PRE-ACCESSION FUNDS
1. IPA 2007 Project - "Strengthening the capacities of the Ministry of the Interior in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse" (2010-2011)
Within the project, eleven new instruments were purchased for the FSC, and numerous new methods were developed, the most important of which are methods for chemical profiling of heroin, cocaine and amphetamines, as well as qualitative and quantitative determination of drugs in biological samples. The value of the project is 1 million euros.
2. IPA 2012 Project - "Strengthening the capacities of the Ministry of the Interior in the fight against cybercrime" (2014-2015)
The main objective of the project was to strengthen the capacities of the Ministry of the Interior to effectively fight against cybercrime at the national and international level, in line with the policies and strategies of the European Union. The value of the project is 700,000 euros.
3. IPA 2013 Project "Strengthening the capacities of the Ministry of the Interior for the implementation of automated exchange of data obtained through DNA analysis and dactyloscopic data" (CRO DNA/DKT) (2017-2018)
The project implemented the Prüm Decisions in the Republic of Croatia in the areas of automated exchange of DNA and dactyloscopic data. One segment of the project involved the procurement of devices and equipment for the automation of forensic DNA analysis. The value of the project is EUR 1,200,000.
TRANSITION FACILITY PROGRAM
1. Transition Facility Program - Instrument for capacity building: "Advanced Biostatistics in the Routine Work of the Forensic DNA Laboratory" (CRO STAT) (2017)
The project developed protocols for the implementation and use of advanced statistical programs for the interpretation of DNA results of mixed traces and kinship searches, as well as the education of forensic DNA experts. The value of the project is EUR 150,000.
2. Transition facility program - Instrument for capacity building: "Processing of traces on clothing and other materials - from the crime scene to the expert's report" (CRO TRACE) (2017)
The project developed protocols for multidisciplinary expert reports on traces, strengthened the capacities of forensic experts and increased the readiness of crime technicians to collect traces at the scene and prepare material for further multidisciplinary expert reports. The value of the project is EUR 220,000.
3. Transition Facility - Capacity Building Instrument: "Identification of Victims of Mass Disasters and Terrorism" (CRO DVI) (2017-2018)
The project developed protocols for a rapid and effective response of the Ministry of the Interior and all relevant institutions in the event of mass disasters, and improved the efficiency of the FSC Ivan Vučetić so that its employees could respond quickly and effectively in the event of mass disasters. The value of the project is EUR 600,000.00.
FSC Ivan Vučetić - PROJECT PARTNER
1. Project IPA II "Strengthening the Capacity of Turkish Forensic Laboratories in Combating Illicit Drug Trafficking" (2018-2020)
The purpose of the project is to develop Turkey's capacity to determine the origin and chemical profile of seized drugs. The center participated in the project as one of the institutions that held training for employees of forensic centers, Turkish police and gendarmerie on the topic of chemical profiling of amphetamine, MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. The value of the project is 2.7 million euros.
2. IPA 2017 "Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans" (2018-2019)
The Centre participated as an associate member in the aforementioned project, in part of the activities, with the aim of strengthening the capacities of units involved in the prevention and fight against illicit trafficking in firearms and continuing to promote the use of ballistic identification systems with the aim of increasing the connection of criminal offences. The value of the project is 14.5 million euros.
3. Twinning project IPA 2012 "Support in the field of criminal prosecution in Bosnia and Herzegovina" (2017-2018)
FSC representatives participated in the implementation of the project in activities related to strengthening the capacity of international police cooperation within Bosnia and Herzegovina and determining the prerequisites for the upcoming implementation of the Prüm Decisions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
4. ISF Direct Grants „Monopoly Programmes“ MP2014 - Towards the Development of Pan-European Databases in Forensic Science (TDPEDFS) (2016-2018)
The main objectives of the project were to gain insight into the geographical distribution and frequency of occurrence of different types of firearms and ammunition (ammunition components) encountered in everyday work on ballistics and firearms forensic cases in Europe, which will be achieved by developing appropriate databases that will be regularly updated after the project is completed. A common European database on the geographical distribution of firearms and ammunition called „EDOFA“ has been created. The value of the project is EUR 1,499,815.00.
5. Project IPA 2013 "Fight against organized crime: international cooperation in criminal matters" (2014-2017)
The project component for which the Croatian side was responsible pertained to capacity building for international police cooperation in the beneficiary countries. This was with a particular emphasis on the international exchange of data from national databases and the further standardization of operations, namely the accreditation of forensic service providers in the beneficiary countries. The total value of the project is 5 million euros."
6. Project: “Strengthening forensic crime scene investigation capacities for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) incidents in South-East and Eastern Europe - P57” (2017-2020)
The general objective of the project was to strengthen existing traditional forensic capacities for the investigation of CBRN incidents, develop a training system for forensic investigation in CBRN cases, and further expand the network of forensic institutions and experts within the project's
eksperata zemalja korisnica projekta. Vrijednost projekta je 1,400,000.00 EUR.
7. Project PROACTIVE - "PReparedness against CBRNE threats through common approaches between security practitioners and the VulnerablE civil society"[3]
FSC Ivan Vučetić was, among other institutions, a cooperating institution of the project leader - International Union of Railways. The value of the project is 4.9 million euros and is financed through EU funds from the HORIZON program.
The project started in May 2020 and was completed on 31.08.2023.
The project objectives were to strengthen preparedness and response to accidental or terrorist CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) incidents. Furthermore, in the context of the COVID pandemic, the goals included enhancing the preparedness and response of national security agencies to potential similar future events, harmonizing procedures among various stakeholders responding to CBRNe incidents ex officio, and achieving a better understanding of the needs of vulnerable groups affected by such incidents.
