2026 Microsoft Research Fellowship

General guidelines

• All submissions should be submitted in English by the candidate (self-submission). Incomplete applications will not be considered. 
• Please do not add additional requests for budget, as these will not be considered under the guidelines of this fellowship. 
• Proposals submitted to Microsoft will not be returned. Microsoft cannot assume responsibility for the confidentiality of information in submitted applications. Therefore, proposals should not contain information that is confidential, restricted, or sensitive. 
• Due to the volume of submissions, Microsoft Research cannot provide individual feedback on applications that do not receive fellowship awards.
• All proposals should be submitted via the submission portal (below). Proposals will not be accepted by email. 

• Student guidelines
  • Students may submit proposals on their own behalf. See “How to Apply” for more details
  • Students must be actively pursuing a PhD at a degree-granting, accredited institution
  • Students must be enrolled at a degree-granting university in one of the following regions: Africa; Australia & New Zealand; Canada; Europe; India; Hong Kong; Japan; Korea; Singapore; Taiwan; Argentina; Brazil; Chile; Colombia; Mexico; Puerto Rico; or the United States.

  Each submission will include: 

  • Student name
  • University where the student is actively enrolled
  • Department
  • Region and country where student’s university is located
  • Research focus summary (100 words or less)
  • “Statement of Interest” title (80 characters or less) 
  • Submission of a “Statement of Interest” document. See additional instructions and guidance in the “Statement of Interest Requirements” section below. 
  • Candidate CV/resume to be uploaded in the submission portal. 
  • Letters of Recommendation Requirement
    • All PhD students submitting a student-led proposal must include two letters of recommendation.
    • Guidance for Letters of Recommendation
      • Students will be asked to request two signed letters on institutional or professional letterhead.
      • Each letter should be uploaded as a separate PDF file.
    • Letter of Recommendation 1 of 2: This letter must be from your faculty advisor or research supervisor who can speak to your academic work and research qualifications.
    • Letter of Recommendation 2 of 2. This second letter is at your discretion. It may come from another faculty member, mentor, or professional who knows your work well.
    • Update: Two Options to Submit Letters of Recommendation
      • The submission process will allow for confidential letter of recommendation submissions. Students will have two choices:
        • 1. Upload the letter themselves via their proposal form
        • 2. Provide the recommender’s name and email in the proposal submission form. Our program will then contact the recommender (after the Call for Proposals deadline closes) with instructions to submit the letter directly and confidentially. Recommenders will have until January 8th to submit their Letter of Recommendation. For questions on this process, contact at msfellow@microsoft.com.

  A strong submission will: 

  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the research challenge and its aims for scientifical, technological, or 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.

  Statement of Interest guidelines:

  • Describe the motivation, or “why”, behind candidate’s interest in research exploration in this research challenge. We are specifically looking for candidates to describe how their research goals and aspirations align to this challenge. 
  • Description of relevant qualifications, expertise and perspectives the candidate would bring to the research challenge and how this experience would impact the outcomes of this collaboration. 
  • Detail any relevant areas that you would like to collaborate on with the Microsoft researchers and applied scientists listed as involved in the research challenge and how collaboration could create impact in those areas. 
  • Where applicable, include details of any relevant, preliminary research or work that shows progress and investment in this space.
  • Statement of Interest documents should be a minimum 10-point font with a maximum of 3 pages. You may include a fourth page with citations and references as part of your Statement of Interest. The total length of this document should not exceed 4 pages total, assuming the fourth page is dedicated to citations/references only. Margins should be 1” or wider to ensure readability. Option to submit as word document or PDF file. 
• Faculty guidelines
  • Professors, Assistant Professors, or Associate Professors from a degree-granting, accredited institution may submit a proposal on their behalf. See “How to Apply” for more details
  • Proposals submitted by eligible faculty should also identify a student (actively pursuing a PhD or relevant terminal degree) to be involved in the collaboration. If selected, both the faculty member and student will be named as Fellows.
  • Faculty must have received their terminal degree (e.g., PhD, DSc). A terminal degree is defined as the highest-level college degree that can be achieved within your academic discipline or professional field.
  • All faculty members and students listed in the proposal must be employed or enrolled at a degree-granting university located in one of the following regions: Africa; Australia & New Zealand; Canada; Europe; India; Hong Kong; Japan; Korea; Singapore; Taiwan; Argentina; Brazil; Chile; Colombi; Mexico; Puerto Rico; or the United States.

  Each submission will include: 

  • Name of faculty member
  • University/institution of employment
  • Department
  • Professional title (Professor, Associate Professor, or Assistant Professor)
  • Region and country of employment
  • Identify a student to participate in collaboration (first, last name and email address will be required)
  • Research focus summary (100 words or less)
  • “Statement of Interest” title (80 characters or less) 
  • Submission of a “Statement of Interest” document. 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 scientifical, technological, or 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. 

