Microsoft Research Fellowship for Academic Scholars 2026

The Microsoft Research Fellowship creates opportunities for academic scholars (faculty, PhD students, and postdocs) to collaborate with Microsoft Research on open research challenges that advance scientific understanding, drive innovation, and deliver societal benefit.

In an era of rapid innovation, this fellowship brings together academia and industrial researchers across disciplines to shape the future through open research collaborations. Academic collaboration is foundational to advancing scientific discovery, and today, it’s more critical than ever. Academic institutions contribute deep domain expertise, novel perspectives, and a culture of exploration. Microsoft Research’s global labs offer deep technical expertise, cutting-edge academic inquiry, and real-world application. By working together, we believe we can accelerate innovation, promote responsible development, and address complex challenges that can best be solved through interdisciplinary exploration.

• Table of Content
• About Microsoft
• Microsoft Research Fellowship for Academic Scholars
• Aim and Benefits of Microsoft Research Fellowship for Academic Scholars
• Requirements for Microsoft Research Fellowship for Academic Scholars Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for Microsoft Research Fellowship for Academic Scholars
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services. Its best known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite, and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers. Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface lineup of touchscreen personal computers... read more... continue reading

Microsoft Research Fellowship for Academic Scholars

Aim and Benefits of Microsoft Research Fellowship for Academic Scholars

• The Microsoft Research Fellowship is designed to create meaningful opportunities for collaboration between academic researchers and Microsoft Research. These opportunities will vary by research challenge and may include working sessions, regular check-ins, asynchronous collaboration, workshops, and other formats tailored to the nature of the research.

  All funds are distributed as unrestricted gifts as a one-time payment made directly to the institution/university and disbursed according to the institution/ university policies. Direct payments to individuals are not made by the program.

  Funding amounts vary by the region a fellows’ organization/institution of employment is located in.

  • Africa – $17,000 (USD)
  • Australia & New Zealand – $17,000 (USD)
  • Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico – $17,000 (USD)
  • Canada – $47,000 (USD)
  • Europe – $27,000 (USD)
  • India – $17,000 (USD)
  • Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan – $17,000 (USD)
  • United States – $47,000 (USD)

  These stipend amounts include travel funding to support in-person collaboration. Fellows may use this funding to visit Microsoft Research principal investigators and collaborators at a Microsoft Research lab or office.

  All payments will be distributed in March/April 2026. If selected, Microsoft will work with respective departmental finance liaisons to transfer funds.

  *Stipend rates are reviewed annually and benchmarked against comparable fellowship programs in each geography to ensure competitive alignment. 

Requirements for Microsoft Research Fellowship for Academic Scholars Qualification

Student Eligibility

• Students may submit proposals on their own behalf. See “How to Apply” for more details
• Students must be actively pursuing a PhD at an accredited institution
• Students must be enrolled at a degree-granting university in one of the following regions: Africa; Australia & New Zealand; Canada; Europe; India; Hong Kong; Japan; Korea; Singapore; Taiwan; Argentina; Brazil; Chile; Colombi; Mexico; Puerto Rico; or the United States

Interview date, Process and Venue for Microsoft Research Fellowship for Academic Scholars

Key dates:

• Call for proposals: Tuesday, November 4, 2025
• Proposal submission deadline: Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET
• Proposal notifications sent by: Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Check also:
Commonwealth Master's Scholarship to Study in UK 2027/2028
Mandela Washington Fellowship for Africans 2027 (Fully Funded to USA)

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit Microsoft Research Fellowship webpage