Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program

The annual Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program awards recipients in two categories: new to digital forensics and advanced. In the first category, we’re looking for promising investigators who want to get a start in the field of digital forensics. In the second category, we’re looking for more experienced digital investigators who have no experience with Magnet Axiom and want to learn more about how it can help in their investigations.

Objectives of the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program

We’re offering these scholarships because we feel it’s vitally important to:

  • Help agencies with limited or no digital forensics capacity to utilize digital evidence to get to the truth in investigations into crimes such as child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and others involving digital evidence.
  • Advance the technical skills of promising officers by giving them digital forensics training so we can continue to work together in our mission to Unlock the Truth and Protect the Innocent.
  • Promote diversity throughout the digital forensics field.

To apply for the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program, fill out this form. Your application will need to include your current resume, a cover letter explaining your interest and how you meet the program’s objectives, and a letter of reference from a supervisor or leader within your agency.

Applications for the 2024 awards are closed. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at scholarshipprogram@magnetforensics.com.

The Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program recipients are being awarded in honour of Sgt. Steve Martin

The Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program is honouring an officer who committed his career to the fight against child sexual exploitation. Sgt. Steve Martin joined the Peel Regional Police in 2003, beginning his career on uniform patrol. Over the next few years, Martin would serve with the agency’s neighbourhood policing unit and its Criminal Investigation Bureau, before joining its Internet Child Exploitation unit in 2013. Martin was passionate about helping children: As an officer, he played a lead role in arresting criminals who shared and created child sexual abuse material. In between shifts, he was active in the local Big Brother community. He died in January after a long bout with cancer, leaving behind his wife and six-year-old daughter. He was 40 years old.

What recipients will receive

World-class digital forensics training

Starting from the very basics of digital forensics and working right through to advanced smartphone and computer forensics, you’ll be able to take unlimited training from Magnet Forensics for a year.

Opportunity to obtain digital forensics certifications

After completing our training, you’ll be eligible to become Magnet Certified, demonstrating your expertise and giving you credibility with your agency and on the stand.

Software license for one year

You will also receive a one-year Magnet Axiom license, giving you access to a comprehensive digital forensics tool that will help you find and report on evidence from smartphones, computers, and the cloud.

Meet this year’s Magnet Forensics Program Award winners

We’re proud to announce the latest winners of the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program:

NEW TO FORENSICS:

James Holmes

Wright City Police Department, Wright City, Missouri

“I greatly appreciate this opportunity, and I look forward to being a part of the Magnet Forensics community and leveraging technology in the furtherance of justice for victims.“

Nicholas Gray

Petersburg Bureau of Police, Petersburg, Virginia

“I’m eagerly anticipating gaining the certifications, tools, and knowledge to ensure that every possible piece of digital evidence can be recovered as evidence for trial. Speedy trial conflicting with waiting for other agencies to dump a phone will be a thing of the past, which brings me great joy. I’ll be able to do more for our law-abiding citizens due to increased efficiency. At the end of the day, that is what matters to me.“

Sarah Hoy-Spalding

Berry Street, Victoria, Australia

“Thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you isn’t sufficient; this opportunity is going to make a huge impact for victim survivors and to me.“

ADVANCED:

Delanie Zohler

Digital Forensic Laboratory of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

“I am genuinely excited about the opportunity to learn more through the Magnet Forensics program and to connect with new peers who I hope to collaborate with in the future. I believe that collaboration is one of the greatest strengths of the DFIR community, and I am eager to expand my network. By doing so, I hope to enhance both my personal growth and my forensic skills, ultimately improving my work and the support I can provide to my team.“

Abhinav Biswas

ECIL, Hyderabad, India

“I am honored to be part of this program, and I look forward to applying the knowledge gained into real world digital investigations. The program represents a significant step towards building a resilient cyber-defense ecosystem by fostering collaboration between cybersecurity professionals, forensic analysts, and law enforcement agencies. I am excited to contribute to this mission and make a meaningful impact in the field of digital forensics and cybercrime investigations.“

Elton Haska

Albanian State Police, Tirana, Albania

“I am very thankful and grateful to Magnet Forensics Staff which supported my application and saw me as a good candidate for this year’s Magnet Forensic Scholarship. For me, it is a great achievement to have admission to the program. I look at it as a reward for all the years of hard work, dedication, and contributions to the digital forensic field. Having said that, I will try to get the best from it, and it will surely be helpful for future personal growth and knowledge enhancement.“

Hear from previous Magnet Forensics Scholarship award winners:

Meet the recipients of the 2025 Magnet Forensics Scholarship Award in this Q&A. 
Read more: Meet the 2025 recipients

Get to know the five winners of the 2023 Magnet Forensics Scholarship Awards in this Q&A. 
Read more: Meet the 2023 recipients

We’re proud to announce the six winners of the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Award for 2022! Get to know them in this Q&A. 
Read more: Meet the 2022 recipients

Caroline Torie, St. Joseph County Cyber Crimes Unit in Indiana, Richard Gomm, Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission in Ireland, Jacob Walk, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri, Alberto Magno, Civil Police of the Federal District in Brazil all share their thoughts on receiving the 2021 Magnet Forensics Scholarship Award.
Read more: Meet the 2021 recipients

Kate Newrick, an investigator with the Digital Child Exploitation Team at the Department of Internal Affairs in New Zealand, and Lawrence Mowery, a computer forensic detective at the Moscow Police Department in Idaho, discuss why they took it upon themselves to apply for the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Award, and how they hope it will help with their respective careers.
Read more: Meet the 2019 recipients

Eric Dalla Mura, an investigator with the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations, discusses winning the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Award and how it’s helped inform where he will go in his career.
Read more: Catching up with the winner of the first scholarship award

Submit your application

To apply for the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program, fill out this form. Your application will need to also include: 

1. Your current resume / CV

2. A cover letter explaining how you meet the objectives of the Magnet Forensics Scholarship Program (outlined above)

3. A letter of reference from a supervisor and/or leader within your agency

Applications for the 2024 awards are closed.