Body Donation Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Forensic Anthropology Center (FAC) do?
The FAC conducts research and training in forensic anthropology and closely related fields. In our casework, we assist law enforcement agencies and medical examiners in locating and analyzing human remains to help identify the individual, determine what happened to them, and how long ago they died. The body donation program contributes to these areas of our work by allowing us to study the process of human decomposition and skeletal anatomy as well as providing realistic training opportunities for law enforcement, medicolegal personnel, and students from all over the world.
What is the difference between the FAC Body Donation Program and a medical school donation program?
The FAC is an anthropology program and uses our donors for research and teaching, mainly in the field of decomposition and skeletal anatomy. Our donors’ skeletal remains are curated in the UTK Donated Skeletal Collection for continued study by researchers from across the globe. We do not return any remains to a donor’s family. We do not embalm a donor’s body.
Medical schools typically embalm a body for teaching anatomy to medical students. After use, the donor’s body may be cremated and, at the request of the family, the remains may be returned.
What is the Anthropology Research Facility like?
The Anthropology Research Facility (ARF), commonly known as the Body Farm, is a wooded and hilly area in Knoxville, TN. Fencing around the facility excludes larger scavengers like bears, coyotes, domestic dogs, etc. However, the facility is home to smaller scavengers like raccoons, opossum, skunks, domestic cats, etc. The natural setting allows us to apply the results of our research to other areas in the region with similar flora and fauna.
Do I have to be “pre-registered” to donate my body?
Not necessarily; your next-of-kin can contact us after your death to make arrangements. The acceptance of unregistered individuals is considered on a case-by-case basis. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged for individuals desiring to donate their body to our program.
Can I email my forms and photographs?
You may email your completed and signed paperwork to the FAC at donateinfo@utk.edu. Please ensure that any scan of your paperwork is readable and includes the entire page. Please include your name and date of birth when sending a photograph.
Do I have to have the donation forms notarized?
No, we do not require notarized documents. However, if you wish to have your forms notarized, the notary can act as your witness.
Would there be any reason why you would not accept my body as a donation?
Yes, we reserve the right to decline any donation, including pre-registered donors, for any reason, including if our facility is at capacity. We also decline the donation of individuals who have infections such as COVID-19, HIV, any form of Hepatitis, tuberculosis, antibiotic resistant infections such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), or prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD).
However, we may accept pre-registered donors if they are cremated. We simply ask that the cremains not be pulverized. This is a simple request made to the crematory by either the family or funeral home. A donor’s family or their estate will be financially responsible for the cremation.
Will the FAC accept a donor who previously had hepatitis, but has successfully completed treatment?
Yes, the FAC will accept the donation of an individual who has successfully treated their hepatitis infection. Please submit the results of your lab work (i.e., titer results) showing your hepatitis-negative status.
Does the FAC require any testing of the donor to be performed prior to accepting the body?
Maybe. Depending on current community infection rates and the donor’s medical history, we may require postmortem testing for viruses or infectious diseases.
Will the FAC accept a donor who has been autopsied?
Maybe, the FAC will accept individuals who have been autopsied if our current research does not have autopsy as exclusionary criteria.
Does my body need to be embalmed?
No. In fact, we require that your body not be embalmed. It is not required by law in most states. We are available to answer any questions your funeral home may have about transportation of unembalmed remains at donateinfo@utk.edu or 865-974-4408.
As a donor to your program, how do you know when I die, and how will my body get to your facility?
We will be contacted by your loved ones, a physician, or funeral home staff if they are aware of your wishes. Prior to accepting a donation, we will speak with your medical provider to obtain your medical history and ensure that you are free of disqualifying infections. After we determine acceptance to the program, transportation arrangements will be made. We will transport your body to our facility free of charge from a hospital, funeral home, or medical examiner’s office within 100 miles of Knoxville. Please be aware that we cannot remove your body from hospice facilities, nursing homes or private residences — a funeral home will need to be called, even if the death occurs within 100 miles of Knoxville. If your death occurs outside of our 100-mile limit, your loved ones will need to make arrangements with a funeral for the transportation of your body to our facility in Knoxville, TN. Your family or your estate is responsible for any charges associated with the removal or transport of your body.
What happens to my body after it is donated?
Donors are typically involved in two phases of research with the FAC. Once we receive a donor, we assign an identifying number and place the donor at the Anthropology Research Facility (ARF), our outdoor laboratory for research and training. Donations placed at the ARF are allowed to decompose naturally. Once the process of decomposition is complete, we collect the donor’s skeletal remains and clean them. The cleaned bones are accessioned into the UTK Donated Skeletal Collection. Each bone is labeled with the donor’s identifying number. At this step, the remains are inventoried, measured and other data are collected. Once in the collection, all skeletal remains are available for study by researchers from all over the world.
