The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
RAND focuses on the issues that matter most such as health, education, national security, international affairs, law and business, the environment, and more. With a research staff consisting of some of the world's preeminent minds, RAND has been expanding the boundaries of human knowledge for more than 60 years. As a nonpartisan organization, RAND is widely respected for operating independent of political and commercial pressures. See History and Mission.
RAND's tradition of problem-solving continues to this day. Much of this research is carried out on behalf of public and private grantors and clients. Philanthropic dollars help support RAND's Investment in People and Ideas program, our vehicle for funding research inquiries into critical but often underappreciated policy areas and attracting the world's top talent to focus on these challenges. All RAND work—every publication, database, or major briefing—is held to rigorous and sometimes painstaking review processes. Such exacting standards are the foundation of RAND's impeccable reputation throughout the world. See Standards for High Quality Research and Analysis and RAND's Institutional Principles.
RAND improves policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. At times, grantors or clients may ask RAND to deliver research without suggesting a specific course of action. At other times, RAND may provide a range of solutions with an analysis of advantages and disadvantages. On certain occasions, RAND may formulate or even support clear-cut policy recommendations. What remains constant is RAND's commitment to public service by communicating its findings to a wide audience. This is accomplished in many ways. They include announcements to media, testimony by experts at RAND (often to the U.S. Congress), and publications, many of which are available free on this Web site. See Newsroom, Congressional Resources, and Reports and Bookstore.
RAND in the 21st century continues to address difficult challenges throughout the world. In many ways, RAND's future reflects its past: anticipating emerging issues; establishing new angles of inquiry; and mapping the territory for responses by government, business, and society. Commitment to these high standards will continue to define RAND's work in the years to come.
