Studies and Analyses Center Research Areas

The Institute’s capabilities have been honed by decades of rigorous analytic work, which primarily involves assessing technology feasibility, performance, producibility, demonstrations, and development risks. We also assist our sponsors in developing technology strategies, plans, standards, and investment priorities as well as assessing the domestic and international implications of trade and technology cooperation, plans, and controls.

IDA’s research program reflects both focus and diversity. An overview of the research conducted in IDA's Science and Technology Policy Institute can be found on its web site. The majority of IDA's work, however, is conducted at our largest FFRDC, the Studies and Analyses Center. In any year, the Center's effort is spread across more than 300 projects. The level of effort per project varies from quick-reaction work completed over a handful of weeks, to multi-year projects that engage more than 20 researchers.

Major research program areas include:

• Development of methods and models for estimating the costs to develop, test, procure, operate, and support defense forces and system.
• Evaluations of defense systems that support decisions on acquisition and program planning, and involve assessments of military utility, system performance, and the risks and costs of technological integration at all stages of development and deployment, including test and evaluation.
• Broad assessments of new operational concepts, current and future mission needs, system architectures, and system interoperability.Development of technology strategies, plans, standards, and investment priorities in the application of new technologies.
• Assessments of the domestic and international implications of trade and technology cooperation, plans, and controls.
• Development, demonstration, and application of advanced simulation capabilities and the use of modeling and simulation to examine advanced warfighting concepts.