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Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship

Region: Global

For eligible students at universities globally pursuing research aligned to Microsoft Research areas of focus.

Asia-Pacific

For the purposes of this fellowship, applicants must attend a university in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, or Taiwan.

The Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship program identifies the next generation of research leaders through a unique program that offers a combination of mentorship, research, networking, and academic opportunities to promising young candidates. Since its inception in 1999, the program has attracted over one thousand PhD candidates from top universities in the Asia-Pacific region, and 441 outstanding PhD students have been awarded the Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship honor. Fellows have gone on to become prominent researchers and influential individuals in academia and industry.

Fellows earn more than a simple scholarship; they enjoy long-term close engagement with Microsoft Research Asia, one of the leading computer science research labs in the world. Each winner has the opportunity to complete an internship, during which they participate in hands-on, advanced research at Microsoft Research Asia in Beijing, China.

The 2022 PhD fellowship recipients have been announced. You can find details below on the 2022 fellowship cycle.

  •  The Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship Program offers some of the industry’s most competitive incentives and rewards, including:

    Cash awards of $10,000 USD, which can be used to support research initiatives and academic endeavors including, but not limited to: attending international research conferences/events, and subsidizing paper and patent application fees.

    Opportunity for intensive and individualized mentorship programs with a dedicated senior researcher, to help facilitate the fellow’s research until graduation.

    Opportunity to attend the Microsoft Research Asia Academic Conference.

    At the discretion of Microsoft Research Asia, advisors of fellows might be invited to participate in collaborative research projects and academic exchange events.

    • Applicants must attend a university in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, or Taiwan, and do research work that relates to computing topics in which Microsoft Research is concerned with (click on Research Areas at the top of the page for a full list).
    • According to the definition of the normative period of PhD programs of the applicant’s university and region, the applicant must graduate in 2024 or later. The applicants and their advisors will be asked for supporting documents, if needed.
    • The Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship Committee has final determination of the interpretation of the above clauses.

  • Microsoft has always been committed to the mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more and has actively promoted the extensive application of computer technology in various fields and in public welfare undertakings. With the progress of data acquisition, data processing, and artificial intelligence in recent years, computer technology is playing an increasingly important role in the research of basic science. The current problems and challenges faced by human society also require the urgent intersection and integration of basic scientific research and computer science. Based on the current trends and demand, the fellowship will continue to welcome applicants in the field of Computational Science in order to discover academic talents who are innovating computer theory and technology to promote the development of basic scientific research, and to support and encourage them to better carry out their potential research work.

    Please refer to the Our research > Other Sciences menu in the top navigation of this site to learn more about these research areas:

    Evaluation criteria of computational science area applicants

    In the Computational Science area, The MSRA Fellowship program focuses on doctoral students who have promoted and expanded research work in the above fields through innovations in computer theory, algorithms, and systems and have made influential achievements. We also look at doctoral students who have made contributions to the development of computer technology by introducing the research methods, theories, and technologies of basic science into the computer science field.

  • The Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship application period closed on Wednesday, June 10, 2022 at 11:59 PM Beijing Time.

    • PhD students must apply directly for the scholarship.
    • Applications must include:
      • An application form (download template here)
      • Curriculum vitae
      • Research Statement. This statement (of approximately 1,000 words) provides a summary of your research accomplishments and current work, and highlight your most outstanding contribution to the academia. It must discuss the future direction and potential of your work, especially your research plan for the next few years of PhD study.
      • At least two letters of reference from established researchers familiar with your research. Of these, one letter should come from your advisor. Scanned copies of the signed recommendation letters should be sent, by those recommending you, directly to fellowra@microsoft.com.
    • Applications must be submitted via the online application tool (opens in new tab)in any of the following formats: Word document, text-only file, PDF or ZIP. Email or hard copy applications will not be considered.
    • Applications submitted to Microsoft will not be returned. Microsoft cannot assume responsibility for the confidentiality of information in submitted applications. Therefore, applications should not contain information that is confidential, restricted, or sensitive.
    • Incomplete applications will not be considered.
    • Due to the volume of submissions, Microsoft Research Asia cannot provide individual feedback on applications that do not receive fellowship awards.

