AGENCY: Microsoft Research

PROGRAM: Faculty Fellowship Program

OBJECTIVES: The Faculty Fellowship Program provides support for exceptional new faculty members engaged in innovative computing research. Microsoft believes new faculty are vital to the future of academic computer science. The goal of this program is to stimulate and support creative research undertaken by promising investigators who have the potential to make a profound impact on the field of computing in their research disciplines. The program allows recipients considerable freedom in planning the focus of their academic research. Examples of research areas supported by this program include, but are not limited to: interdisciplinary research, scientific computing, bioinformatics, computational biology, software engineering, and other areas where computing transforms the discipline and advances the state of the art. Nominations of women faculty members in computing fields are encouraged.

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS: Microsoft Research seeks nominees who are advancing computing research in novel directions with the potential for high impact on the state of the art, and who demonstrate the likelihood of becoming thought leaders in the field. Nominees may be no more than six years from the completion of their most recent PhD and must be new faculty members in their first, second, or third year of their first faculty appointment.

DEADLINES:
B.U. Internal Deadline: October 30, 2009
Nomination Deadline: November 16, 2009; 3pm Eastern

FUNDING INFORMATION: Each fellowship award includes an unrestricted cash grant of $200,000. The Faculty Fellows also have access to other Microsoft resources, such as software, invitations to conferences, and engagements with Microsoft Research. Microsoft will award seven (7) fellowships in Spring 2010.

AGENCY CONTACT:
Microsoft Research
Faculty Fellowship Program
Web: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/awards/msrff.aspx

INTERNAL REVIEW PROCESS: Each institution is permitted to nominate one individual. Faculty wishing to be considered for nomination should provide the following proposal material to Associate Provost Joan Kirkendall, Office of Sponsored Programs, 25 Buick Street, Boston, MA 02215, for internal review purposes:

(1) Letter of recommendation from the appropriate Department Chair or Research Mentor, highlighting the nominee's achievements and the basis for selection;
(2) Description of the nominee's proposed research (maximum length 3 pages); including a discussion of the innovative merit of the research and the extent to which the research has the potential to advance the state of the art;
(3) Nominee’s biographical sketch (2 pages).

REMARKS: Nomination material for the selected candidate must be submitted online through the Microsoft Research web site (https://cmt.research.microsoft.com/MSRFacultyFellowship/Default.aspx) by the Authorized Nominator (as determined by the Office of the Provost). Three letters of recommendation are required from established researchers familiar with the applicant’s research; however, no more than one letter of recommendation can come from within the nominating institution.