Pros
- Allows researcher to maintain multidisciplinary research; does not require employee to work on one specific area of expertise - Multidisciplinary team (Policy, Research, Technical analysts) allows for unique perspectives on projects - Positive work culture, genuinely brilliant colleagues and lively office
Cons
- Work not guaranteed. Employees' projects are granted based on internal networking and own initiative with no clear database listing upcoming project opportunities; employees don't know what projects are available. Junior employees given little guidance. - Corporation is increasing an instilled bias in research. RAND's motto is to provide objective [government] analysis, but has increasingly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding from private donors. These donors dictate the research questions RAND asks and dictates the international organization of the Corporation. RAND's recent creation of an Israel Chair and Korea Chair, respectively, were stated to be made solely due to specific donor funding, while other traditionally Federally Funded (government) Research remains organized through large, regional (Eurasia) research centers. The bias is quite clear, and likely to grow with increasing targeted funding. - Women report salaries of ~ $5,000USD less than men in the same positions with similar experience. Management refuses to provide transparency in pay and has criticized those who brought up concerns, stating employees must not disclose salaries. I would not recommend to my female colleagues, as subsequent promotions (3%) after the initial salary only widen the gender pay disparity.