Research Intern - AI & Society

Key Skills

Aartificial intelligence, Large Language Models - LLMs, Python Programming, R Programming

Job Description

Research Internships at Microsoft provide a dynamic environment for research careers with a network of world-class research labs led by globally-recognized scientists and engineers. Our researchers and engineers pursue innovation in a range of scientific and technical disciplines to help solve complex challenges in diverse fields, including computing, healthcare, economics, and the environment.

Special Projects at Microsoft Research is offering a research internship with a focus on the impact of AI on society. The aim is to understand and inform the ways foundation model AI can benefit society across four themes: the economy, governance and policy, equity, and human flourishing. The intern will join an interdisciplinary working group of computational social scientists, data scientists, economists, computer scientists, and designers to understand, forecast, and/or innovate technology at the intersection of AI and one of these themes.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

In addition to the qualifications below, you’ll need to submit a minimum of two reference letters for this position. After you submit your application, a request for letters may be sent to your list of references on your behalf. Note that reference letters cannot be requested until after you have submitted your application, and furthermore, that they might not be automatically requested for all candidates. You may wish to alert your letter writers in advance, so they will be ready to submit your letter.

• Must be enrolled in a PhD program in computer science (including HCI and design) or a related STEM field (including data science), or field or program at the intersection of computational and social sciences, such as in economics or sociology.

Interns are expected to be physically located in their manager’s Microsoft worksite location for the duration of their internship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to develop original research agendas. 

• Must be able to collaborate effectively with other researchers. 

• Excellent interpersonal skills, cross-group, and cross-culture collaboration.

• Ability to think unconventionally to derive creative and innovative solutions.

• Understanding of LLMs and other foundation models.

• R or Python proficiency.

The base pay range for this internship is USD $6,290 - $12,170 per month. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $8,060 - $13,240 per month.

Benefits/perks listed here may vary depending on the nature of employment with Microsoft and the country work location. U.S.-based PhD, University, and Explore interns have access to medical and vision insurance, paid sick time (salaried interns accrue at 3.34 hours per pay period worked; hourly interns accrue at .03846 hour per hour worked), paid federal holidays, and software discounts. Puget Sound-based PhD, University, and Explore interns gain access to a bus pass and a fitness club membership. Discovery interns are not eligible for healthcare benefits or a fitness club membership, but they have access to paid sick time (accrued at .03846 hour per hour worked), paid federal holidays, software discounts, and a bus pass.

Our Commitment to Pay Equity

We are committed to the principle of pay equity – paying employees equitably for substantially similar work. To learn more about pay equity and our other commitments to increase representation and strengthen our culture of inclusion, check out our annual Diversity & Inclusion Report. ( https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/inside-microsoft/annual-report )

Understanding Roles at Microsoft​

The top of this page displays the role for which the base pay ranges apply – Applied Sciences IC3.

The way we define roles includes two things: discipline (the type of work) and career stage (scope and complexity). The career stage has two parts – the first identifies whether the role is a manager (M), an individual contributor (IC), an admin-technician-retail (ATR) job, or an intern. The second part identifies the relative seniority of the role – a higher number (or later letter alphabetically in the case of ATR) indicates greater scope and complexity.

Responsibilities

Interns put inquiry and theory into practice. Alongside fellow doctoral candidates and some of the world’s best researchers, interns learn, collaborate, and network for life. Interns not only advance their own careers, but they also contribute to exciting research and development strides. During the 12-week internship, students are paired with mentors and expected to collaborate with other interns and researchers, present findings, and contribute to the vibrant life of the community. Research internships are available in all areas of research, and are offered year-round, though they typically begin in the summer.