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Institute for Defense Analyses

Engaged Employer

Best FFRDC for Old White Men - Research Staff Member Institute for Defense Analyses Employee Review

3.0
Jun 7, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Stable work, easy-going colleagues, lovely new building - will soon be Metro-accessible. A lot of technically interesting work. Good relationships with its government sponsors. Retirement benefits are great.

Cons

Extremely risk adverse organization that is not that interested in developments outside its orbit. You also don't get a lot of recognition for working here because...no one's heard of IDA. Your research will be under the radar and not something the outside world will really know about. There is also a culture dominated by older white men who seem to actively resist efforts to make IDA any different. And why should they? The culture is ideal for them. For others, not so much. There are people who have been here for 30, 35 years and you can tell. If you're a woman, think twice before coming. No, seriously, consider every other FFRDC before you come here. If you do come here, stay active in your professional network. You COULD come here and deal with this culture, but WHY.

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Institute for Defense Analyses Response
4y
Thank you for taking the time to review IDA on Glassdoor. We are sorry to hear about your concerns with company culture. IDA is always looking for opportunities for improvement and we’d like to understand more about your experiences. Please use one of the many ways to offer feedback including through your division leadership, Human Resources, or feedback@ida.org.

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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