Rand Corporation

A U.S. think tank organization established following World War II to offer independent research and analysis to the U.S. military.

On May 14, 1948, Project RAND (a contraction of the term research and development) broke away from its parent company, the Douglas Aircraft Company of Santa Monica, California, and became an independent nonprofit organization. The project was dedicated to furthering and promoting scientific, educational, and charitable purposes for the public welfare and security of the United States.

The RAND Project was an outgrowth of discussions that involved the U.S. War Department, the Office of Scientific Research and Development, and industry leaders. These groups saw a need for a private organization to connect military planning with research and development decisions in a postwar period in which peace might not be permanently assured. Covert foreign policy became an early specialty of RAND policy analysts.

Since its establishment, approximately two-thirds of RAND's research has involved national security issues. The remainder of the research conducted by the organization is devoted to issues concerning health, education, civil and criminal justice, labor and population studies, and international economics.

Today, RAND boasts achievements in its contributions to the U.S. space program, digital computing, and artificial intelligence. The organization also has expertise in child policy, civil and criminal justice, education, environment and energy, health, international policy, labor markets, national security, population and regional studies, science and technology, social welfare, terrorism, and transportation.