The Department of Scientific Services used to be a department of the Social Services Division of the Ministry of Health.
The DSS provide scientific support to various ministries and departments in the administration of 47 Acts and Regulations, and the quality control programme. It provides a wide range of analytical and investigational services in food, environment, industrial health toxicology, narcotics, drugs, document examination and tariff items. It administers the Radiation Protection Act to ensure radiation safety in Singapore, and also supports the commercial and industrial sectors in quality certification.
On 1st April 1990, the Department of Forensic Medicine and the Department of Scientific Services officially merged to form the Institute of Science and Forensic Medicine. The move is to combine and consolidate the forensic resources to provide a more efficient and comprehensive service to the law enforcement agencies and authorities. Under the two departments of the Institute, there are a total of 5 divisions: Health Science, Forensic Science, Resource and Radiation, Forensic Pathology and Clinical Forensic Medicine.
