The First Department of Forensic Science is responsible for research and casework in the field of forensic biology. This department comprises five sections: First Biology Section (Histology), Second Biology Section (Physical Anthropology), Third Biology Section (Serology), Fourth Biology Section (Molecular Biology), and Fifth Biology Section (Microbiology).

The Second Department of Forensic Science conducts research and development in the field of forensic engineering. Technical work is carried out in the Physics Section, the Fire Investigation Section, the Explosion Investigation Section and the Mechanical Section. The failure analysis of advanced electric control systems is also conducted in this department.

The Third Department of Forensic Science is responsible for research and casework in the fields of forensic toxicology and forensic chemistry. This department comprises four sections: First Chemistry Section (forensic toxicology of controlled and uncontrolled drugs), Second Chemistry Section (forensic toxicology of toxic substances and environmental pollutants), Third Chemistry Section (forensic chemistry of physical evidences), and Fourth Chemistry Section (forensic toxicology of toxic gases, such as chemical warfare agents).

The Fourth Department of Forensic Science is responsible for the research and casework of a polygraph examination, writer identification, and speaker identification on the basis of information science. This department comprises three sections: First Information Science Section (polygraph examination), Second Information Science Section (document examination), and Third Information Science Section (acoustics and voice analysis).

The Department of Criminology and Behavioral Sciences is responsible for research that aims at unraveling criminal incidents and the behavior of offenders from the viewpoint of behavioral sciences such as psychology, sociology, and social psychology. Its main areas of research include studies on the correlates and countermeasures of juvenile delinquency, on the development and evaluation of crime prevention measures, and on criminal investigations and the psychology of offenders.

This department conducts research projects aiming at prevention and/or alleviation of road traffic problems, such as traffic accidents, traffic congestion, and traffic pollution. These projects deal with methods for traffic flow management by traffic signals, regulatory signs, and other methods; driver behavior and attitudes; safety education for road users; driving performance and safety evaluation; and traffic accident analyses and reconstructions.

The Identification Center was established in 1971 as an attached organization of the National Research Institute of Police Science (NRIPS). The Center provides the physical and chemical analytical data for the identification that requires such high-performance analytical instruments as an electron probe X-ray microanalyzer, a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, and a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The Center is responsible for firearm identification, counterfeit coin identification, and methamphetamine impurity profiling.