RAND Corporation Provides Objective Research Services and Public Policy Analysis

  • National Guard Specialist Austin Alt assists a student as he fills in as a substitute teacher due to staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 at Pojoaque Valley Middle School in Pojoaque, New Mexico, January 28, 2022, photo by Adria Malcolm/Reuters

    Report

    Challenges That May Be Getting in the Way of Student Learning

    As of November 2021, school district leaders' top three concerns were the mental health of students, teachers, and principals. And 74 percent of them said that political polarization about COVID-19 safety or vaccines was interfering with their ability to educate students.

    National Guard Specialist Austin Alt assists a student as he fills in as a substitute teacher due to staffing shortages caused by COVID-19 at Pojoaque Valley Middle School in Pojoaque, New Mexico, January 28, 2022

    Photo by Adria Malcolm/Reuters

  • A woman says goodbye to her partner as she holds their 5-year-old daughter at San Quentin state prison in San Quentin, California, June 8, 2012, photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
    Incarceration

    Report

    Programs for Incarcerated Parents

    About 2.7 million U.S. children have a parent in prison. This can strain the parent-child relationship and increase the risk for child delinquency, poor academic achievement, and social and emotional problems. What programs do prisons offer to support families? And are they responsive to needs based on gender and culture?

  • Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking
    Opioids

    Content

    Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking

    The Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking was charged with examining aspects of the synthetic opioid threat to the United States—specifically, with developing a consensus on a strategic approach to combating the illegal flow of synthetic opioids into the United States.

  • India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 25, 2021, photo by Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
    India

    Commentary

    Modi's Foreign-Policy Juggling Act

    India lives in a difficult neighborhood, and there are no easy, straightforward solutions. But thus far—and especially under Modi—India has managed its foreign-policy challenges with remarkable effectiveness. With new partners and by making some tough decisions, there is a very good chance that it will continue to do so.

  • Electrician teaching his apprentices how to strip the wires in the distribution board, photo by simonkr/Getty Images
    Postsecondary Education

    Report

    The Value of Education and Training After High School

    Most types of postsecondary credentials can lead to improved earnings. But returns can vary across different fields and by demographic characteristics. Understanding the value of credentials can help individuals, employers, and policymakers make smarter investments.

  • A novel coronavirus illustration

    Content

    COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from RAND

    RAND research and expertise can inform immediate policy responses to address the disastrous effects of COVID-19—and help aid in recovery long after the disease stops spreading.

  • Truth Decay title on public space with people and information

    Project

    Countering Truth Decay

    “Truth Decay,” the diminishing role of facts in public life, poses a threat to evidence-based policymaking and to American democracy. RAND is studying this phenomenon to learn more about its causes, consequences, and potential solutions.

  • Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands at the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, Russia, October 24, 2019, photo by Sergei Chirikov/Pool/Reuters

    Report

    Russia's Growing Presence in Africa

    Knowing where Russia is involved in Africa and where it is likely to become engaged in the future can help U.S. Air Forces Africa refine its regional strategy. A geostrategic assessment shows Russian activity in commercial, diplomatic, military, and paramilitary domains.

  • People line up for COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses at a McDonald's in Chicago, Illinois, December 21, 2021, photo by Jim Vondruska/Reuters

    Report

    Hyper-Local Strategies Are Working to Promote Vaccination Equity

    The Equity-First Vaccination Initiative, launched in summer 2021, has already made progress in reducing racial/ethnic disparities in U.S. COVID-19 vaccination rates. Hyper-local, community-led strategies are helping to increase vaccine confidence and access for communities that identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color.

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RAND research is conducted by three divisions that address social and economic policy issues, four federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), and by RAND's wholly owned subsidiaries, RAND Europe and RAND Australia.