Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/S63267/01
Title:	Model-Based Investigation of Crime Scenarios
Principal Investigator:	Shen, Professor Q
Other Investigators:	Schafer, Professor B Aitken, Professor CGG
Researcher Co-Investigators:	Dr J Keppens
Project Partners:	Lothian and Borders Police
Department:	Sch of Informatics
Organisation:	University of Edinburgh
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 February 2004	Ends:	31 July 2004	Value (£):	91,382
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Information & Knowledge Mgmt Statistics & Appl. Probability
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Information Technologies
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Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
This project concerns the development of a model-based approach for improved crime detection, with better use of limited resources. It aims to devise techniques for building automated agents to aid in the investigation of crime scenarios. Its main objectives are: to efficiently store and track collected evidence and the likelihood of the resulting hypotheses throughout the investigation process; to effectively synthesise plausible alternative hypotheses and retract disproved ones; and to suggest evidence collection strategies when partial and uncertain information is obtained. In particular, this research will develop: i) a mechanism to create systematically consistent scenarios which logically match given evidence, following the work of compositional modelling; ii) a method to compose Bayesian networks automatically within the problem domain, representing probabilistic dependencies between individual hypotheses and observed evidence; iii) techniques to propose strategies for evidence collection and forensic testing, by extending the maximum entropy reduction technique to make better use of resources; iv) a prototype agent that focusses on the demonstration problem of differentiation between homicidal, suicidal, accidental and natural deaths. The work will be carried out by a multi-disciplinary research team, involving experts in artificial intelligence. crime detection. law and statistics. in collaboration with the Lothian and Borders Police Forensic Science Laboratory.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.ed.ac.uk