{"id":953601,"date":"2023-07-21T10:06:50","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T17:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/"},"modified":"2025-03-31T09:09:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T16:09:20","slug":"accelerating-foundation-models-research","status":"publish","type":"msr-group","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/collaboration\/accelerating-foundation-models-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Accelerating Foundation Models Research"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Accelerating Foundation Models Research<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Engaging the broader community in reimagining computing research<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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“AI is evolving faster than we ever thought possible, and the opportunities it’s opening up are mind-blowing. But this is more than shiny new tech; it’s about making a difference in the world. That’s why we’re launching this program\u2014to build a global network of researchers who are as diverse as the challenges we face. We’re not just talking about models and algorithms; we’re talking about crossing boundaries, be it language, culture, or academic fields, to tackle some really big issues. Simply put, we aim to ensure that AI isn’t just for the few, but a game-changer for us all.”<\/p>\n\u2014 Peter Lee, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Research & Incubations<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Foundation models are fuelling a fundamental shift in computing research, natural sciences, social sciences and computing education itself. And as industry-led advances in AI continue to reach new heights, we believe that a vibrant and diverse research ecosystem is essential to realizing the promise of AI to benefit each individual, organization and society worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accelerating Foundation Models Research (AFMR) is a new research initiative where we are on a journey, working together with the broader academic research community, to explore different aspects of foundation models to accomplish three goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Align AI with shared human goals, values, and preferences via research on models<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

which enhances safety, robustness, sustainability, responsibility, and transparency, while ensuring rapid progress can be measured via new evaluation methods<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"medium<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Improve human interactions via sociotechnical research<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

which increases trust, human ingenuity, creativity, and productivity, and decreases the digital divide while reducing the risks of developing AI which does not benefit individuals and society<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"dark<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Accelerate scientific discovery in <\/strong>
natural sciences<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

via proactive knowledge discovery, hypothesis generation, and multiscale multimodal data generation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

AFMR is a global research network and a resource platform, which enables a network of researchers with different expertise to engage on solving together some of the greatest technical and societal challenges of tomorrow. AFMR includes a grant program that provides access to state-of-the-art foundation models hosted on Microsoft Azure through Microsoft Azure AI services. Through AFMR our goal is to foster more collaborations across disciplines, institutions, and sectors, and to unleash the full potential of AI for a wide range of research questions, applications, and societal contexts. To that effect we engage with the research community through Calls for Proposals, mind-swaps, workshops, conferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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AI, Cognition, and the Economy (AICE)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about AICE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\"AI,<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Our collaborators<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Aarhus University <\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Alabama A&M University <\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Australian National University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Carnegie Mellon University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Charit\u00e9 \u2013 Universit\u00e4tsmedizin Berlin, University of Berlin, Germany<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
City University Hong Kong<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Cornell University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Duke University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL)<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Emory University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Fisk University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Florida International University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
George Mason University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Georgia Institute of Technology<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Gwangju Institute of Science And Technology<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Harvard University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Hebrew University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT)<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Illinois Institute of Technology<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Imperial College London<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Indian Institute of Science<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Indian Institute of Technology, Tirupati<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Johns Hopkins University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
KAIST South Korea<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Kean University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Kennesaw State University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Lehigh University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Loughborough University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Massachusetts Institute of Technology<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Michigan State University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Monash University Malaysia<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Morehouse College<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Morehouse School of Medicine<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
National University of Singapore<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
New Jersey Institute of Technology<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
New Mexico State University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
New York University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
North Carolina A&T State University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
North Carolina State University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Northeastern University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Oregon Health & Science University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Pennsylvania State University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Polytechnique Montreal<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Prairie View A&M University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Princeton University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Rice University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Rutgers University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Saarland University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
San Diego State University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Santa Fe Institute<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Savannah State University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Seoul National University<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Simon Fraser University<\/td><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Singapore University of Technology<\/td><\/tr>
Stanford University <\/td><\/tr>
Technical University of Darmstadt<\/td><\/tr>
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi<\/td><\/tr>
The Ohio State University<\/td><\/tr>
The University of Hong Kong<\/td><\/tr>
The University of Nottingham<\/td><\/tr>
Tokyo Institute of Technology<\/td><\/tr>
Universitat de Valencia<\/td><\/tr>
Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia<\/td><\/tr>
Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al and Mila – Quebec AI Institute<\/td><\/tr>
University College London<\/td><\/tr>
University of Arizona<\/td><\/tr>
University of Bath<\/td><\/tr>
University of Berlin<\/td><\/tr>
University of British Columbia<\/td><\/tr>
University of California, Berkeley<\/td><\/tr>
University of California, Los Angeles<\/td><\/tr>
University of California, Riverside<\/td><\/tr>
University of California, San Francisco<\/td><\/tr>
University of California, Santa Barbara<\/td><\/tr>
University of California, Santa Cruz<\/td><\/tr>
University of California, Irvine<\/td><\/tr>
University of Cambridge<\/td><\/tr>
University of Central Florida <\/td><\/tr>
University of Chicago<\/td><\/tr>
University of Farmstead<\/td><\/tr>
University of Georgia <\/td><\/tr>
University of Illinois Chicago<\/td><\/tr>
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign<\/td><\/tr>
University of Leeds<\/td><\/tr>
University of Maryland<\/td><\/tr>
University of Maryland, Baltimore County<\/td><\/tr>
University of Massachusetts, Amherst<\/td><\/tr>
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor<\/td><\/tr>
University of Missouri-Kansas City<\/td><\/tr>
University of New South Wales<\/td><\/tr>
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill<\/td><\/tr>
University of North Carolina, Charlotte<\/td><\/tr>
University of North Texas<\/td><\/tr>
University of Notre Dame<\/td><\/tr>
University of Oxford<\/td><\/tr>
University of Pennsylvania<\/td><\/tr>
University of Pretoria<\/td><\/tr>
University of Rochester<\/td><\/tr>
University of Southern California<\/td><\/tr>
University of Texas at Arlington<\/td><\/tr>
University of Texas at El Paso<\/td><\/tr>
University of Texas, Austin<\/td><\/tr>
University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center<\/td><\/tr>
University of Toronto<\/td><\/tr>
University of Toronto Scarborough<\/td><\/tr>
University of Virginia<\/td><\/tr>
University of Washington<\/td><\/tr>
University of Waterloo<\/td><\/tr>
University of Wisconsin-Madison<\/td><\/tr>
UT Southwestern Medical Center<\/td><\/tr>
Waseda University<\/td><\/tr>
William & Mary<\/td><\/tr>
Yale University<\/td><\/tr>
York University<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Interested in collaborating?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are interested in finding out more about our existing projects and potential expansion of this initiative please contact the team at msfmr@microsoft.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Accelerate Foundation Models Research (AFMR) is a new research initiative where we are on a journey, working together with the broader academic research community, to explore different aspects of foundation models to accomplish three goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Align AI with shared human goals, values, and preferences via research on models<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

