Research Intern - Computational Social Science

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.

 (CSS) group is widely recognized as a leading center of computational social science research, lying at the intersection of computer science, statistics, and the social sciences. We have been heavily focused recently on the intersection of AI-based tools and human cognition, decision-making, and productivity. Additionally, our main areas of interest are: innovating ways to make data, models, and algorithms easier for people to understand; using AI to improve education; improving polling and forecasting; advancing crowdsourcing methods; understanding the market (and impact) for news and advertising. Our approach is motivated by two longstanding difficulties for traditional social science: first, that simply gathering observational data on human activity is extremely difficult at scale and over time; and second, that running experiments to manipulate the conditions under which these measurements are made (e.g., randomly assigning large sets of interacting people to treatment and control groups) is even more challenging and often impossible.

In the first category, we exploit digital data that is generated by existing platforms (e.g., email, web browsers, search, social media) to generate novel insights into individual and collective human behavior. In the second category, we design novel experiments that allow for larger scale, longer time horizons, and greater complexity and realism than is possible in physical labs. Some of these experiments are laboratory style and make use of crowdsourced participants whereas others are field experiments.

Other Research Internships at  and  can be found on the labs’ listing of opportunities or in the . MSR New England and MSR NYC comprise approximately fifty full-time researchers and postdocs working in computational social science, economics and computation, FATE, machine learning and AI, computational biology, and sociotechnical systems. The labs are highly collaborative and interdisciplinary and are actively engaged with the local academic and tech communities.

Internships are able to start as early as January. It is advisable to list as early a start date as possible.

Required Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a PhD program in a field related to computational social science.
• At least 2 years of experience with data analysis in languages such as R or Python.
• At least 1 year of experience designing, building, and analyzing online experiments.

Other Requirements

• Research Interns are expected to be physically located in their manager’s Microsoft worksite location for the duration of their 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. 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. 

• Please explicitly list in your cover letter:

  • Your data analytic toolset (e.g., R, Python, etc.)

  • Your web development toolset (e.g., Javascript, React.js, D3.js, etc.)

  • A link to any online code repositories (e.g., Github, OSF, etc.)

  • A link to your research website/publications

Preferred Qualifications

• Skills for modern web development tools (e.g., JavaScript) for online experiments.
• Demonstrated ability to develop original research agendas.
• Track record of cross-group and cross-culture collaboration.
• Ability to think unconventionally to derive creative and innovative solutions.

The base pay range for this internship is USD $6,550 - $12,880 per month. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $8,480 - $13,920 per month.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: 

Microsoft accepts applications and processes offers for these roles on an ongoing basis.

Research Interns put inquiry and theory into practice. Alongside fellow doctoral candidates and some of the world’s best researchers, Research Interns learn, collaborate, and network for life. Research Interns not only advance their own careers, but they also contribute to exciting research and development strides. During the 12-week internship, Research Interns are paired with mentors and expected to collaborate with other Research 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.