MITRE
Not-for-profit operator of federally funded R&D centers, including CAASD, the FAA's research center for air traffic management and aviation safety.
Overview
MITRE is a not-for-profit company chartered in 1958 that operates six federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) for U.S. government agencies. One of them, the Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD), is sponsored by the FAA and works on air traffic management, aviation safety data analysis, and bringing drones and commercial space launches into the airspace system. MITRE's aviation work includes contributions to the TCAS collision avoidance system, the ASIAS safety data-sharing program, and the FAA's NextGen modernization. It does not employ air traffic controllers; its aviation jobs are for engineers, analysts, data scientists, and human factors researchers, and MITRE says it hires more than 500 interns and co-ops each year.
Student Insights
A research route into air traffic control
If you are interested in how the airspace system works but want an engineering or data career rather than a controller's seat, CAASD is one of the main places that work happens. CAASD sits inside MITRE's Center for Integrated Transportation and is sponsored directly by the FAA.
Student hiring, and a caution
MITRE says it hires 500+ interns and co-ops a year and that its student programs are open to high school, college, and graduate students. It also lists a National Security Intern Program and posts new-graduate roles on its early-career page. Its main campuses are McLean, Virginia and Bedford, Massachusetts. Note that MITRE cut several hundred staff in 2025 after federal contract cancellations, so full-time hiring depends on the federal budget.
AI Outlook
MITRE lists artificial intelligence and vehicle autonomy among its research disciplines, and its aviation center analyzes large safety and traffic data sets for the FAA.
Student Hiring
Typical Roles
Notable Programs
- Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD)
- TCAS collision avoidance
- Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS)
- FAA NextGen
Career Connections
AeroEd career pathways relevant to MITRE.