In addition to body donations, FACTS accepts monetary donations to support the education, research, and outreach mission goals. We are a non-profit center that provides free pickup of donated bodies within 200 miles, free lectures on forensic anthropology to the community, conduct scientific research and education, and provide low cost forensic anthropological services. However, these endeavors are often costly and must be paid for by FACTS. In addition, the FACTS body donation coordinator position is not funded by Texas State University. Monetary support to FACTS will help us accomplish our mission and enable us to continue to provide quality free and low cost outreach and services to the community. 

Yes, we strongly encourage individuals interested in donating their body to science to pre-register with FACTS. We also advise that you discuss your wishes with your family so they are aware that you would like your body donated to FACTS. Download the living donor or next of kin packets.

No, but we strongly encourage you to pre-register. However, consent to donate can be given by your legal next of kin. If there is more than one legal next of kin, all parties must be in agreement to donate before FACTS can accept your body.

email to

Sophia Mavroudas at FACTS@txstate.edu

or U.S. mail to:

Yes. If you change your mind you may rescind your consent by notifying us. However, once a body has been donated and received by FACTS it will remain in the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection for perpetuity.

Yes. We strongly encourage you to donate your whole body, but FACTS will accept donations of body parts that include skeletal elements and cremated remains in some circumstances.

FACTS accepts donations regardless of age, location, body weight, stage of decomposition, trauma, surgical history, and most causes of death. FACTS does not accept donations from individuals with infectious diseases (those that can be transmitted from person-to-person) such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B or C, active tuberculosis, or active syphilis. Unlike most anatomical donations, FACTS will accept autopsied bodies for donation.

We will arrange for transportation of the body within 200 miles of Texas State University. Beyond 200 miles, the family will have to make arrangements to have the descendent transported to FACTS or sent to Austin, TX by aircraft.

The closest relatives of a deceased individual, as defined by state law, are considered Next of Kin. Please contact us if you have questions about the legal next of kin. FACTS strongly suggests that you discuss your wishes to be donated with your legal next of kin before death.

FACTS will make reasonable effort to accept a donation from anywhere in the United States. However, the family will need to have the body transported to Austin, TX by aircraft or make other arrangements.

FACTS uses your gifted body for forensic anthropological research related to determining the postmortem interval (time since death) and related studies in human decomposition. After decomposition, your skeletal remains will be processed and used for research and education in osteological methods and human variation.

FACTS will make reasonable efforts respect the wishes of individuals donating their body to Texas State University. We also will make reasonable efforts to assure that all body donations and skeletal remains are used only by qualified researchers with quality research proposals. However, FACTS cannot guarantee the results obtained by the research.

FACTS adheres to all federal and state legal requirements through the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, which prohibits the buying or selling of human organs and tissue. FACTS charges reasonable fees for services provided to researchers for the processing, preservation, quality control, and transportation of human remains.

Unlike many full body donations, FACTS does not cremate or return your body. Your skeletal remains will be processed upon completion of decomposition and securely stored at our research laboratory facility. Your skeletal remains will be used by numerous qualified researchers to answer critical and timely scientific questions in human skeletal variation, osteolgocial identification methods and more for years to come. All researchers and educators using bodies donated to FACTS and the forensic anthropology research laboratory must complete a stringent application and agree to follow strict protocol and procedures.