Institute for Defense Analyses Careers, Benefits, Review

IDA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment

Mission—Together. Many people. One mission.

Vision—As the Nation’s trusted partner in security and science policy analyses, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) enable IDA to integrate the full range of human experiences and perspectives.

Aspirations— DE&I are essential in our mission, which is to answer the most challenging U.S. security and science policy questions with objective analysis leveraging extraordinary scientific, technical, and analytic expertise. Diversity is the foundation for creating insights in our work. Equity empowers all IDA community members to achieve their fullest potential. Inclusion enables shared understanding and opportunity for effective collaboration across IDA. As a learning organization, IDA recognizes that innovation is strengthened through DE&I and commits to transparency and integrity in our work and for our people.

Commitments—IDA commits to rigor, transparency, and integrity as we move forward to:
• Promote diversity through recruitment, retention, and career growth
– Ensure diverse representation throughout IDA’s workforce composition and especially in our
leadership, including the Board of Trustees, executives, directors, and management to strengthen the
execution of the IDA mission
– Identify and resolve inequities and biases in recruitment, hiring, pay, and career growth for all job
functions to attract and retain the Nation’s top talent

• Implement and maintain policies and practices that enable the success of all IDA community members in our shared mission
– Build and maintain policies and practices that dissolve systemic barriers to equity and inclusion in the
IDA community while tailoring strategies to address the wide range of our employees’ specific needs
– Provide resources and accommodations to ensure the mental and physical well-being of our
community members
– Provide professional development, mentorship, coaching, and training opportunities for all members
of the IDA workforce to enhance career progression and ensure alignment to the IDA mission

• Foster a culture of active citizenship within IDA and society more broadly to establish an environment that values each member of the community
– Create a workforce that understands the value of diversity, equity and inclusion and actively
incorporate each into our work
– Identify our biases and strive to resolve them; develop an intersectional, collaborative workforce that
values all voices equally and treats them with respect
– Provide DE&I training opportunities that promote self-reflection and develop a shared understanding
and integration of our varied perspectives
– Celebrate what makes our workforce unique, and appreciate how diversity in experience generates a
wide pool of ideas to achieve IDA’s mission

• Engage internal and external stakeholders in a data-driven process of continuous feedback and learning
– Ensure strategic listening, encourage open dialogue, empower our personnel to raise their concerns,
and act on the feedback we receive with transparency into the processes by which decisions are
made
– Evaluate and evolve our policies and practices, seeking and incorporating new perspectives,
information, and data for continuous improvement so that employees can reach their fullest potential
– Communicate transparently, both internally and externally, about our DE&I actions, outcomes, and
continued progress 

About IDA

IDA (Institute for Defense Analyses) – a not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia just outside Washington, DC – operates three Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) in the public interest: the Systems and Analyses Center, the Science and Technology Policy Institute, and the Center for Communications and Computing. IDA exists to promote national security, preserve the public welfare, and advance scientific learning by analyzing, evaluating, and reporting on matters of interest to the United States Government.

Sponsors rely on IDA for dispassionate, fact-based, and scientifically rigorous research and advice to inform their decisions. Since 1956, IDA’s basic mission has remained unchanged – bring the best scientific, technical, and analytic talent to bear on issues critical to U.S. National security, in a research environment free of commercial or shareholder interests where objectivity and the public interest are foremost.

The work produced by IDA’s FFRDCs is characterized by unquestioned objectivity and high quality. Because of our unique relationship with our Government sponsors, IDA enjoys unusual access to highly classified and sensitive government and corporate proprietary information. We adhere to a strict regime for avoiding conflicts of interest. We are thus in the position of offering outsider perspectives on important issues with insider access to information.

Our diverse mix of professionals possesses expertise in a broad range of technologies and systems combined with deep knowledge of costs, policies, operations, and organizational matters. IDA continually renews and evolves its staff, integrating those newly educated in the latest advances in research with seasoned veterans of acquisition management, policy-making, and operational leadership roles in government and defense-related organizations. The exceptional creativity, determination, and commitment to service that IDA researchers bring to their work are the foundation of IDA’s excellence.

IDA Leadership

Norton A. Schwartz serves as President and CEO of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a nonprofit corporation operating in the public interest. IDA manages three Federally Funded Research and Development Centers that answer the most challenging U.S. security and science policy questions with objective analysis leveraging extraordinary scientific, technical, and analytic expertise. At IDA, General Schwartz (U.S. Air Force, retired) directs the activities of more than 1,000 scientists and technologists employed by IDA.

General Schwartz has a long and prestigious career of service and leadership that spans over 5 decades. He was most recently President and CEO of Business Executives for National Security (BENS). During his 6-year tenure at BENS, he was also a member of IDA’s Board of Trustees.

