The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is a non-profit corporation that provides scientific and technical research and analysis to the United States Department of Defense and other federal agencies. IDA was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. The organization employs over 1,200 scientists, engineers, and analysts who conduct research in a variety of fields, including national security, science and technology, and social sciences. IDA is governed by a board of trustees, which is composed of senior executives from the defense industry, academia, and government.