 | July 7–11 | August 18–22

SAKI TTA, on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), will be hosting a series of in-person courses on Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) as outlined below.

  • March 17-21 | Research Triangle Park, NC (cancelled)
  • April 28-May 2 | Rancho Cordova, CA
  • July 7-11 | Research Triangle Park, NC
  • August 18-22 | Research Triangle Park, NC

Each 5-day in-person training, led by the FBI's IGG team, will provide a hands-on opportunity for agencies with BJA forensic portfolio funding to engage in practical exercises focused on constructing and analyzing family trees. Intended for BJA forensic grantees interested in performing this critical work in-house, the training will cover techniques for utilizing public databases, identifying genetic matches, and establishing connections to solve complex cases. The training will be open to anyone with BJA forensic portfolio funding that has a genealogist in-house or has personnel that is dedicating significant time to genealogy. Attendees will receive a certificate of completion following the training.

Upon completing the course, participants will be assigned to experienced IGG personnel within the FBI. These designated individuals will be available to answer questions and provide guidance on IGG matters as participants gain experience working cases. This mentorship opportunity will be informal, serving as a valuable resource for participants.

Application and Attendance Criteria

This training will not be archived and must be attended in-person. Grantees may send up to 3 individuals to this training. Attendees can be sworn or professional (civilian) staff. If attendance is approved, grantees can use their BJA grant funding to attend. Prior to making travel arrangements, approved attendees should work with their agency and BJA grant manager to ensure their project budget allows for travel.

Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

  • For SAKI grantees, priority attendance will be given to grantees with Purpose Areas 4 and/or 6. Grantees with only Purpose Areas 1 and/or 2 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Grantees must confirm they have at minimum 3 cases that will require IGG over the next year (i.e., cases have been reviewed, the multidisciplinary team has confirmed the cases meet the criteria for IGG and are in alignment with the DOJ Interim Policy, and the laboratory has been consulted to ensure sufficient evidence is available for submission to a vendor laboratory).

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants will be notified within 5-7 business days. Early applications are recommended to secure preferred dates.

Application Form

Topics

A formal event agenda will not be provided. The 5-day training will cover the following topics:

  • Basic DNA
  • Case Intake
  • Genealogy for IGG
  • Database Familiarization
  • Intro to Tree Building
  • Match Resolution
  • Match Interpretation
  • Reference Testing
  • Legal Considerations
  • Practical Exercises

Travel

Travel information will be provided via email to approved applicants.

If you have any questions regarding travel arrangements, please contact the SAKI TTA Team (sakitta@rti.org).

Contact SAKI TTA

Do you have a question or comment? Do you need any assistance with technical issues?

Let us help you.

Contact the SAKI help desk at sakitta@rti.org.