At IDA, our role is to provide government departments/agencies (D/As) independent, scientifically-backed, and clear analytical products that solve hard problems D/As face. Think of IDA and other FFRDCs as the reach-back support when they need a handful of technical specialists to wonk their problems away.I work on IDA's Test Science team (www.TestScience.org; more publicly release info. at https://testscience.org/dataworks-sessions-archive/). Our team's goal is to facilitate data-driven decision making by ensuring that products being delivered are methodologically sound. We build and disseminate analytical techniques and tools, provide internal consulting when specialized skills are required, and create and deliver trainings internally and for sponsors. My portfolio primarily focuses on machine learning, human factors/human-systems integration, and cybersecurity.FFRDCs like IDA only support government organizations and cannot compete with contractors.