Biometric Recognition: Challenges and Opportunities presents a broad and comprehensive assessment of biometric recognition systems -- articulating design and operational considerations as well as outlining a research agenda to bolster the scientific and engineering underpinnings of these systems. The report does not assess individual agencies or programs and is technology-agnostic as much as possible. Instead it focuses on systems-level considerations and design challenges related to uncertainty, variability, scale, and context-sensitivity. Social, cultural, and legal issues are also considered.  The report offers a set of principles that the committee urges any developers or users of biometric recognition technologies to embrace and frames a set of research issues.