About RAND
RAND is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that provides leaders with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions.
Photo by Diane Baldwin/RAND
Better policy. Brighter future.
Health care. National security. Education. International relations. Emerging technologies.
The challenges facing humanity are complex. So is the policy landscape decisionmakers must navigate to create positive change.
RAND's mission is straightforward. We help improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. Our rigorous research is free from political or commercial pressures so that policy leaders can use the best possible data to make the best possible decisions.
Why is this work so vital? Because when RAND can help improve policymaking, we can help make the world a better place for us all.
What We Do
Our research has informed countless policies related to the world’s most pressing problems since RAND was founded in 1948.
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Conduct rigorous research
- Our research model is designed with integrity at its center. All RAND research is held to our rigorous standards and robust quality assurance process.
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Tackle consequential challenges
- Sponsored research and philanthropic support allow us to confront today’s most daunting policy issues. Our interdisciplinary approach helps us consider every angle.
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Provide actionable insights
- We inform public policy by providing leaders with sharp recommendations that meet the moment. RAND research helps decisionmakers act on the best evidence.
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Advance public discourse
- Outreach via congressional testimony, media engagement, and work with local communities helps us inform the public and improve policy debates.
Who We Are
People are the key to RAND’s success. RAND employees are experts in their fields who are comfortable working across disciplines. Our stable of researchers; policy analysts; data scientists; and communications, legal, financial, and operational professionals is deep and diverse. We know that it takes nuance and collaboration to get things right.
Photo by Diane Baldwin/RAND
We're also part graduate school. The RAND School of Public Policy is home to the oldest and largest public policy Ph.D. program in the United States. With campuses in Santa Monica, CA, and the Washington, DC, area, the RAND School also offers master's degrees in policy analysis, national security policy, and technology policy. Our school cultivates the next generation of policy leaders.
Learn MoreHow We're Funded
Our research is sponsored by U.S. government agencies; U.S. state and local governments; allied non-U.S. governments, agencies, and ministries; international organizations; colleges and universities; foundations; professional associations; other nonprofit organizations; and industry.
We operate four federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs)—independent entities that conduct research for the U.S. government and advise government leaders.
We also rely on philanthropic support to reach beyond the scope of client-sponsored work to tackle questions that may be too big, too complex, or too new for our clients to address.
Learn MoreWhere We Are
RAND is a global organization. We have four offices in the United States, three in Europe, and one in Australia. RAND experts travel all over the world to conduct their research.
