Microsoft Research European PhD Scholarship Programme

The Microsoft Research European PhD Scholarship Programme is aimed at recognising and supporting exceptional students who show the potential to make an outstanding contribution to science and will become the science leaders of tomorrow – vital to the future of Europe.

The programme will support European students in computing, electronic engineering and mathematics, and it especially encourages students who are passionate about a research challenge at the intersection of computing and the sciences, including biology, chemistry and physics.

Eligibility

Any European national student who has been accepted by a university in Europe to start a PhD or who will have completed no more than one year of PhD by October 2006, is eligible to apply for a scholarship.

Each Scholar will be awarded a bursary of up to €30,000 per year for up to a maximum of three years. The award will be made automatically in following years provided that the scholar makes satisfactory progress on their course as determined by the university. In addition, every Scholar will receive a Tablet PC with a range of software applications.

At the end of the second year of their PhD, some of the students who are awarded a Scholarship may be offered, at Microsoft’s sole discretion, an internship at Microsoft Research Cambridge during the summer. Internships will involve working on a real project at Microsoft Research alongside and as part of a team of Microsoft researchers. Students will be paid during their internship on top of their Scholarship bursary.

Application Process

Applications are on a competitive basis and it is anticipated that there will be a high level of competition for Scholarships. Microsoft Research are unable to accept applications from students directly: applications will only be accepted through a student’s Institution with Microsoft Research usually consider one application per university department or per laboratory of a national research institution. Joint applications by two supervisors from different disciplines are encouraged but not required.

Following receipt of such applications, each will be carefully reviewed and the best applicants will be awarded a Scholarship.

Completed application forms must be submitted online by 19 April 2006. When a student has already been identified, two strong letters of recommendation (preferably not from the supervisor) should be sent to:

Dr Fabien Petitcolas
Microsoft Research
7 JJ Thomson Avenue
Cambridge
CB3 0FB
England
United Kingdom

or via email to:

msrphd@microsoft.com.

Selection Procedure

Decisions will be made solely at the discretion of Microsoft and all decisions are final. Typically, proposals will be reviewed by a committee of experts and non-experts. By submitting a proposal, the applicant agrees that Microsoft has the sole right to make award decisions. Proposals submitted to Microsoft will not be returned. Universities should not submit information that is confidential, restricted or sensitive in any way and Microsoft will assume no responsibility for protecting or disclosing any such information, once submitted.

The candidate and their institution will have to sign an agreement with Microsoft Research before the award can be made.

Awards will be made by 1 July 2006. Applications must be complete and timely to be considered and proposals received after this deadline will not be considered. All information contained on applications shall be considered by Microsoft to be non-confidential.