  Statement of Interest guidelines:

  • Describe the motivation, or “why”, behind candidate’s interest in research exploration in this research challenge. We are specifically looking for candidates to describe how their research goals and aspirations align to this challenge. 
  • Description of relevant qualifications, expertise and perspectives the candidate would bring to the research challenge and how this experience would impact the outcomes of this collaboration. 
  • Detail any relevant areas that you would like to collaborate on with the Microsoft researchers and applied scientists listed as involved in the research challenge and how collaboration could create impact in those areas. 
  • Where applicable, include details of any relevant, preliminary research or work that shows progress and investment in this space.
  • Description of the student identified for the collaboration, highlighting their academic background, specific expertise, and how their work relates to the research challenge the proposal aligns with.
  • Statement of Interest documents should be a minimum 10-point font with a maximum of 3 pages. You may include a fourth page with citations and references as part of your Statement of Interest. The total length of this document should not exceed 4 pages total, assuming the fourth page is dedicated to citations/references only. Margins should be 1” or wider to ensure readability. Option to submit as word document or PDF file. 
• Postdoc guidelines
  • Postdocs may submit a proposal on their behalf. See “How to Apply” for more details
  • Proposals submitted by eligible postdocs should attest to support from a faculty advisor or department chair supporting postdoc’s participation in this collaboration with Microsoft through the Fellowship program.
  • Postdocs must be employed or enrolled at a degree-granting university located in one of the following regions: Africa; Australia & New Zealand; Canada; Europe; India; Hong Kong; Japan; Korea; Singapore; Taiwan; Argentina; Brazil; Chile; Colombi; Mexico; Puerto Rico; or the United States.

  Each submission will include: 

  • Postdoc name
  • University or institution where the postdoc is actively employed
  • Department
  • Region and country where postdoc’s university or institution is located
  • Research focus summary (100 words or less)
  • “Statement of Interest” title (80 characters or less) 
  • Submission of a “Statement of Interest” document. See additional instructions and guidance in the “Statement of Interest Requirements” section below. 
  • Candidate CV/resume to be uploaded in the submission portal. 
  • Candidate’s will be required to confirm they have support from a faculty advisor or department chair supporting postdoc’s participation in this collaboration with Microsoft through the Fellowship program.

  A strong submission will: 

  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the research challenge and its aims for scientifical, technological, or 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.

  Statement of Interest guidelines:

  • Describe the motivation, or “why”, behind candidate’s interest in research exploration in this research challenge. We are specifically looking for candidates to describe how their research goals and aspirations align to this challenge. 
  • Description of relevant qualifications, expertise and perspectives the candidate would bring to the research challenge and how this experience would impact the outcomes of this collaboration. 
  • Detail any relevant areas that you would like to collaborate on with the Microsoft researchers and applied scientists listed as involved in the research challenge and how collaboration could create impact in those areas. 
  • Where applicable, include details of any relevant, preliminary research or work that shows progress and investment in this space.
  • Statement of Interest documents should be a minimum 10-point font with a maximum of 3 pages. You may include a fourth page with citations and references as part of your Statement of Interest. The total length of this document should not exceed 4 pages total, assuming the fourth page is dedicated to citations/references only. Margins should be 1” or wider to ensure readability. Option to submit as word document or PDF file. 
• Provisions of the award

  The Microsoft Research Fellowship is designed to create meaningful opportunities for collaboration between academic researchers and Microsoft Research. These opportunities will vary by research challenge and may include working sessions, regular check-ins, asynchronous collaboration, workshops, and other formats tailored to the nature of the research.

  All funds are distributed as unrestricted gifts as a one-time payment made directly to the institution/university and disbursed according to the institution/ university policies. Direct payments to individuals are not made by the program.

  Funding amounts vary by the region a fellows’ organization/institution of employment is located in.

  • Africa – $17,000 (USD)
  • Australia & New Zealand – $17,000 (USD)
  • Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico – $17,000 (USD)
  • Canada – $47,000 (USD)
  • Europe – $27,000 (USD)
  • India – $17,000 (USD)
  • Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan – $17,000 (USD)
  • United States – $47,000 (USD)

  These stipend amounts include travel funding to support in-person collaboration. Fellows may use this funding to visit Microsoft Research principal investigators and collaborators at a Microsoft Research lab or office.

  All payments will be distributed in March/April 2026. If selected, Microsoft will work with respective departmental finance liaisons to transfer funds.

  *Stipend rates are reviewed annually and benchmarked against comparable fellowship programs in each geography to ensure competitive alignment.