Faculty Fellowship

What it is

Two-year fellowship that recognizes innovative, promising early-career professors in the Americas who are exploring breakthrough, high-impact research in computer science or a related field.

The Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship recognizes innovative, promising new faculty, whose exceptional talent for research and innovation identifies them as emerging leaders in their fields. Provisions of the 2021 award include $100,000 USD awarded annually for two years starting in the fall of 2021.

Timeline

• Nominations, from the university or Microsoft nominators, closed February 22, 2021
• Qualified nominees were sent an invitation email on March 1, 2021 to submit their proposal
• Proposals and reference letters were accepted through March 29, 2021
• Finalists notified in early May and interviewed virtually May 17-18, 2021
• Recipients announced by early July 2021

Eligibility criteria

How to submit a proposal

Candidates must be nominated by their university or a Microsoft nominator before receiving an invitation to submit a proposal.

Nominators

• Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Fellows should support this mission by fostering diverse and inclusive cultures within their communities.
• Faculty must be nominated by their university or a Microsoft Research lab member or a researcher within an applied research group in other parts of Microsoft.
• A maximum of three nominations per university will be accepted; if more than one is nominated, then the other one or two nominees should help us increase the opportunities for faculty who are underrepresented in the field of computing. This includes those who self-identify as a woman, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and/or person with a disability.
• Microsoft Research lab members and researchers within an applied research group in other parts of Microsoft may nominate a maximum of two faculty. If more than one faculty is nominated, then at least one nominee should help us increase the opportunities for faculty who are underrepresented in the field of computing. This includes those who self-identify as a woman, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and/or person with a disability.
• Nominators must agree to write and submit a one-page recommendation letter in support of their nominee, if requested by the nominee.

Nominees

• Full-time faculty at a degree-granting college or university in North America or South America.
• Faculty must have received their terminal degree (e.g., PhD, DSc) in May 2016 or later. We will take into account approved delays, like leaves of absences from the workplace and postdocs, on a case by case basis if you contact us at [email protected].
• Currently conducting research, advising graduate students, and teaching in a classroom.
• Proposed research must be closely related to the general research areas carried out by Microsoft as noted in the Our research tab above.

Recipients

• If awarded, the recipient must remain an active, full-time faculty during the two consecutive academic years of the award 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 us at Microsoft Research Fellowships ([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 faculty is no longer qualified to receive funding.
• A recipient of the Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship subject to disciplinary proceedings for inappropriate behavior, including but not limited to discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), or plagiarism will forfeit their funding.

If you do not meet the above criteria, you may be eligible for other Academic Programs.

Microsoft actively seeks to foster greater levels of diversity in our workforce and in our pipeline of future researchers. We are always looking for the best and brightest talent and celebrate individuality. We invite candidates to come as they are and do what they love.

Contact us

Direct any questions not answered in the FAQ to the Fellowship’s Program Chair, John Krumm, or the Program Manager at [email protected].