Applications for the 2022 Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship for EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) are currently being received. For the purposes of this fellowship, those students submitting a proposal must attend a university in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa. Students must be entering their third year or beyond of their Ph.D. program sometime between August 2022 – July 2023 having taken into account transfers, approved leaves of absence, etc.
This program tries to fulfill the Microsoft mission, which is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Fellows should support this mission and embrace opportunities to foster diverse and inclusive cultures within their communities. The program has supported many students over the past years. Some fellows are currently working for Microsoft, while others are working for other companies in the technology industry.
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services. The Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft Windows operating systems, and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers are its best-known software products.
Program Details
- Host institution: Universities in Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA).
- Research Areas: Cloud Infrastructure, Confidential Computing, Future of Work, Health Intelligence, Machine Intelligence.
- Number of awards: Not specified.
- Duration: Not Specified.
- Eligible Countries: Open to all countries.
Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship for EMEA Benefits
The Microsoft Fellowship will provide the following benefits to selected candidates:
- $15,000 USD is provided to help complete research as part of their doctoral thesis work for academic year 2023–2024.
- Eligible recipients will be offered a 12-week paid Internship with Microsoft Research’s Cambridge, UK lab, or the Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI) (for African and Europe applicants only).
- Opportunities will be provided to build relationships with research teams at Microsoft and receive mentorship.
Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship for EMEA Eligibility
To apply for the Microsoft Fellowship Program, applicants must satisfy the criteria below:
- Students must be entering their third year or beyond of their Ph.D. program sometime between August 2022 – July 2023 having taken into account transfers, approved leaves of absence, etc.
- Ph.D. students must continue to be enrolled at the university at the beginning of the academic year 2023 or forfeit the award. Fellowships are not available for extension. If you require time away for family or medical leave, this will be accommodated. If you are unsure if a particular need for time away will affect the award, you can contact Microsoft Research Fellowships at [email protected].
- Payment of the award, as described above, will be made directly to the university and dispersed according to the university’s policies. Microsoft will have discretion as to how any remaining funds will be used if the student is no longer qualified to receive funding (e.g., if the student unenrolls from the program, graduates, or transfers to a different university).
- Funding is for use only during the recipient’s time in the Ph.D. program; it cannot be used for support in a role past graduation, such as a postdoc or faculty position. Those interested in receiving this fellowship will need to confirm their Ph.D. program starting month and year, as well as their expected graduation month and year.
- A recipient of the Microsoft Research Ph.D. Fellowship subject to disciplinary proceedings for inappropriate behavior, including but not limited to discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), or plagiarism will forfeit their funding.
- PhD students submitting a proposal should be able to communicate their research (both in writing and verbally) in English.
Furthermore, applicants must meet the following criteria depending on the program they are applying for.
Europe Program
- PhD students must be enrolled at a university in Europe
- Proposed research must be closely related to one of the themes at Microsoft Research Cambridge:
- A maximum of four nominations per department will be accepted; if two or three students are nominated, then at least one nominee should help us increase the opportunities for students who identify as part of a community that is underrepresented in the field of computing, and if four are nominated, then at least two nominees should help us increase the opportunities for students who identify as part of a community that is underrepresented in the field of computing. This includes those who identify as a woman.
- Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Students should support this mission and embrace opportunities to foster diverse and inclusive cultures within their communities.
Middle East Program
Ph.D. students must be enrolled at a university in the Middle East. Proposed research must be closely related to one of the themes at Microsoft Research Cambridge:
Africa Program
PhD students must be enrolled at a university in Africa. Proposed research must be closely related to one of the themes at Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI).
- AI/ML/NLP/data science: In many practically useful applications, data is often scarce and biased. Understanding how Microsoft works under these settings and delivers useful results has a great impact on many practical problems and gives us deep insights into what it means to learn with data. From practical applications such as NLP to understanding the fairness and generality of results and deepening our understanding of what is feasible with the available data for a particular problem. Specifically, how to work better with limited data.
- Health: Advances in machine learning and AI offer us an opportunity to address the disparities in the access to, and delivery of quality healthcare for all people. We’re interested in understanding and exploring spaces where technology can assist to fill the gap, from assisting healthcare practitioners to perform their roles more effectively, to bridging the last mile to patients, through scaling the delivery and reach of quality healthcare using technology.
- Sustainability: Microsoft’s commitment to sustainability will be achieved by leveraging cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to transform the way Microsoft monitor, model, and ultimately help in solving environmental challenges facing the globe. Within MARI, Microsoft is applying AI and analytics to understand and develop solutions that will address challenges related to sustainability. If you are a student enrolled in an African University undertaking a Ph.D. program in artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, or a related field with a focus on solving problems related to sustainability, the program would be delighted to receive your application.
- Human-computer interaction: The program seeks fellows in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) who will explore Usability and Design questions in the areas of Work, Health Sustainability & Society. Typically, HCI interns lead and conduct research studies (online or on the ground), usability studies, literature reviews, and design interventions.
Similar opportunities
- Top 38 Scholarships Currently Open for Application;
- Singapore University of Technology and Design Scholarships;
- Japanese Government MEXT Scholarships (Master, PhD, Research);
- Friedrich Ebert Foundation Scholarship for International Students.
How to Apply for the Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship for EMEA
Eligible applicants, who wish to apply for the Microsoft Research Fellowship, should click on the corresponding link below and follow instructions to fill in the form.
- Europe program applicants should click on the University nomination form to start.
- Middle East program applicants should click on Submit a proposal to start.
- Africa program applicants should click on Submit a proposal to start.
You might be asked to request 2 letters of recommendation (third one being optional) via the submission portal. Add the contact information (name, affiliation, email) and send the email request through the submission portal to your two or three recommenders as soon as possible, so they have ample time to provide a letter. Their deadline is the same as your proposal deadline.
They should be established researchers familiar with your research (at least one of which must be from your primary academic advisor/supervisor, and only one letter can be from a current Microsoft employee). Once you send the request through the submission portal, they will receive a private link to upload a letter of recommendation for you. For questions regarding proposals, contact Microsoft Research Fellowships at [email protected].
The deadline to submit nominations is . For more details on the Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship for EMEA, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.