Research Intern - Efficient AI Software Systems

Microsoft•Redmond, WA

About The Position

Microsoft Research Internships offer a dynamic environment for research careers, with access to world-class research labs and researchers pursuing innovation across scientific and technical disciplines. This internship focuses on efficient AI software systems. Microsoft researchers combine machine learning, systems research, and empirical evaluation to study how AI systems can balance quality, speed, and cost, use compute efficiently, select capabilities appropriate to tasks, and adapt to the needs of people and environments. Research and resulting tools and services are integrated into products and made accessible to the broader community. The 12-week internship pairs research interns with mentors. Interns collaborate with fellow doctoral candidates, researchers, and other interns, present findings, contribute to research and development, and participate in the research community. Research internships are available year-round, though they typically begin in the summer. Interns must be physically located at their manager’s Microsoft worksite for the duration of the internship.

Requirements

Currently enrolled in a Doctorate Degree program in Computer Science, STEM, or a relevant field.
Be physically located at the manager’s Microsoft worksite for the duration of the internship.
Submit at least two reference letters, a cover letter, and relevant work or research samples.

Nice To Haves

At least 1 year of classroom or work-related experience in one or more of machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, large language models, AI agents, or machine learning systems.
At least one completed course in probability and statistics, machine learning, or optimization.
Experience conducting research on the efficiency, cost, or performance of machine learning models or systems, such as inference optimization, model selection, model compression, or adaptive computation.
Experience building or evaluating applications or agents that use large language models.
Experience designing benchmarks or experiments to evaluate machine learning systems and analyzing quantitative results.
Experience comparing alternative methods, prototypes, or analytical approaches to address a research or applied problem.
Experience collaborating with researchers or engineering teams on a research or applied project.
Prior research experience evidenced by publications, preprints, or open-source research projects.
Experience communicating research findings through a presentation, poster, report, or publication.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with a mentor, other Research Interns, and researchers during the internship.
Conduct research and contribute to research and development.
Present research findings.
Participate in the research community.