Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant 2021 for Doctoral Students

The Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant is a research grant for PhD students at U.S. and Canadian universities who are members of groups underrepresented in computing.

Application Deadline: 22nd March 2021 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time.

Eligible Groups: Women, African-Americans/Blacks, Latinos, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, and/or people with disabilities.

To Be Taken At (Country): U.S. and Canada

About the Award: Microsoft recognizes the value of diversity in computing. The Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant aims to increase the pipeline of diverse talent receiving advanced degrees in computing-related fields by providing a research funding opportunity for doctoral students from groups underrepresented in computing (women, African-Americans/Blacks, Latinos, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, and/or people with disabilities).

Type: Grants

Eligibility: 

• Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Grant recipients should support this mission and embrace opportunities to foster diverse and inclusive cultures within their communities.
• PhD students must be enrolled at a university in the United States, Canada, or Mexico.
• Proposed research must be closely related to the general research areas carried out by Microsoft Research as noted in the Research areas tab above.
• PhD students submitting a proposal for this grant must self-identify as a woman, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and/or person with a disability.
• Students must be in their fourth year or beyond in a PhD program when they submit their grant proposal. Students must have started their PhD in September 2017 or earlier to be considered in their fourth year of the program.
• PhD students must continue to be enrolled at the university in the fall of 2021.
• 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 on how any remaining funds will be used if the student is no longer qualified to receive funding (e.g. if the student unenrolls from the program, graduates, or transfers to a different university). Grants are not available for extension; however, leaves of absence will be considered case-by-case basis.
• Funding is for use only during the recipient’s time in the PhD program; it cannot be used for support in a role past graduation, such as a postdoc or faculty position. Those interested in receiving this grant will need to confirm their PhD program starting month and year, as well as their expected graduation month and year.
• A recipient of the Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant subject to disciplinary proceedings for inappropriate behavior, including but not limited to discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), or plagiarism, will forfeit their funding.

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of Award: 

• The 2021 Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant recipients will receive funding up to $25,000 for academic year 2021-22 to help them complete research as part of their doctoral thesis work.
• An invitation to the PhD Summit: a two-day workshop in the fall held at one of Microsoft Research’s labs where fellows will meet with Microsoft researchers and other top students to share their research.

How to Apply: Doctoral students enrolled in their fourth year or beyond of PhD studies who are underrepresented in computing must submit their proposal directly.

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.
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Visit the Program Webpage for Details