microsoft-scholarships

Application Deadline: 26th September 2016

Microsoft scholarships consist of an annual bursary up to a maximum of three years for PhD supervisors and students to do collaborative research projects with Microsoft Research Cambridge. Students are also invited to the Microsoft Research Summer School in Cambridge, where they can share and discuss ideas with Microsoft researchers.

Each year, PhD supervisors from academic institutions in EMEA are invited to submit their proposals for collaborative research projects with Microsoft Research Cambridge. Applications are then peer reviewed and approximately 20 projects are selected for funding. PhD students are appointed to the selected projects and begin their research in the following academic year under the supervision of their academic supervisor, with co-supervision from a researcher at Microsoft Research Cambridge.

The Microsoft Research PhD Scholarship Programme in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) was launched in 2004 and has so far supported more than 200 PhD students from more than 18 countries and 51 institutions.

Eligibility Criteria:

Applications must not be made by students but by PhD supervisors, who must have been in dialogue with the prospective Microsoft supervisor and jointly collaborated on the proposal prior to the submission deadline. If their project is selected, the supervisor has until 31 March 2018 to find the best possible student for the project; otherwise, the PhD Agreement will be terminated automatically. Only applications from institutions in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa will be considered.

For an application to be considered, the following key requirements apply:

The institute agrees to the terms and conditions in the MRL Term Sheet and EPSRC Term Sheet where appropriate.
The applicant must be in dialogue with the prospective Microsoft supervisor prior to the submission deadline and jointly drafting the proposal.
The proposed research must be closely related to the following research topics carried out at Microsoft Research in Cambridge:

During the course of their PhD, Scholars are invited to Microsoft Research in Cambridge for a PhD Summer School that includes a series of talks of academic interest and posters sessions, which provides the Scholars the opportunity to present their work to Microsoft researchers and a number of Cambridge academics.
Some of the Scholars may also be offered—at the sole discretion of Microsoft Research—an internship in one of the Microsoft Research laboratories.
Internships involve working on a project alongside and as part of a team of Microsoft researchers. Scholars are paid during their internship—in addition to their scholarship bursary.
Interested Scholars can apply through the Microsoft Research careers page.

Timeline:
For the application process:

Online submission tool open: 1st September 2016
Application deadline: 26th September 2016
Notification of results: Stage 1 ~ By the end of October 2016
Stage 2 ~ By the end of December 2016
For successful applicants:
PhD Agreements sent to Institutes by: 31st January 2017
Signed PhD Agreements returned to MSR via Docusign by: 30th June 2017
PhD students to be appointed by: 31st March 2018

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Microsoft Research PhD Scholarship Programme 2017

University of the People and Microsoft 4Afrika have partnered to offer scholarships to students wishing to study towards an Associate’s Degree with UoPeople. Through this program UoPeople and Microsoft will support 1,000 African students to graduate with a world-class academic degree from UoPeople, helping to change the lives of the students, their families and communities and ultimately transforming the continent. Scholarship recipients will also be eligible to further enhance their skills and work experience through participation in additional support programs, including mentorship, training, internship and employment opportunities at Microsoft and their partner companies.

Applicants from all African countries are invited to apply for this exciting scholarship opportunity to study towards their associate degree, supported by Microsoft. Interested applicants should complete the UoPeople online application. Upon admittance to UoPeople, applicants will be invited to submit a request for financial aid from the Microsoft 4Afrika scholarship program.

In recognition of International Youth Day on August 12, 2013, Microsoft introduced the 4Afrika Scholarship program, through which the company will provide mentorship, leadership and technical training, certification, university-level education and employment opportunities for promising African students. Mentorship will be provided by Microsoft employees from around the world, and employment opportunities will include internships and both part-time and full-time jobs within Microsoft as well as with the company’s more than 10,000 partners across Africa.

Through the company’s 4Afrika Initiative and YouthSpark program, Microsoft has committed to helping millions of Africans get critical skills for entrepreneurship and employability. The 4Afrika Scholarship program is one way the company intends to meet that goal, by ensuring that promising youth have access to the education, resources and skills they need to succeed, regardless of their financial situation. To help redress gender disparity in higher education in Africa, the company is actively encouraging young women to apply.

Microsoft also announced that in the coming year, it will provide 4Afrika Scholarships to 1,000 youth to pursue associate degrees in computer science and business administration with the first participating higher education institution,University of the People, an American online university dedicated to the democratization of higher education which is affiliated with the United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative, NYU and Yale Law School ISP.

Together with participating education institutions, Microsoft’s goal with the 4Afrika Scholarship program is to level the playing field for talented young African minds who might not otherwise have the resources, enabling them to get the education and skills they need to thrive in technology-related fields. The 4Afrika Initiative was designed to help ensure that Africa can become globally competitive, and investing in our highly motivated youth is a critical step toward making that a reality.

Students wishing to apply for 4Afrika Scholarships to attend University of the People must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma and proficient English, as all its coursework is English-language. They must also have access to the Internet to be able to participate in the online classes.

To help address the connectivity issue, the company is making available working space in its Microsoft Innovation Centers in Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda and Botswana for successful applicants near those locations. In addition, Microsoft is working with various partner hubs across Africa to make similar arrangements for students in other locations.

Applications for 4Afrika Scholarships to University of the People can be submitted on the following site: www.uopeople.org/4afrika.

The first 4Afrika Scholarship students will begin classes in November 2013. Further information about the 4Afrika Scholarship program is available at http://www.youth4afrika.com.

Microsoft Research PhD Scholarship Programme 2017 in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) for PhD Students.

University of the People/Microsoft 4Afrika Scholarship Program for Africans (1,000 Scholarships Available)