Overview

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‍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, who 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.

Azure Research – Systems is a research group that brings forward-looking systems research directly into the core of Azure. The group originated from the Systems Research Group at Microsoft Research for a closer integration with Azure.

Our group’s research is focused on designing and building next-generation cloud and AI systems, and to bring about non-linear improvements on the cost efficiency, reliability, and usability of Microsoft’s online services and datacenters. We work closely with the company’s product groups to (1) propose and lead joint projects that improve efficiency (broadly construed), and (2) do research on potential future efficiency improvements. Over the last several years, technology arising from our research has had a major impact in the operation of Azure and of our datacenters and has led to publications in top systems conferences such as ISCA, ASPLOS, OSDI, SOSP, Eurosys, SoCC, NSDI, MICRO, and USENIX ATC.

Current projects for which we are seeking PhD Research Interns include, but are not limited to, memory disaggregation and oversubscription, efficient graphics processing units (GPU)/large language model (LLM) deployments, power efficiency and sustainability from the node to the datacenter levels, artificial intelligence for IT operations (AIOps) and serverless computing.

You will have access to real problems for which the solutions have significant impact; code, datasets and workloads from large deployments of real systems; and the possibility to prototype, evaluate and deploy solutions. Research Interns are expected to clearly document and communicate their ideas and given suitable results, contribute to research publications. Research Interns are also encouraged to show initiative throughout the internship and suggest further directions for research.

We strongly believe in building and fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We practice open communication and respectful dialogue. We support multiple social and career building opportunities in our Research Internship program.

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‍Responsibilities‍

Research Interns put inquiry and theory into practice. Alongside fellow doctoral candidates and some of the world’s best researchers, Research Interns learn, collaborate, and network for life. Research Interns not only advance their own careers, but they also contribute to exciting research and development strides. During the 12-week internship, Research Interns are paired with mentors and expected to collaborate with other Research 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.

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Additional Responsibilities

Research Interns are also expected to:

• Engage early with their mentors to clearly formulate a plan of work for the 12 weeks of the Research Internship.
• Clearly and frequently document and communicate their progress, making adjustments to the plan as the project evolves.
• Participate in relevant meetings, and in relevant activities with other Research Interns.
• Show initiative throughout the Research Internship.

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‍Qualifications‍

Required Qualifications

• (i) Currently enrolled in a master’s, or PhD program in Computer Science or related STEM field,

OR

• (ii) Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s program in Computer Science or related STEM field and have at least 1 year of experience in conducting research, evidenced by a peer-reviewed publication (as a co-author).

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Other Requirements

• Research Interns are expected to be physically located in their manager’s Microsoft worksite location for the duration of their internship.
• In addition to the qualifications below, you’ll need to submit a minimum of two reference letters for this position as well as a cover letter and any relevant work or research samples. 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.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to develop original research agendas.
• Ablilty to collaborate effectively with other researchers and product development teams.
• Interpersonal skills, cross-group, and cross-culture collaboration.
• Ability to think unconventionally to derive creative and innovative solutions.

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