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Institute for Defense Analyses

Engaged Employer

Happy to be doing lots of science and analysis - Research Staff Member Institute for Defense Analyses Employee Review

5.0
Nov 20, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Better than federal pay and better than almost any university pay - Very nice new building super close to the metro and train station - Much more academic-minded than industry & for-profit institutions - Friendly atmosphere that is very welcoming to people entering new fields of research - Willing to start your employment before you have a security clearance - A wide variety of projects to work on, with the opportunity to focus on subjects that you find more interesting - Lots of opportunity to grow and improve as a researcher - The retirement package is excellent. (5% contributed matched with 11% from IDA).

Cons

- Headquarters management (above division directors) can be a bit of a mess. Reorganizations, backpedaling on new standards and rules, these types of things happen frequently. - The SAC building is located in a very traffic-heavy area -

Explore other reviews about Institute for Defense Analyses

5.0
Jul 14, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Loved it, learned a lot and helped me grow.

Cons

Pay and lack of advancement

4.0
Jul 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very smart people across a range of STEM disciplines Freedom on what you get to work on Relative lack of office politics Interesting exciting projects available

Cons

Hard to think of a con. Every place has its own flavour and IDA CCS Bowie like anywhere else, isn't for anyone. I'm not positive either way about IDA's budget/hiring situation these days, with all the stuff going on in this general space. It also can be easy to find yourself getting lost when it comes to finding a good project if you are not careful. But even that is a bit of a reach.

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