Microsoft Research Fellowship

Frequently asked questions

Proposals

• What is expected for proposals?

  Please visit How to Apply tab detailed information on what should be included in your proposal.

• How do I submit my proposal?

  A link to the submission portal is available at the top of the How to Apply tab. Proposals submitted via email will not be accepted.

• How long can my Statement of Interest be?

  Your Statement of Interest is a document required as part of the proposal process. The document should use a minimum 10-point font and be no more than three pages in length. You may include a fourth page for citations and references. Use margins of at least 1 inch for readability. You may submit your proposal as either a Word document or PDF.

• Can I apply to more than one challenge?

  Each candidate may submit up to three proposals for the fellowship program. You may submit only one proposal per challenge. Submitting multiple proposals to the same challenge will result in the second proposal being rejected.
  The submission portal allows one proposal per email address. If you choose to submit a proposal for a different challenge, you will need to use a different email address for that submission. If accepted, you will have the opportunity to update your email on file to reflect your preferred email. Each proposal will be evaluated separately by the Microsoft Research PIs for the respective challenge. You may only be accepted under one research challenge.

• Can I submit my current project to this call for proposals?

  Yes, as long as your project aligns with the research directions outlined in the Research Challenge section. Proposals should include a Statement of Interest that addresses the criteria listed in the How to Apply section.

• What is the time commitment of this fellowship?

  The fellowship will encompass an open research collaboration between fellows and Microsoft, beginning in February 2026 and concluding in June 2027. The nature and structure of collaboration will vary by research challenge. This will all be coordinated once fellows are selected and during the initial discussions with Microsoft Principal Investigators and collaborators.

• Is there a limit to how many individual proposals can be submitted from an institution or department?

  No, there is no limit. All candidates who are eligible are welcome to submit a proposal.

• Can two faculty members or two PhD students submit a joint proposal?

  The Fellowship program does not support joint proposals at this time.

• For challenges that accept proposals from student-led and faculty-led proposals, can the same student submit/ be submitted in both tracks?

  For challenges open to both student-led and faculty-led proposals.

  • A PhD student may submit a proposal independently for this challenge. All student-led proposals require faculty approval (meaning the faculty member supports the student investing time in this collaboration).
  • This challenge also accepts faculty-led proposals. You’ll see that this proposal type requires the faculty member to name a student collaborator as a part of the proposal. In this scenario, both the faculty member and the PhD student (if selected) would be named Fellows and active participants in the collaboration.

  While you may submit one of each, we recommend the faculty member and student consider how they wish to participate and choose the path that best aligns with their goals and interests.

Review & selection

• How does the review process work?

  Proposals will be reviewed by the Microsoft PIs and collaborators listed on the Research Challenges tab. For evaluation criteria, please refer to the How to Apply section. In general, reviewers will consider:

  • Research accomplishments
  • Alignment with the selected research challenge
  • Potential impact of the proposed collaboration
• When will applicants be notified about their proposal status?

  All applicants will be notified of their status by February 2, 2026. Due to the volume of submissions, we are unable to provide individual feedback.

Provisions of the award

• What does the Microsoft Research Fellowship program include?

  Selected candidates will be named Fellows and receive a monetary award in the form of an unrestricted gift to their institution, intended to serve as a stipend. Fellows will also collaborate with Microsoft researchers on the selected challenge. This award does not affect eligibility for future internships or employment at Microsoft, nor does it increase the likelihood of receiving them. Fellows may also accept funding from other organizations.

• How will the award funding be distributed?

  Fellowship awards will be distributed in March/April 2026 via electronic payment to the recipient’s institution. Upon acceptance, fellows will be asked to connect Microsoft with their institution’s finance department to coordinate payment.

• What are the tax implications of this award funding?

  The tax implications for the fellowship are based on the policy at your university and applicable tax laws in your region.

• What are the Intellectual property (IP) implications of this fellowship?

  The funds are given as an unrestricted gift. Fellowship recipients are not subject to IP restrictions given the nature of these open research collaboration discussions.

• Can my funds be transferred if I move institutions?

  Funds are being provided as an unrestricted gift to the Institution to be disbursed as per the institution’s policies and procedures. If you leave the institution, it will be at the discretion of the institution as to whether it will permit and facilitate transferring any funds to your new institution directly. We will not be involved with transfer of funds after the initial payment is complete.

• Will overhead, indirect costs, or administrative fees be applied to this funding?

  Fellowship funding is being provided as an unrestricted gift, and standard overhead/indirect costs would not apply. Since the funding is unrestricted, we will not request nor require detailed accounting of how or when the funds are used, and we do not expect a return of any unused funds.