Microsoft Research AI & Society Fellows Program

Microsoft recognizes the value of bridging academic, industry, policy, and regulatory worlds and seeks to ignite interdisciplinary collaboration that drives real-world impact.

Through a global, open call for proposals targeting a specific set of research challenges, Microsoft will facilitate strategic collaborations, catalyze new research ideas, and contribute publicly available works to benefit scholarly discourse and benefit society more broadly.

Program Details

• The Microsoft Research AI & Society Fellows program supports interdisciplinary AI research in the context of societal impact.
• The program offers opportunities for fellows from fields beyond core computer sciences to join and support interdisciplinary research conversations with Microsoft Researchers. By facilitating these new collaborations, Microsoft aims to scale the impact of collective research efforts at the intersection of AI & Society.

Research Challenges

An individual can submit to multiple research challenges (a maximum of three) provided they are eligible. A candidate will only be selected to join one research challenge as a “fellow”.

• AI in Organizational Settings
  • Preferred geographies: Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
  • They are looking for proposals for empirical qualitative projects that ask critical questions about how new AI technologies are playing out in organizational settings. While they are interested in organizational studies from a range of sectors and industries, they are particularly interested in studies situated in one of the following sectors:
    • Agriculture
    • Energy
    • Financial services
    • Government
    • Insurance
    • Manufacturing
    • Retail or supply chains
  • Ideal candidate
    • The ideal submission will pursue a novel perspective on questions at the intersection of AI and organizations in at least one of the highlighted sectors and industries.  This fellowship is for qualitative social scientists. Scholars may come from a range of social science disciplines, including but not limited to organizational behavior, sociology, management, anthropology, and communication. The target recipient is a professor or civil society researcher. (Students and postdocs may apply alongside a faculty/researcher collaborator.) The expected output of this project should be academic publications, talks, and other public-facing contributions.
    • Proposed studies should be both critical and empirical in orientation and grapple with the relationship between technology and organizations holistically. They are specifically looking for scholars who are oriented towards a systems or structural approach to analyzing sociotechnical phenomena in organizational life. For this particular fellowship, they are seeking projects that go beyond analyzing the impact on individual workers to considering transformations in organizations, industries, and institutional arrangements.
• AI in the Production of Culture, Media, and the Arts
  • Preferred geographies: Africa, Canada, Europe, United States
  • They seek scholars who are investigating the forms, media, and genres of culture that generative AI tools are producing or are failing to. This is a multi-modal concern that should look beyond text and images to other forms of culture and media, such as music, video, gaming, or animation.
  • Ideal candidate
    • They seek scholars who are investigating the forms, media, and genres of culture that generative AI tools are producing, and are failing to. They see this as a multi-modal concern that should look beyond text and images to other forms of culture and media, such as music, video, gaming, or animation. Researchers may come from the social sciences or the humanities, so long as their interest bridges the sociocultural and the technical. The aim is to produce a white paper on the impact of AI on the production of culture and host a workshop to gather scholars examining these issues.
• AI Powered Community Micro-Grid for Resiliency and Equitability
  • Preferred geographies: Canada, India, United States
  • Ideal candidate
    • Ideal collaborators will be multi-disciplinary, including experts from Urban Planning, Social Work, Community Psychology, Economics, Computer Scientists, Electrical and Civil Engineers.
• Copyright Protection for User Data in the Era of LLMs
  • Preferred geographies: Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
  • Ideal candidate
    • The ideal external collaborator for this research challenge is either of the following:
      • Legal scholar who has experience in copyright protection research and practice, and has high interest in LLMs and Responsible AI
      • AI researcher or data scientist who are working on user data copyright protection for LLMs and have interest in analyzing its social impact.
• Generative AI and Plural Governance: Mitigating Challenges and Surfacing Opportunities
  • Preferred geographies: Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
  • Ideal candidate
    • They are seeking practitioners whose work is affected by challenges with respect to generative AI or who actively run deliberative processes that would benefit from AI tooling. Applicants could include nonprofit leaders, journalists, or researchers focused on robust democratic processes. They are particularly keen on collaborating with fellows with expertise (practical or academic) in political science, urban planning, law, social work, or related disciplines.
• Multimodal Knowledge Understanding and Representation for Population-scale Copilots
  • Preferred geographies: Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
  • This research challenge aims to bring together fellows interdisciplinary from the Systems, AI/ML, Linguists, and Human Computer Interaction (HCI) backgrounds to work with researchers at Microsoft to:
    • Investigate the applicability and current limitations of multimodal, multilingual LLMs for societal applications.
    • Develop new models, datasets and architectures for multimodal understanding and representation.
    • Build and evaluate multimodal, multilingual LLMs for few societal copilots in the space of education, healthcare and sustainability.
  • Ideal candidate
    • The ideal external collaborator would be a researcher (academia or industry) who has exposure and experience on a multi-modal and multi-lingual knowledge representation and would be interested in applying this to one of the societal real-world applications like education or healthcare. The collaborator could also be from an NGO or startup already working in the specific application domain with domain expertise and interested and committed to addressing this research problem.
• Reducing the Digital Divide of Generative AI in the Global South
  • Preferred geographies: Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
  • This research challenge aims to move toward more geographically equitable Gen AI models and applications through a deeply socio-technical study of these models in Global South contexts. The selected Fellows will work alongside a multi-disciplinary team of Microsoft researchers toward the following 3 objectives:
    • To systematically analyze the current robustness of Gen AI models for the Global South, based on the study of specific applications, communities, and people.
    • To design and validate approaches to create more robust and inclusive experiences for diverse, global users of Generative AI.
    • To create a multi-year research roadmap that identifies the key challenges and opportunities to deliver equitable AI-infused applications that serve the Global South.
  • Ideal candidate
    • Proposals are specifically sought from social scientists from the Global South with a PhD degree and at least 2 years of work experience in a relevant field. Candidates should have deep expertise in mixed methods research (quantitative and qualitative). They should also have practical experience working with communities and organizations in the Global South, and a deep understanding of the social and cultural contexts that shape the use and adoption of AI technologies. Experience in current-day AI technologies (e.g., generative models) is preferred.
• Regulating AI in Light of the Challenges of Doing Responsible AI in Practice
