Institute for Defense Analyses Summer Research Program

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) Summer Associate Program provides students with a unique opportunity to apply their quantitative and analytic skills to challenging real-world national security issues. Each year, IDA hires paid student associates at its Virginia and Washington, DC facilities to work for approximately 10-12 weeks during the summer months. Associates contribute to objective analyses through IDA's Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), collaborating on projects in diverse fields such as computer science, physics, operations research, engineering, policy studies, statistics, economics, and social sciences. The program features a required 8-week core period (June 8 to July 31, 2026 for the 2026 cycle) with flexibility for additional weeks, offering hands-on research experience in a professional environment.

Targeted at rising senior undergraduates and graduate students who plan to return to school in the fall, the program requires strong academic performance (GPA 3.3+ preferred), U.S. citizenship, and eligibility for security clearance. Selected applicants undergo a security investigation to access classified material. While housing and transportation are not directly covered, IDA provides resources to assist with local arrangements in the Washington, DC/northern VA area. The paid internship bridges academic knowledge with practical national security applications, with ongoing application evaluations from October to February.