Prior to retiring from the U.S. Air Force, General Schwartz served as the 19th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force from 2008 to 2012. He previously held senior joint positions as Director of the Joint Staff and as the Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command. He began his service as a pilot with the airlift evacuation out of Vietnam in 1975.

General Schwartz is a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and holds a master’s degree in business administration from Central Michigan University. He is also an alumnus of the Armed Forces Staff College and the National War College.

He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a 1994 Fellow of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Seminar XXI. General Schwartz has been married to Suzie since 1981.

Broaden Your Perspective at IDA

The Institute for Defense Analyses is a non-profit organization that provides government agencies with high-quality, objective analyses of issues of national security. We provide a work environment that encourages rigorous, independent research on challenging and complex issues.

IDA embraces diversity and supports an inclusive work environment. Working here requires energy, commitment, flexibility, and teamwork. Whether you’re a graduate student ready to start your career, a professional looking for your next challenge, or a member of the military hoping to transition to the private sector while continuing to make a difference in the national security of your country, we offer exciting opportunities to learn and grow.

Applicants who are selected will be subject to a security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. U.S. citizenship is required.

The Institute for Defense Analyses operates three Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs):

The Systems and Analyses Center (SAC)

Alexandria, VA

Sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), SAC traces its roots to 1956 when IDA was formed. Its mission is to provide objective analyses of national security issues, particularly those requiring extraordinary scientific and technical expertise. In addition to OSD, SAC’s sponsors include other joint leadership in the Department of Defense – i.e., the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the Defense Agencies, and joint programs and activities. To avoid institutional pressures to support individual military service positions, SAC conducts research for the military departments only in circumstances that ensure there will be no conflict of interest.

The Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI)

Washington, DC

STPI provides analytical support to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Federal agencies on science and technology (S&T) policy issues. With its broad science and technology charter, STPI has a staff whose backgrounds are distributed across the spectrum of scientific disciplines, with a primary focus on serving the research needs of the President’s Science Advisor and his staff, as well as the President’s Council of Advisor on Science and Technology (PCAST).

The Centers for Communications and Computing (C&C)

Princeton, NJ – Center for Communications Research (CCRP)

The oldest of the three centers was founded in 1959 in Princeton, New Jersey, and was originally called the Communications Research Division. Our mission is to apply mathematical and computational research to cryptology and related disciplines. As the modes and means of modern communications have become more complex, we have expanded our research into other areas including speech, the processing of signals to remove noise and distortion, and network security. Mathematics remains the fundamental science used to create and analyze the sophisticated algorithms used to encipher vulnerable communications and cryptologic problems.

Bowie, MD – Center for Computing Sciences (CCS)

CCS, founded in 1985, is located between Washington, DC, and Annapolis, Maryland. Initially focused on the development and use of high-performance computing, the CCS portfolio now includes cryptography, network security and related cyber issues, signal processing, advanced techniques for analyzing extremely complex data sets, and alternative computing paradigms. Most of the research staff are PhDs with backgrounds in computer science, mathematics, computer architecture, electrical engineering, information theory, and the natural sciences.

La Jolla, CA – Center for Communications Research (CCRL)

CCR-L was founded in 1989 in La Jolla, California, a hilly, seaside town within the city of San Diego. We focus on mathematical research related to cryptology and signals intelligence, including machine learning. The typical CCR-L researcher has a PhD in mathematics, although CCR-L also hires researchers with backgrounds in computer science and engineering.

IDA benefits from employees who are fulfilled, engaged, intellectually nourished, and thriving. Our work is vital to our Nation's security but we know our staff is at their best when they can be creative and have a little fun. We offer many opportunities to engage in collaborative, collegial, and mind-and body-refreshing activities. Some of our staff find friendly competition as a way to build relationships or just blow off a little steam in our well-equipped gyms and outdoor recreation areas.

Giving Back

IDA staff regularly engage with the community in mentoring and tutoring programs at local schools, math and science nights for local students, or in various academic outreach initiatives.

Benefits and Work-Life Balance

While being challenged by difficult, important research challenges, IDA researchers enjoy these advantages:

• Competitive Salaries and Comprehensive Benefits
• Generous Retirement Plans
• Excellent Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Excellent Health and Dental Plans
• Pretax Healthcare and Dependent Care Spending Accounts

Professional Development

IDA values education and the pursuit of continued professional development. Our research staff bring a multitude of skills and expertise as well as desire to learn more.

IDA has a generous tuition reimbursement plan and scholarships for those who would like to pursue or add to their advanced degrees.

Staff are also encouraged to attend conferences, seminars, and other professional development opportunities.