The Microsoft Research Fellowship is a global academic program that supports PhD students (and sometimes postdocs) working on cutting-edge research aligned with Microsoft’s research vision. The fellowship encourages collaboration between academic institutions and Microsoft Research labs. Fellows are given unrestricted gift funding, which means the funds are provided to the academic institution (not paid directly to the researcher), supporting travel, research stays, and research-related activities.
Fellowship recipients are paired with research challenges, which vary year-to-year. These challenges align with Microsoft Research’s strategic areas (AI, systems, HCI, security, programming languages, etc.). Fellows may receive funding to visit Microsoft Research labs, attend workshops, or engage directly with Microsoft researchers. The goal is to foster long-term research partnerships, creating synergy between academic innovation and industry needs.
Unlike a salaried role, the Fellowship is not a job — it’s meant to augment academic research, helping students focus on publications, high-impact work, and mentorship, rather than day-to-day employment tasks.
What Students / Researchers Will Gain
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Financial grant to support their PhD research (stipend, travel, collaboration)
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Opportunity to collaborate with Microsoft Research labs
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Exposure to industrial research challenges and potential mentorship or co-authorship
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Access to Microsoft’s research infrastructure, workshops, or researcher networks
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Validation and prestige of being a Microsoft Research Fellow
Opening Date: 02-Dec-2025 08:46 AM
Closing Date: 02-Dec-2025 08:46 AM
Application / “Syllabus” / Evaluation Criteria
Again, not a test syllabus but a proposal-based evaluation:
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Research Proposal: Must clearly articulate objectives, novelty, impact, methodology, and relevance to Microsoft’s research areas.
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CV / Academic Record: Education, publications, work experience, and research contributions.
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Institutional Support: Your university must support your proposal; you may need to identify a faculty advisor / collaborator.
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Budget / Use of Funds: Explain how you will use the funding (travel, research, collaborations) in a modest and realistic way.
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Duration: Fellowships are one-time, and funds are paid as a grant to the institution; recipients may need to plan travel or visits
Guidelines
- All questions are mandatory and there is no negative marking.
- Duration: minutes
- Total Questions:
- Question Type: MCQ
Disclaimer
- Read the question carefully.
- Select the best answer from the provided options.
- Ensure you have a stable Internet connection.
- After selecting your answer, click on the "Submit" button.