  • Preferred geographies: Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
  • Ideal candidate
    • They are particularly interested in applications from (1) legal scholars who rely on methods from the social sciences or engage with findings from the social sciences to develop a better understanding of how law and policy functions on the ground, ideally with prior experience studying the regulation of technology and crafting empirically-informed policy recommendations; (2) social scientists who study the everyday practices of teams tasked with identifying and addressing the risks posed by technology, including complying with law and policy, ideally with a focus on responsible AI; (3) human-computer interaction researchers who study the practical challenges that teams face when seeking to identify and address the risks posed by technology, with a focus on organizational dynamics, cross-functional collaboration, and design considerations, ideally with prior experience studying responsible AI specifically.
• Regulatory Innovation to Enable Use of Generative AI in Drug Development
  • Preferred geographies: Canada, Europe, United States
  • Ideal candidate
    • The Scientific & Regulatory Affairs team within Health Futures is well placed to support a fellow for this research topic. They have a small but diverse team that combines clinical, legal, compliance and regulatory expertise in healthcare and life sciences. They translate legal and regulatory requirements into practices that can be operationalized within the dynamic business. They take an agile approach to developing programs that balance compliance (quality systems, safety, privacy, security, ethics, etc.) with support for innovation.
    • They would be seeking a regulatory affairs attorney with an additional degree or strong background experience in pharmaceutical development and/or healthcare policy (ideally both). A fellow with this expertise and skillset would complement the team by bringing experience developing new policy proposals and putting them into practice in real-world biopharma settings. This would provide the team with an outside-in perspective and ground the work in practical experience.
    • They are seeking a futurist with a general understanding of different types of AI systems who appreciates the potential that these systems have to transform the drug development process as they know it. The ideal candidate would have a track record of applying innovative approaches to law, regulation and policy. The fellow would develop policy positions in a highly complex and dynamic area. Although proposed standards may be without much precedent, they would be informed by a background in the drug development field and an understanding of implementation challenges.
    • Alongside this expertise, the fellow should also have demonstrated success in policy or academic writing, as well as leading policy discussions, to enable productive and high-quality generation of outputs based on the research questions.
• Sociotechnical Approaches to Measuring Harms Caused by AI Systems
  • Preferred geographies: Canada, Europe, United States
  • Ideal candidate
    • Applicants should have a strong demonstrated commitment to sociotechnical work. Their research should be in or span the following fields or fields related to them: information science, human—computer interaction, computational social science, statistics, political science, sociology, science and technology studies, public policy, and law. Interdisciplinary scholars are especially welcome to apply. They are interested in applicants from academia and civil society, and especially applicants from programs or organizations that have a deep commitment to measurement. They are also interested in applicants from other industry organizations, who have expertise that is complementary to that found at Microsoft.
• Storytelling and Futurism
  • Preferred geographies: Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
  • Ideal candidate
    • This fellowship would be ideal for students who have completed or are pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) or a Ph.D. in creative writing, art, design, literature, journalism or a related field. Their skills could include creative writing, filmmaking, or the development of graphic novels. Writers working in any genre or style are welcome to apply. Letters of recommendation that demonstrate your curiosity, thoughtfulness and imagination are encouraged.
• Supporting the Responsible AI Red-Teaming Human Infrastructure
  • Preferred geographies: Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
  • Ideal candidate
    • Accepting collaboration submissions from the following fields of expertise:
      • Clinical psychologists with expertise in secondary trauma, occupational wellbeing, or data enrichment work could provide insights into the psychological impact of red-teaming work and evidence-based interventions to reduce exposure, monitor symptoms, and cope with exposure, to understand the association between psychological impact and triggers such as harmful content exposure and behaviors, and to measure the impact of mitigating measures. Their expertise would be particularly valuable in understanding individual differences in the context of standardized and generalized organizational practices.
      • Organizational psychologists with expertise in occupational wellbeing, data enrichment work, remote/hybrid work and organizational support structures could provide insights into how to recruit, onboard, train, and maintain the human infrastructure for RAI. They could help develop short- and long-term psychological wellbeing support mechanisms for all data enrichment workers, from crowd workers to full-time employees. Their expertise would be crucial in balancing the needs of individuals and the business and organizational needs.
      • Social scientists with expertise in sociology, information science, and communications with experiences in studying data enrichment workers or crowd workers could help examine the experiences of red teamers, including their working conditions, the psychological impact of their work, and the broader societal implications of these forms of digital labor. They could investigate content moderation and red-teaming as new forms of information work that require special and timely attention of the RAI, sociology, occupational health, and related fields.
• Towards Creative-Centered AI: Opportunities and Challenges at the Intersection of Creatives, AI, and Society
  • Preferred geographies: Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Singapore, Taiwan, United States
  • They expect that this research challenge will produce, but will not be limited to:
    • White papers and academic publications that contribute to the public discourse and scientific understanding around AI’s impact on creative work, creative communities, and their place in society.
    • A set of recommendations and approaches that will enable Microsoft and other organizations to develop creative-centered AI technologies.
    • Building communities of stakeholders (creatives, audience, policy makers, academia, industry and beyond) that will continue working together to bring benefits and mitigate risks of AI to human creativity.
  • Ideal candidate
    • Successful candidates for this challenge should possess interdisciplinary backgrounds across some of these dimensions: social sciences, humanities, arts, sociotechnical systems, creative technologists, and so on. They will prioritize individuals with existing deep connections with creative communities (e.g., communities of creative writers, visual and mixed-media artists, makers, as well as design and creative learning institutions), and/or that bring unique perspectives and approaches for studying, engaging, and participating in activities with these communities.
    • These candidates’ affiliations can range from an academic placement (such as professors, graduate students, or university researchers) to public or private organizations such as laboratories and non-profit organizations. Candidates should provide value through their specific background and perspective into the right sociotechnical matters one should focus on and that lie at the center of the disruption that AI introduces to the creative profession and practice.

