Research Intern – Data-Driven Accessibility

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.

We are looking to hire research interns to work on accessibility research projects, alongside leading researchers and engineers in the field. Our team takes a human-centered and data-driven approach to advancing the state of accessible technologies. Recent work has focused on data collection methods, sign language modeling, understanding concerns and perspectives of user communities, and building novel apps and experiences. You can learn more about some of the team’s recent efforts at: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/data-driven-accessibility-systems/.

This position sits within Microsoft Research New York City, with opportunities to collaborate with Microsoft Research New England and others across the company. Our team is highly interdisciplinary and offers the opportunity to interact with diverse researchers.

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.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

In addition to the qualifications below, please submit a short research statement and a minimum of two reference letters for this position. Please submit your application by 1 December 2022 for full consideration.

The research statement should consist of one paragraph describing your research interests and one paragraph describing your research aims for the summer program (e.g. areas or topics you would like to work on). We suggest approximately 250 words per paragraph and no more than one page total (not including citations). Upload this statement as a separate PDF in the attachment section of your application, and name the file “MSRNE_accessibility_intern_statement.pdf”.

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 accepted or currently enrolled in a PhD program in Computer Science or a related field.

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.
• Experience with coursework and/or research in one or more of the following areas: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Computational Linguistics, Accessibility.
• Experience with American Sign Language (ASL) or other signed languages.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.