Microsoft Researcher Recognition Program

Leaderboards

Case points will be awarded based on Assessment Date time stamp to ensure that cases that span two recognition periods are not missed.

Each quarter, cases assessed within that quarter will recieve points.

Quarterly Leaderboard

Each quarter, we recognize all researchers who have received more than 20 points. In addition, we recognize researchers in specific research and technology areas in our Technical Leaderboards. Quarterly Technical Leaderboards recognize research in Azure, Office, Windows, and Dynamics. 

Annual Leaderboard

Each year we recognize the MSRC's Most Valuable Researchers who have achieved the Top 100 ranks. 

Each program period runs from July 1 to June 30. For example, the 2025/2026 program period runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. 

Annual leaderboards include technical leaderboards for Azure, Office, Windows, and Dynamics. Researchers who do not make the MVR top 100 are eligible for quarterly leaderboards and will receive accuracy, impact, and volume badges where applicable on the published leaderboard page, but will not receive a digital form of the badge.  

Technical Leaderboard

Technical Leaderboards recognize researchers who have distinguished themselves through high-impact research in specific areas, including Azure, Office, Windows, and Dynamics. Technical leaderboards publish the top 10 ranks for each technical group for both Quarterly and Annual Leaderboards. 

Annual Technical Leaderboards are not limited to the Top 100 and will feature all the Top 10 researchers each technical group regardless of MVR status.

Most Valuable Researcher

The top 100 researchers from the Annual Leaderboard will receive the title of Most Valuable Researcher and will receive digital badges. 

Digital Badges

Digital badges highlight researchers’ accomplishments throughout a program period and can be shared on professional profiles and social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter. The first badge recognizes our 2020 Most Valuable Security Researchers, with more badges to come!

• Accuracy Badge: Recognizes researchers with 100% accuracy, meaning all their submissions were valid vulnerability reports 

• Impact Badge: Recognizes high-impact work, with the average points per valid vulnerability report at or above the 90th percentile 

• Volume Badge: Recognizes a larger body of work, requiring at least five valid vulnerability reports 

Swag

Researchers who earn a position on the quarterly leaderboards will receive a claim link to select swag from options list on SwagMagic.

Each year, a specifically designed SWAG box is sent to Microsoft’s Most Valuable Security Researchers (MVRs). This generally happens in the Fall after the annual MVR announcement, and each researcher eligible for a Swag box will be notified by our team.

How to set your Leaderboard Name or choose to be displayed as Anonymous

For all researchers, if you’d like to have your name included in ongoing Quarterly and Annual leaderboards, please confirm or update your “Preferred Name” in the Researcher Portal.  Preferred names cannot be changed once published.

You can update your Preferred Name and change your Recognition Preference anytime by logging into your MSRC Researcher Portal account. Note, both fields must be filled out to be opted-in for recognition. 

1. Select your Recognition Program Preference

We periodically recognize our top performing researchers on publicly available web pages (e.g. leaderboards). Researcher recognition programs are always “opt-in”, by default you are anonymous, but you may choose to be recognized by name or alias. You can indicate your recognition preference by selecting one of the options below in your MSRC Researcher Portal profile: 

• Opt-in to the researcher recognition program, display my name as Anonymous

• Opt-in to the researcher recognition program, display my Preferred Name

• Opt-out from the researcher recognition program 

1. Provide your Preferred Name for Recognition

If you selected to display your Preferred Name for leaderboard recognition, you can click “Edit” to update your Preferred Name