About the program
The Microsoft Productivity Scholars program offers potential post-docs and visiting scholars the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with product teams around Microsoft on some of the most important AI opportunities and challenges in the world today. The mission is simple: To use research to ensure AI makes work better than it was before, and for everyone.
As a member of the program, a Productivity Scholar will embed with a product team to work on a product’s goal that can be advanced by the post-doc’s or scholar’s AI research expertise. Scholars will also be mentored and supported by the Office of Applied Research, led by Chief Scientist Jaime Teevan. Product teams participating in the program are those that are associated with Microsoft’s productivity mission, e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, Copilot for Work, and many more.
The Productivity Scholars program is a new offering, launching in fall of 2024 with most expected start dates in 2025. Productivity Scholars will be either post-docs or visiting scholars:
- Post-doctoral scholars: The ideal candidates will be those who have already obtained faculty positions but are interested in deferring their start date by 1-1.5 years to work with product teams at Microsoft.
- Visiting scholars: The ideal candidates are professors who are hoping to take a sabbatical for one year working with product teams at Microsoft.
Our hope is that Productivity Scholars will emerge from the program with unique experience working to ship AI products that advance the state-of-the-art to up to hundreds of millions of people. If we are successful, this experience should help Productivity Scholars develop research agenda they feel are more impactful and advance their pedagogical and training missions for the AI era.
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Have questions?
Please see our FAQ for answers to common questions. If you still need help, please contact us at askmsar@microsoft.com.