Award Information

• The purpose of this program is to support interdisciplinary research collaboration across academia and industry in pursuit of addressing significant research opportunities at the intersection of AI and society.
• The fellowship is intended to provide a range of opportunities to collaborate with Microsoft Research to pursue cross-disciplinary discourse and drive impactful research outcomes in a range for formats. Collaboration opportunities will vary by research challenge but may include working sessions meetings, asynchronous collaboration, workshops, events, etc.
• Funding amounts vary by the region a fellows’ organization/institution of employment is located in. All funds are distributed as unrestricted gifts as a one-time payment.
  • Africa – $15K (USD)
  • Australia & New Zealand- $15K (USD)
  • Canada – $25K (USD)
  • Europe – $15K (USD)
  • India – $15K (USD)
  • Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan – $15K (USD)
  • U.S. – $35K (USD)
• All payments will be distributed in March/April 2024. At the appropriate time, Microsoft will work with respective departmental finance liaisons to transfer funds. Payment of the award, as described above, will be made directly to the institution/organization, and dispersed according to the institution/ organization policies. Microsoft will have discretion as to how any remaining funds will be used if the recipient is no longer qualified to receive funding.

Eligibility Criteria

• Microsoft is seeking eminent scholars and leading experts from a wide range of fields and disciplines to join a variety of interdisciplinary collaborations focused on key research challenges.
• In general, the research challenges seek eminent scholars from academia as well as experts from non-academia.
• Leading experts from non-academic disciplines
• Experts from non-academic disciplines whose focus of work is beyond core computer science pursuits and who offer unique, complimentary expertise to a research challenge. To be considered a “leading expert”, they are looking for those who have earned their relevant terminal degree in their field (e.g., PhD, MFA, J.D., M.D. etc.)
• Eminent scholars pursuing research and instruction in academic venues
• Professors or students who have achieved or are pursuing their terminal degree in research fields, whose studies/instruction are focused beyond core computer science pursuits, and who offer unique, complimentary expertise to a research challenge.
• To be eligible to apply, candidates will be required to confirm they are actively pursuing (enrolled in program) or have already earned their terminal degree in their respective field or discipline. A terminal degree is defined as the highest-level college degree that can be achieved within your academic discipline or professional field.
• A fellow selected to be a part of the Microsoft Research AI & Society Fellows program is subject to disciplinary proceedings for inappropriate behavior, including but not limited to discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), or plagiarism will forfeit their funding.
• Microsoft actively seeks to foster greater levels of diversity in the workforce and in the pipeline of future researchers and collaborators. They are always looking for the best and brightest talent and celebrating individuality. They invite candidates to come as they are and do what they love.

For more information, visit Microsoft.