This article presents the findings of a report from the Committee on Identifying the Needs of the Forensic Science Community of the National Research Council (NRC) who spent 2 years examining "scientific research to support the validity and reliability of existing forensic disciplines." Three events occurred that brought about the need for this report, one legal, one scientific, and one mixed. The first, a case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the validity of claims made by forensic experts; second, the development of a general model of how forensic identification could be accomplished resulting from the advent of DNA typing; and third, the use of DNA typing to exonerate innocent individuals erroneously convicted of crimes. This article lists eight specific charges given to the Committee when Congress authorized the National Academy of Sciences to conduct an extensive study of the forensic science system in the United States. The general findings and conclusions of the NRC report are discussed. The report lists 13 recommendations for improving the forensic science community and calls for the creation of a National Institute of Forensic Science (NIFS). Thirteen recommendations are presented in this article, as are the proposed responsibilities of the NIFS. Finally, the implications for the courts resulting from the findings of this report are examined.