Research Intern - STAC, NYC (Sociotechnical Alignment Center)

Overview

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.

The Sociotechnical Alignment Center (STAC) is a team of researchers, applied scientists, and linguists within Microsoft Research (MSR) that represents part of the research pillar of Microsoft’s Responsible AI efforts. Founded within Microsoft Research in 2022, STAC’s mission is to guide the sociotechnical alignment of AI systems, with emphasis on measuring risks, capabilities, performance, and other properties of these systems. STAC collaborates extensively with researchers from the Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics in AI (FATE) group and other groups across Microsoft.

STAC is looking to hire several Research Interns in NYC to conduct research on measuring risks, capabilities, performance, and other properties of AI systems, with a focus on “generative” or “general purpose” systems. STAC’s approach to evaluation is grounded in measurement theory from the social sciences and in statistics. All STAC Research Internships involve collaborations and/or co-mentorship with one or more FATE researchers.

STAC is especially interested in candidates with expertise in theoretical and methodological approaches that can be applied to help advance and mature the field of AI system evaluation. Prior experience with AI system evaluation is preferred. We especially encourage applications from candidates interested in topics including but not limited to: measurement theory from the social sciences; reliability and validity of generative AI system evaluation; automated methods for constructing conceptual definitions for evaluation; improving human and automated annotation methods for evaluation (including LLM-as-a-judge); generative AI user simulations and synthetic data generation; linguistic models of conversational organization; and applications of psychometrics and educational testing methodologies to evaluation design (e.g., item response theory, factor analysis, and other latent variable models).

Applicants should have demonstrated interest and established expertise in methods applicable to AI system evaluation and a desire to work in a highly interdisciplinary environment. We welcome applicants from technical fields (e.g., machine learning, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, computer vision, statistics) and from sociotechnical fields (e.g., linguistics, economics, human-computer interaction, information science, educational testing, psychometrics).

Applicants to the STAC internship may also be interested in applying for the separate FATE NYC internship. Applicants interested in multiple internship opportunities should apply to each posting separately.

You can upload documents by going to your profile on the career site and clicking on the Resume Manager tab in the top right of the page, and from there selecting Other Documents.

If you are having trouble submitting your application, please go to the bottom of the page and click "Support" and fill out the requested information.

Responsibilities

Research Interns put inquiry and theory into practice. Alongside fellow doctoral candidates and world-class researchers, Research Interns learn, collaborate, and network for life. They not only advance their own careers but also contribute to exciting research and development strides. During the 12-week internship, Research Interns are paired with mentors and are expected to collaborate with other interns and researchers, present findings, and contribute to the vibrant community. Internships are available in all areas of research and are offered year-round, typically beginning in the summer.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a relevant PhD program.

Other Requirements

• Research Interns are expected to be physically located at their manager’s Microsoft worksite location for the duration of the 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. Reference letters cannot be requested until after you have submitted your application, and they might not be automatically requested for all candidates. You may wish to alert your letter writers in advance so they are ready to submit.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to conduct original research.
• Able to collaborate effectively with other researchers and product development teams.
• Strong interpersonal skills with cross-group and cross-cultural collaboration.
• Ability to think creatively to derive innovative solutions.

Applications (including reference letters) should be submitted by December 18 for full consideration, but will be accepted until all positions are filled.

Applicants must submit (1) a cover letter following the guidelines below; (2) their CV; and (3) 1 or 2 writing samples (published or unpublished) which may be research papers, dissertation chapters, or other research-related writing. Applicants who do not submit a cover letter may not be considered.

Your cover letter should be no more than 2 pages long. Please address the following points:

• Include your name, email address, and website URL.
• Briefly describe your current research and how it connects with STAC’s focus (see Overview for research interests).
• What methodologies have you applied in your research or are you most familiar with? (e.g., coding, statistics, large-scale data analysis, theoretical/mathematical analysis, user studies, experimental design, ethnography, etc.)
• What projects would you like to pursue during your internship? What recent research or ideas are you interested in?
• All researchers review every application. If you want, you may indicate which MSR NYC applied scientists or researchers you would be especially interested in working with (optional).

You can upload documents by going to your profile on the career site and clicking on the Resume Manager tab in the top right of the page, and from there selecting Other Documents.

If you are having trouble submitting your application, please go to the bottom of the page and click "Support" and fill out the requested information.

Compensation & Benefits

The base pay range for this internship is USD $6,710 – $13,270 per month. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations within the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City metropolitan area, with a base pay range of USD $8,760 – $14,360 per month in those locations.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-intern-pay

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

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Equal Opportunity

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.