8. Project COV-HOST-SEQ - “Variability of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus strains and the host genetic background as biomarkers for identifying risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic”
FSC Ivan VUčetić, alongside other institutions, acted as a partner institution to the project lead, the Faculty of Science of the University of Zagreb. The total value of the project is HRK 1.5 million. It was funded from the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia by the Croatian Science Foundation.
The project started in July 2020 and concluded during 2023.
FSC was included in:
Conducted the sequencing and analysis of mitochondrial genomes from COVID-19 patients.
Participated in the preparation of scientific publications resulting from the research covered by this project.
Provided mentorship for one graduate thesis within the scope of this project."
9. Project REGISYNC - “Developing common minimum standards for legal arms registers and improving information exchange among EU member states, Southeast Europe, Ukraine and Moldova”
FSC Ivan Vučetić was involved in the implementation of the project 'Developing common minimum standards for legal arms registers and improving information exchange among EU member states, Southeast Europe, Ukraine and Moldova (REGISYNC).' The project was funded through the European Commission's ISF Police program. The project commenced in October 2021 and was completed at the end of 2023. The objective of the project is to enhance security by improving the registration systems for firearms, essential components, and ammunition, particularly through data exchange, which is often crucial for ensuring the successful outcome of tracing requests.
10. Project CroINOP - “The Croatian Innocence Project”
FSC Ivan Vučetić participated in the project as a partner institution to the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb. The project was funded by the Croatian Science Foundation.
The Innocence Project enabled convicted individuals to have their cases re-examined in order to establish their innocence."
11. Project BalkanDetox LIFE - “Strengthening national capacities to fight wildlife poisoning and raising awareness about the problem in Balkan countries (LIFE19 GIE/NL/001016)”
FSC Ivan Vučetić participated in the project as a partner institution to the Biom Association, which is the coordinating beneficiary of the project. The total project value is EUR 1,832,811.00, and it is funded through the EU LIFE Programme.
The objectives of the project are: to gather information on the extent and issue of wildlife poisoning in the Balkan Peninsula; to achieve genuine and continuous engagement of relevant national institutions in the fight against illegal wildlife poisoning; to increase the number of detected poisoning cases by 40%; to increase the number of investigated poisoning incidents in the region by 20%, with at least 6 cases successfully prosecuted within the project framework; to reduce the number of wildlife poisoning cases through increased public awareness; to establish a national working group to combat poisoning and develop operational protocols for poisoning incidents."
12. Project JA TERROR - “Joint Action to strengthen health preparedness and response to biological and chemical terror attacks”
FSC Ivan Vučetić and the Dr. Fran Mihaljević University Hospital for Infectious Diseases participated in the project as partners to the Croatian Institute of Public Health, which acted as lead partner in Croatia. The total value of the project is EUR 6,241,047.85 for all participating countries, and it was funded through the 3rd EU Health Programme.
The objectives of the project are to address gaps in health preparedness and to fulfill the urgent need for strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration between the security, civil protection, and health sectors.
13. CERTAIN-FORS - “Competency, Education, Research, Testing, Accreditation, and Innovation in Forensic Science”
FSC Ivan Vučetić is a partner in this project, alongside 30 other laboratories from 19 countries. The project is funded by the EU ISF Police program (Direct Award Grants 2020) and is organized by the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI).
The CERTAIN-FORS project represents further steps toward the developmental areas identified in the EFSA (European Forensic Science Area) Action Plans. The specific forensic areas addressed include accreditation, education and competence, innovation and research, and testing. Expert teams from the ENFSI community participate in 11 specific activities, with the
FSC contributing to three areas:
- Training and competence assessment for Forensic Handwriting Experts: The objective of this WP is to assess the competence of handwriting experts, identify weaknesses in their work practices, and develop optimized training programs through exercises, seminars, and lectures.
- Establishment of a Trace DNA Transfer Rate Repository & Bayes Net to Calculate LRs: The goal of this WP is to create an online software tool that will calculate the probability of primary and secondary DNA transfer in real-life forensic situations.
- Multidisciplinary Proficiency Test and Collaborative Exercises in Forensics: The aim of this WP is to enhance the quality of analysis when examining multiple types of samples.
14. Project "Procurement of specialized forensic equipment for processing traces on forensic material (BIO LAMPS)"
FSC Ivan Vučetić as project beneficiary leads a project with a total value of EUR 200,000.00 including VAT, of which 58% is co-financed by the Internal Security Fund (ISF).
The purpose of the project is to strengthen capacities in the field of forensic examinations, research and forensic expertise through the procurement of modern forensic equipment for finding, detecting and documenting biological traces and traces of gunshots on forensic material.
15. Project "Procurement of an automated ballistic identification system for recording traces on cartridge cases and bullets - BIS CRO"
FSC Ivan Vučetić as project beneficiary leads a project with a total value of EUR 1,200,000.00 including VAT, of which 75% is co-financed by the Internal Security Fund (ISF).
The purpose of the project is to strengthen the capacities of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia in the field of forensic testing, research and forensic expertise of firearms through the procurement of an automated ballistic identification system for recording traces on cartridge cases and bullets.
[1] https://lifeprogramhrvatska.hr/hr/balkan-detox-life-jacanje-nacionalnih-kapaciteta-za-borbu-protiv-trovanja-divljih-zivotinja-i-podizanje-svijesti-o-problemu-trovanja-u-balkanskim-zemljama-life19-gie-nl-001016/
[2] https://croinop.pravo.unizg.hr/?page_id=160
[3] Home - Proactive project (proactive-h2020.eu)
