IDA is the Institute for Defense Analyses, a not-for-profit corporation that operates three Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): the Systems and Analyses Center, the Science and Technology Policy Institute, and the Center for Communications and Computing. FFRDCs are unique, private-sector entities that typically assist government agencies with scientific research, systems development and acquisition, and analyses of other issues that are integral to the missions and operations of the agencies they support. About 70 percent of IDA researchers were educated in engineering, the physical and life sciences, mathematics and statistics, and computer science; the remainder were educated in economics, political science, business, and other social sciences.
IDA has a long and rewarding history of engaging with U. S. military veterans. Recently, the company has partnered with Columbia University’s student veteran community to provide professional guidance to students who may be interested in working at an FFRDC. This informal arrangement will make IDA researchers available as a resource to the students, and it is intended to be flexible enough to accommodate their busy academic schedules.