If I fill out the paperwork to donate my body to you, can I visit the research facility first? Can I pick out where I want to be placed upon my death?
We do not host visitors to our research facility. This is to ensure the anonymity of the donors and protect the integrity of the research. You may make a special request regarding the general placement of your body after death, for instance “I do not wish to be buried or placed in water”. We make every effort to honor all reasonable requests.
If I decide to donate my body to the FAC after my death, should I put this in my will?
You may put this in your will, but it is not necessary. One’s will is typically read after the funeral, when it would be too late to make donation arrangements. Please submit completed registration paperwork to the FAC and make sure that your family and friends know what your wishes are prior to your death.
Do you cremate the body? Do you return remains or cremains to my family after you are finished with the research?
No, we do not cremate the remains as our emphasis is on skeletal studies.
We do not return remains to the family because we continue to utilize the skeletal remains in research indefinitely. The donor’s skeleton is retained and curated in the UTK Donated Skeletal Collection.
If I want to donate my body to the FAC, does that mean I can still donate my organs or tissues?
Yes, you may donate your organs and tissues and still remain a body donor to our program. We ask that you do not donate skeletal tissue (i.e., bone). Organ donation should occur prior to the transport if your body to our facility. Please make your wishes known to your loved ones so they can make appropriate decisions for you after your death.
Do you provide any payment to my family when I donate my body? Do I get paid for donating my body?
We do not provide any payment to you or your loved ones for your body donation.
How much does it cost to donate my body to you program?
The FAC does not charge for body donation. The only expense may be as a result of a funeral home storing or transporting your body to our facility if you are more than 100 miles from Knoxville, outside the state of Tennessee, or if you are at a private residence or hospice. We recommend contacting funeral homes near your residence to obtain a quote for storage and transportation services.
I live in a state other than Tennessee but I would like to donate my body to your facility. Do you take out-of-state donations?
Yes, out-of-state- donations are accepted. Arrangements must be made by your family or estate executor. Your family or your estate are financially responsible for all costs associated with the storage and transportation of your remains to the University of Tennessee. We strongly encourage you to make pre-arrangements with a local funeral home for the transportation of your remains prior to your death.
I am trying to make arrangements for a family member to donate to your program. Who do I call?
Please contact the Forensic Anthropology Center directly in order to make arrangements for a donation (865-806-5106). Our acceptance of individuals who have not pre-registered with us is dependent upon our needs at the time. If we are able to accept your family member, we will send you donation paperwork to complete for them.
I want to donate my body, but my family really does not like that idea or does not agree with me. If I sign the paperwork and get it into my will, can my family prevent my final wish of body donation?
Yes, regardless of what you have arranged, signed, or instructed; your next-of-kin makes the final decision. We will not fight your family for your body. We urge you to speak with your loved ones about your desire for body donation.
Do I need to tell my family now that I want to donate my body?
We strongly recommend that you discuss your wishes with your family. If you do not tell them, they may not know how to make appropriate arrangements for you. This may result in a traditional funeral, burial, or cremation of your body rather than donation.
Do my loved ones have to donate my body to the FAC if I have completed registration paperwork?
No. Registration with our program does not obligate your loved ones to donate your remains. If your loved ones decide against donation to our program, we do ask that they notify us of your death so we can update our records.
What happens if I change my mind about donation after submitting the registration paperwork?
Please send us a letter stating your desire to cancel your registration. Include your name and date of birth in the letter so we can locate your file.
I like the idea of donating my body but cannot decide what I want to do. Can I make a monetary donation?
Yes, we gladly accept financial donations and they are a tremendous help to our program. Please click here to make a financial contribution.
I have always wanted to be left out in the woods to decompose naturally. Do you honor any special requests for the placement of my body? Or any kind of special request regarding the use of my body?
We will attempt to honor any special requests within reason. This may be limited by the particular research requirements ongoing at the time of donation. We put all requests on file so that they are known to us when we receive a body.
How much longer will you be accepting body donations?
We do not anticipate a time when we will no longer be accepting body donations. However, our needs for body donations fluctuate throughout the year and are dependent upon our research and training activities at a given time.
Can I visit a family member who has donated their body to your facility?
Once your loved one’s skeletal remains are accessioned into the UTK Donated Skeletal Collection, you may visit their remains. A visit to the outdoor research facility is not permitted. On average, donors are available for visitation approximately three years after their death. You may contact us at donateinfo@utk.edu to learn the status of your loved one and to schedule a visit.