On August 7- 8, 2001, the first Digital Forensic Research Workshop was held in Utica, New York. Over 50 university researchers, computer forensic examiners, and analysts attended the workshop. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Information Directorate/Defensive Information Warfare Branch, sponsored the workshop from the Rome Research Site in Rome, New York. This gathering was intended to spark discussion among academics and practitioners with experience and interest in the field of Digital Forensic Science. The objectives of this first workshop were to begin forming a community of interested individuals and to start a meaningful dialog for defining the field and identifying the difficult, high-priority challenges that lie ahead. The major goal was to establish a research community that would apply the scientific method in finding focused near-term solutions driven by practitioner requirements and addressing longer term needs, considering but not constrained by current paradigms. The results of this and future gatherings are intended for wide distribution among sponsors and consumers of digital forensic technology, such as military, civilian, and law enforcement professionals.