Microsoft Research and the Viva product group are looking for an advanced PhD student for a 12-week paid internship bridging Viva’s user research team and Microsoft Research’s Cambridge, Massachusetts-based group of sociotechnically-oriented social scientists (that’s us!). The internship will be in-person, based in Cambridge, MA.

This intern will work with a Microsoft Research mentor and the Viva Research Team to conduct a qualitative research project to understand how employee connections and organizational culture influence adoption of Copilot. By developing insight into how organizational culture and employee connections impact workforce transformation in the era of AI, this research will shape how millions of enterprise employees using M365 leverage Copilot.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 31, 2025

Research Intern Impacts of Employee Connections and Organizational Culture on Copilot Adoption | Microsoft Careers

For more information about this research group, visit the About page. For a list of researchers and postdocs based at the New England lab, see the MSRNE lab webpage.  

For more information about the Microsoft Viva products, visit Microsoft Viva.

APPLY HERE:

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. During the 12-week internship, students are paired with mentors to conduct a research project, give short presentations on their project, attend lab colloquia, and contribute to the life of the community.

This Research Intern will also have opportunities to present research findings to the product team, while gaining exposure to conducting research within a product development lifecycle. Writing a research article for academic presentation and/or publication is highly encouraged.

Interns are expected to be physically located in their manager’s Microsoft worksite location (Cambridge MA) for the duration of their internship. The position is hybrid, with expectations of at least 50% time in the office.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in a PhD program

Preferred Qualifications

• Training in a relevant discipline such as communication, business, sociology, information studies, hci, law, media studies, science & technology studies, human-computer interactions, or related fields.
• Strong qualitative methodological foundation
• Theoretical depth in areas relevant to a research project on social connections at work, organizational culture, and the adoption of new technology in the workplace 
• Applicants from historically marginalized communities, underrepresented in higher education, and students from universities outside of the United States are encouraged to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply for this PhD internship, fill out the online application form here: Research Intern Impacts of Employee Connections and Organizational Culture on Copilot Adoption | Microsoft Careers …the application portal may prompt you to set up an account first; thanks for your patience. 

Your application needs to include:

• A short description (no more than 1 page, single-spaced) of your qualitative training and research experience. If you have familiarity or depth in other methods, you can include that as well.
• A short description (no more than 1 page, single spaced) of your training and experience in studying topics related to organizations, new technology, and/or related areas.
• A brief description of your dissertation project (no more than 1 page, single spaced). Feel free to attach a separate citations page–we will not include that in the page count.
• An academic article-length manuscript (~7,000 or more) that you have written (published or unpublished) demonstrates your writing skills. We won’t count citations in this word count.
• A copy of your CV.
• If available, pointers to your website or other online presence (this is not required).
• In addition to the qualifications, you’ll need submit the names and email contact information for three potential academic letters of reference (one contact must be your dissertation advisor). Note that candidates should tell their recommenders that despite the auto-request for a letter of recommendation, they do not need to submit letters unless they are contacted and asked to do so personally by a member of the search committee, after the initial review of applications.
• We will count your application as ON TIME, as long as we have your materials, minus the letters of recommendation. 

Some system debugging advice: If you find that the application looks “submitted” before you finish uploading your materials, login to the system and upload the files under your Profile. Likewise, if you’re running into problems with your references, login to the system and go to Action Center, where you should be able to edit your references. If you face other struggles with the application system, you can email askgta@microsoft.com (Sorry from all of us for how frustrating the application system is.)

Due to the volume of applications, late submissions (including submissions missing elements of the application package other than letters of recommendation) will not be considered. We will not be able to provide specific feedback or advice on individual applications before or after submission. Finalists will be contacted in February 2025 to arrange an online interview. Applicants chosen for an internship will be informed in February. 

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.

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