The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1956 that administers three federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs). Its mission is to provide rigorous, independent, and objective analyses on national security and science policy issues for the United States government.
Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, IDA operates at the intersection of national defense and science policy. Its technical domains include artificial intelligence, national security analysis, and science policy. The organization is structured around a STEM-heavy interdisciplinary research staff that combines long-standing institutional experience with current knowledge.
IDA's work centers on answering the most difficult U.S. security and science policy questions. As an FFRDC administrator, it occupies a distinctive role in the American defense research ecosystem, offering analytical support that is independent of commercial interests or advocacy positions.
