Research Intern - Post-Transformer

Job Description

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. Microsoft Research Special Projects is seeking summer Research Interns to collaborate with machine learning researchers across MSR and various product teams to build the next generation of models beyond transformer architectures, with a focus on efficiency and robustness. As a Research Intern, you will explore novel model architectures, develop training strategies, and work on post-training alignment and task-specific fine-tuning. Our goal is to deepen the understanding of model learning dynamics, enhance knowledge abstraction, boost overall performance, and mitigate vulnerabilities such as jailbreaking.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled or accepted in a PhD program in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related STEM field.
• At least 1 year of experience in conducting research and authoring peer-reviewed publications.
• 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.
• Experience in training language models with 7-32B parameters.
• Experience with post-training alignment and fine-tuning.
• Experience with ROCm.
• Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work in a cross-functional, multi-disciplinary environment across research and product teams.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Benefits

• Industry leading healthcare
• Educational resources
• Discounts on products and services
• Savings and investments
• Maternity and paternity leave
• Generous time away
• Giving programs
• Opportunities to network and connect