The International Fingerprint Research Group is made up of active researchers investigating various aspects of fingermark evidence, including development techniques and fingerprint identification.
It has been developed under similar principles to those underpinning the Gordon Research Conferences. The Gordon Research Conferences provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences, and their related technologies. It assures a format and site locations that encourage extensive formal and informal discussions, and a sense of community among the attendees. It supports and encourages young scientists as they establish initial scientific and personal contacts.
The first international fingerprint conference was organised by the Home Office Scientific Research and Development Branch – London, UK, 24-25 September 1974. This was followed by conferences in 1984, 1987, 1988, 1991, and every two years since then. Recent IFRG meetings have been held in The Netherlands (2005), Australia (2007), Switzerland (2009), Sweden (2011). Israel (2013), India (2015) and China (2017).
The last IFRG conference was hosted by Prof. Simona Francese at Sheffield university (UK) in 2019 (24th-28th of June). The next conference will be held in 2021 at a location to be confirmed.
IFRG conferences are attended through personal invitations only.