which enhances safety, robustness, sustainability, responsibility, and transparency, while ensuring rapid progress can be measured via new evaluation methods<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"medium<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Improve human interactions via sociotechnical research<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

which increases trust, human ingenuity, creativity, and productivity, and decreases the digital divide while reducing the risks of developing AI which does not benefit individuals and society<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"dark<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Accelerate scientific discovery in <\/strong>
natural sciences<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

via proactive knowledge discovery, hypothesis generation, and multiscale multimodal data generation<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Academic Research Community focus areas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Model Advancement<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Projects aim to enhance LLMs\u2019 alignment, robustness, interpretability, reasoning, and interaction abilities using various methods and techniques.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Benchmarks, Evaluation and Measurement<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Develop metrics, evaluate and measurement of LLMs on various aspects of comprehension, benchmarking, and content generation, with expected outcomes of better usability, collaboration, robustness, and data science applications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Multimodal and Crossmodal Learning<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The research projects focus on improving and applying Multi-Modal foundation models.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Responsible AI<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The projects aim to make AI more responsible by focusing on safety, preventing misinformation, and improving auditing in a way that’s easy to understand. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cognition and Societal Benefits<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Projects focus on advancing healthcare, education, legal and social aspects of using Large Language Models (LLMs).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Creativity and Design<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How AI can be used across different disciplines to support human creativity, improve workflow efficiency, and enrich the user experience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Multicultural Analysis and Empowerment<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The research projects primarily focus on enhancing language models, emphasizing underrepresented languages and cultures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Scientific Discovery and Innovation<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How AI can be used to enhance scientific knowledge discovery and hypothesis generation across many different areas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"green<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Domain applications<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How foundation models can be applied in a variety for domain-specific applications in science and engineering, from agriculture to energy to health.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Through this program, we hope to re-imagine AI learning and research using\u00a0foundation models, while also exploring new use cases that can complement human ingenuity through diversified research expertise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":969273,"template":"","meta":{"msr-url-field":"","msr-podcast-episode":"","msrModifiedDate":"","msrModifiedDateEnabled":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_classifai_error":"","msr_group_start":"","footnotes":""},"research-area":[13556],"msr-group-type":[243721],"msr-locale":[268875],"msr-impact-theme":[264846,266208,261667,261673,261670,261676],"class_list":["post-953601","msr-group","type-msr-group","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","msr-research-area-artificial-intelligence","msr-group-type-collaboration","msr-locale-en_us"],"msr_group_start":"","msr_detailed_description":"","msr_further_details":"","msr_hero_images":[],"msr_research_lab":[851467],"related-researchers":[],"related-publications":[],"related-downloads":[],"related-videos":[],"related-projects":[],"related-events":[],"related-opportunities":[],"related-posts":[971679,1002579,1101900,1107435,1134446],"tab-content":[],"msr_impact_theme":["Computing foundations","Discovery","Empowerment","Health","Resilience","Trust"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-group\/953601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-group"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/msr-group"}],"version-history":[{"count":193,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-group\/953601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1135537,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-group\/953601\/revisions\/1135537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/969273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=953601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"msr-research-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research-area?post=953601"},{"taxonomy":"msr-group-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-group-type?post=953601"},{"taxonomy":"msr-locale","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-locale?post=953601"},{"taxonomy":"msr-impact-theme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-impact-theme?post=953601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}