The Microsoft Research AI & Society Fellows Program 2024

The Microsoft Research AI & Society fellows program aims to catalyze research collaboration between Microsoft Research and eminent scholars and experts across a range of disciplines core to discussions at the intersection of AI and its impact on society. Microsoft recognizes the value of bridging academic, industry, policy, and regulatory worlds and seeks to ignite interdisciplinary collaboration that drives real-world impact.

Through a global, open call for proposals targeting a specific set of research challenges, Microsoft will facilitate strategic collaborations, catalyze new research ideas, and contribute publicly available works to benefit scholarly discourse and benefit society more broadly.

Eligibility:

• Microsoft is seeking eminent scholars and leading experts from a wide range of fields and disciplines to join a variety of interdisciplinary collaborations focused on key research challenges.
• To be eligible to apply, candidates will be required to confirm they are actively pursuing (enrolled in program) or have already earned their terminal degree in their respective field or discipline. A terminal degree is defined as the highest-level college degree that can be achieved within your academic discipline or professional field.
• A fellow selected to be a part of the Microsoft Research AI & Society Fellows program is subject to disciplinary proceedings for inappropriate behavior, including but not limited to discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), or plagiarism will forfeit their funding.

Proposal criteria:

All proposals should be submitted via the submission portal (see above). Proposals will not be accepted by email.

Each submission will include:

• Candidate information (region, institution, research/work focus, etc.)
• “Statement of Interest” title (80 characters or less)
• Submission of a “Statement of Interest” document.
  • This document should be 3 pages (or less) in length, which may include appendix and citations if applicable.
  • See additional instructions and guidance in the “Statement of Interest Requirements” section below.
• Candidate CV/resume to be uploaded in the submission portal.

A strong submission will:

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the research challenge and its aims for societal impact.
• Describe relevant work/accomplishments, demonstrate the alignment one’s motivation to the research challenge, and outline the potential impact achieve through collaboration.
• Be clearly written, in alignment with program guidelines.
• Consider that readability and clarity are valued in the review process.

Application:

• November 2, 2023 | Call for proposals opens globally
• November 29, 2023 (11:59:59 PM ET) | Proposal deadline
• January 30, 2024 | Global announcement of 2023 Microsoft Research AI & Society Fellows
• February 2024 – February 2025 | Research collaboration period

Click here to apply