|
Selection Criteria
Date Deadlines
Eligibility of Nominees
Application Guidance
Review Process
Selection Criteria
We have a number of
potential nominees among our faculty members. They are all excellent, but in
different ways. Is there any way to obtain pre-qualification guidance on which
of these faculty members might best match the evaluation criteria for this
fellowship?
For consistency and fairness, no “pre-qualification”
information or feedback on potential candidates can be
provided. Microsoft Research seeks nominees who are
advancing computing research in novel directions with
the potential for high impact on the state of the art,
and who demonstrate the likelihood of becoming thought
leaders in the field.
The objective of this program is to stimulate and
support creative research undertaken by promising
researchers who have the potential to make a profound
impact in their research disciplines. The focus of this
fellowship program is on novel approaches, with
computing “at the heart of the research.” Here are the
key characteristics of the research the New Faculty
Fellowship Program seeks to support:
-
Innovation
-
Creativity
-
Novel thought
-
Thought leadership
-
High potential for
impact on the discipline
-
Interdisciplinary
approaches
-
Computing at the heart
of the research
For an interdisciplinary candidate, what is the right
mix of research in computing?
The New Faculty Fellowship program seeks nominees who are advancing computing
research in novel directions with the potential for high impact on the state of
the art and in their research disciplines, and whose projects have computing “at
the heart of the research.”
Is it important
to emphasize the integration of education with research, and the role of females
and minorities?
The emphasis of the application should be on advancing computing research in
novel directions with the potential for high impact on the state of the art and
in the nominee’s research disciplines, and on projects with computing “at the
heart of the research.”
Will the university
application contact or the nominee receive feedback on the application?
Due to the volume of submissions, Microsoft Research cannot provide
individual feedback on applications that do not receive awards.
back to top
Date Deadlines
My
university is considering a nominee who is now finishing up a third (calendar)
year as a new faculty member, and would be in the fourth year as a faculty
member when the awards are announced in spring 2009. Is this faculty member
eligible to be nominated?
Nominees must be new faculty members in the first, second, or third year of
their first faculty appointment as of the deadline of the application (November 3, 2008).
The nominee’s eligibility for this criterion is not determined by the
date of the award.
The nominee’s most recent
Ph.D. degree must have been obtained within the last six years. Does this mean
that the nominee’s most recent Ph.D. degree must have been obtained no earlier
than 2002?
Yes, it is correct. There are those who spend time in industry after
completing their PhDs before accepting an academic appointment. The potential
candidate would be eligible if they received their most recent PhD during the
2002 calendar year.
What are the funding dates
for the New Faculty Fellowship Program awards?
Announcement of the New Faculty Fellow awards will be made in spring 2009.
Funds will be distributed shortly after the announcement.
back to top
Eligibility of Applicants
Are
separate nominations allowed from the university and from the university medical
school?
No. For consistency and fairness to the many schools that participate in the
application process, only one nomination from each university is accepted. Many
schools have various subdivisions within their institutions. However, we cannot
make exceptions on an institution-by-institution basis.
Can the
application be for collaborative work? For example, can two or more new faculty
members apply for funding for a collaborative project?
No more than one nominee from each university will be accepted. Two nominees
for a collaborative project will not be accepted.
Can a faculty member who has
an MD, but who has not pursued a Ph.D., be nominated?
The degree requirement for a nominee for the New Faculty Fellowship Program
is a completed Ph.D. Therefore, a faculty member who has completed a Ph.D. MD
does meet the degree requirement whereas one with only an MD does not.
Is the
New Faculty Fellowship Program open to nominees from Canadian universities?
Yes. The 2009 New Faculty Fellowship program is open to applications from
Canadian research universities.
back to top
Application Guidance
What is the purpose of the letter from the Provost?
The purpose of the letter from the Office of the
Provost is to authorize the application, confirm that
the nominee named in the letter is the sole nominee from
the university, and to provide the name of a second
person who will serve as the application contact on
behalf of the university. If applications for more than
one nominee from a university are received, then all
applications from that university will be rejected.
What are the word
count limits for each question or application attachment?
The application must be succinct. The word count limits for each question and
for the application attachments are specified in the form and can also be found
in the Required Application Information section of the application information.
Will more than three
letters of recommendation be accepted in support of an application?
Additional letters will not contribute to the candidate’s prospects for
acceptance, and will not be accepted for consideration.
Can a research
proposal be submitted for funding to Microsoft and to the National Science
Foundation concurrently?
Yes, research proposals can be submitted for funding to Microsoft Research
and to the National Science Foundation concurrently.
Who actually registers with the online application system and completes the
application information, the nominator or the nominee?
The Authorized Nominator designated by the University
Provost’s office (or a designated member of the
nominator's staff) should complete the online
application at
https://microsoft.redwhale.com/index.asp.
How are the nominee, nominator information and
attachments submitted?
There is a step-by-step process for submitting all
required information and attachments in the online
application system. The nominee and nominator
information is input via the online application system
web form. The attachments are all submitted via a zip
file. There is a prompt at the end of the online
application process to upload the zip file.
back to top
Review Process
Who will review these
nominations? Who is on the selection panel, what institutions/companies do they
represent, and what are their positions within these institutions/companies?
Applications will be reviewed by a panel of
researchers from Microsoft Research and by prestigious
non-Microsoft academics from various universities whose
expertise covers a wide range of disciplines. All
submissions are assigned to reviewers by members of the
panel, and several reviewers will review each
application. There are three phases in the review cycle:
the first panel review, the second panel review of the
selected semi-finalists, and finally, invitations to
Redmond for face-to-face interviews with the final
review panel.
For more information or if you have additional
questions, send an e-mail to haroldj@microsoft.com.
back to top
|
