Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship 2020

Update: We’ve been informed that UW can submit separate nominations per campus (2 each for UW Seattle, UW Tacoma,  UW Bothell)

The Microsoft Research Faculty Fellowship recognizes innovative, promising new faculty, whose exceptional talent for research and innovation identifies them as emerging leaders in their fields. Provisions of the 2020 award include $100,000 USD awarded annually for two years starting in the Fall of 2020.

Eligibility Requirements

Nominators

• Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Fellows should support this mission by fostering diverse and inclusive cultures within their communities.
• Faculty must be nominated by their university or a Microsoft researcher.
• A maximum of two nominations per university will be accepted; if more than one is nominated, then at least one nominee should help us increase the opportunities for faculty who are underrepresented in the field of computing. This includes those who self-identify as a woman, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and/or person with a disability.
• Microsoft researchers may nominate only one person for the fellowship.
• Nominators must agree to write and submit a one-page recommendation letter in support of their nominee, if requested.

Nominees

• Full-time faculty at a degree-granting college or university in North America or South America.
• Faculty must have received their terminal degree (e.g. PhD, DSc) in August 2014 or later. We will take into account approved delays, like leaves of absences from the workplace, on a case by case basis if you contact us at msfellow@microsoft.com.
• Currently conducting research, advising graduate students, and teaching in a classroom.
• Research must be closely related to the general research areas carried out by Microsoft Research as noted in the Research areas tab on the website (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/)

Recipients

• If awarded, the recipient must remain an active, full-time faculty during the two consecutive academic years of the award or forfeit the award. Fellowships are not available for extension; however leaves of absence from the workplace will be considered on a case by case basis.
• Payment of the award, as described above, will be made directly to the university and dispersed according to the university’s policies. Microsoft will have discretion as to how any remaining funds will be used if the faculty is no longer qualified to receive funding.

Application Instructions

Please submit:

1. a one-page letter of intent with a description of proposed aims and approach
2. CV (not NIH format)  of the PI
3. A letter of support from the Dean or Chair. This letter of support signifies that the Dean or Chair have ensured that the nominee and application are likely to be of sufficient quality to be competitive nationally

to research@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Monday September 9, 2019. Nominations are due to the 9/30/19 so you will need to have your materials in to the Office of Sponsored Programs by 9/19/19 for processing, if given the go ahead by the Proposal Review Committee.