Our research model is a living iteration of an insight Sir Isaac Newton had 300 years ago that direct observation of events and people, by highly trained analysts, can improve practitioners' understanding of complex and dynamic processes.

The CNA Corporation is a non-profit organization that during World War II pioneered the field of operations analysis to help the Navy save lives and use its scarce resources more effectively. We have more than half-a-century of experience researching and analyzing the complex scientific, operational, and policy challenges that are facing the public sector and public decision makers.

Today's CNA Corporation—with more than 300 researchers at our headquarters and 45 analysts in the field—is the descendent of a small number of MIT scientists the Navy turned to in the early 1940s for help with the German U-boat threat. Pioneers in the field of operations research, these scientists insisted on deploying with Navy forces in order to directly observe operational challenges and to collect the data needed for meaningful analyses. Their groundbreaking work resulted in anti-submarine warfare barrier equations that set the standard for future operations research methods.

Operations analysis combines observation of people, decisions, and processes by rigorously trained analysts to help decision makers understand the consequences of possible actions and to implement the best possible solutions.

Since its inception The CNA Corporation has developed and refined a research and analysis model that provides a combination of off-site analysts, who report directly to senior executives at their sites, and a research team based at our headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. This model has been extremely valuable to a wide range of government decision makers. Our work that began with the Center for Naval Analyses has grown to encompass many fields.

Building on this rich history and our innovative approaches to solving national security and defense issues, The CNA Corporation's Institute for Public Research now addresses a broader range of public interest issues. CNAC's growth into new areas that affect the public—including education, health care and public health, homeland security, human capital management, and air traffic management—reflects an institution that is evolving to apply our experience to the ever more complex issues facing society and its leaders.