Job Description

Virtual Internship

Participation in the Research Internship Program requires that you are physically located in the United States or Canada for the duration of the internship.

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.

Augmented and Virtual Reality provide an opportunity to fundamentally change how many people work. XR allows us to remove the boundaries of physical displays and envision dramatically new customer experiences. Delivering on this promise requires deep integration between hardware, software and user experience, and many challenges remain in all three categories.

Microsoft Research is at the forefront of this innovation and is invested in many areas of research necessary for this vision to be achieved. In working towards this goal, it is imperative that we design experiences that meet the needs of a broad range of users with different background and accessibility levels. That requires us to build a team with diverse perspectives and open to the perspectives and needs of others. The research we do and resulting solutions hold the promise to directly impact hundreds of millions of users and enable a future of work which is currently unimaginable.

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.

Over the course of this internship, the intern will start with XR systems designed and built within MSR, augment them with new capabilities and run user studies on the resulting system. The primary area of investment for the intern will be in software and novel experience. It is our expectation that the subject matter is of broad interest to the XR community and that we will collaborate with the intern with an eye towards publishable results.

Qualifications

In addition to the qualifications below, you’ll need to submit a minimum of two reference letters for this position. 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.

Required Qualifications

• Must be currently enrolled in a PhD program in Computer Science or a related STEM field.
• Must have at least one year of experience building virtual or augmented reality software in Unity.
• Must have the capability to run face-2-face user studies during the internship (with necessary COVID precautions).
• Participation in the Research Internship Program requires that you are physically located in the United States or Canada for the duration of the internship
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Should have at least one year of experience designing, running and analyzing user research studies.
• Should have at least one year of experience in designing human perception studies.
• Should have at least on year of familiarity with the HCI characteristics of large displays and multiple displays.
• Should have experience authoring and publishing research in the fields of HCI and/or VR.
  
  

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.