  • What should be included in a research statement?

    The research statement should provide a summary of your research accomplishments and current work and highlight your most outstanding contribution to the academia. Importantly, it should clearly discuss the future direction and potential of your work, especially your research plan for the next few years of PhD study. It should be technical but remain intelligible to any reviewer of the track (we have four general tracks, which you can find in the online application tool). Because your research statement may be read by a reviewer with same track but outside of your subdiscipline, it is important to keep the “big picture” in mind. A strong research statement presents a readable, compelling, and realistic research agenda with clear potential results. Research statements can be weakened by overly ambitious proposals, a lack of clear direction, and a lack of big-picture focus.

    Some general advice:

    • The goal of the research statement is to introduce yourself to a search committee and make them excited about your research. This committee will likely contain scientists both in and outside of your subdiscipline. The statement may be around 1,000 words, keeping in mind that you want people to read it and buy in, so please don’t make it too long or too short.
    • Think of the overarching theme guiding your main research subject area. Write an essay that lays out:
      • The main theme(s), why it is important, and what specific skills you will use to attack the problem.
      • A couple of specific examples of problems you have already worked on with success — to build credibility and give people an idea of what it is you do.
      • A discussion of the future direction of your research. This section should build on the above and be exciting to people both in and outside your field. If you think that your research could lead to answers for big, exciting questions — say so and reach for the stars.
      • Tie it all off with a final paragraph that leaves the reader with a good overall impression of your research.
    • There is no need to mention all of your projects; stick to those that align with your overarching theme. Introducing no more than three (3) research works is strongly recommended.
    • Pay attention to jargon. You want reviewers to understand everything in your statement. Remember that the goal is to make the search committee excited about you — and they won’t be excited about something they can’t understand.
    • If you have something that sets you apart (e.g. a prestigious achievement in your field), you may want to include it.
    • There are no excuses for spelling errors.

    Who should submit the applications?

    Required application materials can be submitted directly online by the applicant. The online application tool is available at: https://cmtint.research.microsoft.com/MSRAFellowship2022 (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)

    In what language and format must the application materials be?

    All application materials must be in English. All documents submitted must be in Word document, text-only file, PDF, or ZIP file format.

    Students from which areas are encouraged to apply?

    Students must be doing research work that relates to computing topics in which Microsoft Research is concerned with (click on Our research at the top of the page for a full list).

    Four major directions for reference:

    • Human machine intelligence
      • Big data mining
      • Knowledge mining
      • Machine learning
      • Natural language processing
      • Social computing
      • Theory
      • Urban computing
      • Web search and data mining
      • Others
    • Perception, recognition, interaction
      • Graphics
      • Multimedia
      • Robotics
      • Speech
      • Vision
      • Others
    • Hardware and software systems
      • Applied algorithms
      • Cloud computing
      • Devices
      • Mobile sensing
      • Networking
      • Software analytics
      • Systems
      • Others
    • Computational science
      • Computational ecology & environmental studies
      • Computational biomedical science & public health
      • Computational physics
      • Computational materials science
      • Other computational science fields

    Are first-year students eligible to apply?

    First-year students are eligible to apply if they have already enrolled in a PhD program by the time of the nomination.

    Are second-year students eligible to apply?

    It depends on the expected graduation date of the normative PhD study you are enrolled in. If the student will graduate in 2023 or later, then they are eligible.

    When will the review results be announced?

    Selected applicants will receive notification of their acceptance status by early October 2022. Due to the volume of submissions, Microsoft Research Asia cannot provide individual feedback on applications that do not receive fellowship awards.

    What are the intellectual property implications of a Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship?

    The funds are given as an unrestricted gift. Fellowship recipients are not subject to intellectual property restrictions unless they complete an internship at Microsoft Research Asia. If that is the case, they are subject to the same intellectual property restrictions as any other Microsoft Research Asia intern.

    Are students from other countries or regions eligible?

    Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship only accepts applicants with universities in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.

    Please send email directly to fellowRA@microsoft.com for other questions.