This issue of IDA Research Notes is dedicated to the 2013 winner and finalists of IDA’s Larry D. Welch Award for best external publication. Named in honor of former IDA president and U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff, General Larry Welch, the award recognizes individuals who exemplify his high standards of analytic excellence through their publication in peer-reviewed journals or other professional publications, including books and monographs. The articles in this edition are executive summaries of the original published pieces. We have identified and credited the original publication for each article and, where possible, we have included a link and Quick Response (QR) code to the full piece.