The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and Microsoft Research India (MSR) are recruiting two India-based Pre-Doctoral Research Fellows to contribute to interdisciplinary research exploring how artificial intelligence can improve health and education outcomes in India.
The two-year research positions are appointed through the University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India (UPIASI) and hosted at Microsoft Research in Bengaluru, with regular travel to field sites in Rajasthan, Delhi, and other locations across India.
The opportunities are aimed at recent graduates who intend to pursue a Ph.D. and are interested in conducting field-based, applied research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, public health, education, development, and social science.
About the Research Programme
The fellows will join a new field-first research programme at UPIASI. The programme focuses on developing AI tools in collaboration with Indian partners, deploying them in real-world environments, and evaluating their effectiveness against existing alternatives.
Fellows will receive mentorship from Mohit Jain at Microsoft Research India, Gareth Nellis at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Advanced Study of India, and Sharath Guntuku at UPenn Computer and Information Science.
The research portfolio includes four major areas:
- Samvaad: Development and evaluation of voice-based AI role-play tools to support India’s Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in communicating with families about contraception, vaccination, antenatal care, and other health issues.
- Clinical Communication Training: Development of an AI-based communication training tool for clinicians at AIIMS New Delhi, with a focus on helping doctors communicate difficult information and counsel caregivers.
- Bolo: Development of AI-powered speaking partners for students in low-income classrooms, with research evaluating improvements in spoken English fluency, confidence, and willingness to communicate.
- Kahani: Research examining how gender norms and prosocial themes are communicated through Indian film, television, and digital media, alongside the development of tools that can support researchers, policymakers, and creative industries.
Across these projects, the programme emphasises culturally grounded AI systems, rigorous evaluation, open tools and datasets, and implementation approaches that can be sustained by partners and governments.
Research Fellow 1: Field Research and Evaluation
The first fellow will lead the field research and evaluation component of the programme. Responsibilities will include study design, research approvals, field coordination, data collection, quality assurance, and statistical analysis.
The ideal candidate should have:
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree in Economics, Public Policy, Development Studies, Statistics, or a related discipline.
- Hands-on experience managing randomized controlled trials or comparable field research in India or a similar setting.
- Experience with J-PAL, IPA, or equivalent research-management environments is highly desirable.
- Experience coordinating field teams, survey firms, and partner organisations.
- Strong applied statistical skills and proficiency in Stata or R.
- Familiarity with SurveyCTO, ODK, IRB procedures, and research ethics.
- Interest in understanding how AI tools perform in real-world settings.
- Fluency in Hindi or another Indian language is an advantage but is not mandatory.
Research Fellow 2: Tool Development and Deployment
The second fellow will focus on building, testing, and deploying AI tools while working closely with researchers and field partners.
Applicants should have:
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related field.
- Strong programming and data-handling skills.
- A strong interest in applying technology to public health, education, and media.
- Curiosity about how technological systems perform outside laboratory environments.
- Willingness to participate in fieldwork and travel to research locations.
- Coursework or project experience in machine learning, natural language processing, human-computer interaction, or applied statistics is advantageous.
Appointment, Location and Benefits
Both Research Fellow positions are offered for two years through UPIASI. Fellows will be based at Microsoft Research in Bengaluru and will receive desk space, an MSR account, access to Microsoft Research resources, and opportunities to travel to field sites.
Compensation will be competitive and benchmarked against Microsoft Research India Research Fellow standards.
The positions are expected to begin as soon as possible, and applications will be assessed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.
The programme brings together collaborators from the University of Pennsylvania, Microsoft Research India, AIIMS New Delhi, Khushi Baby, and several UPenn research centres and schools.
Who Should Apply?
The programme is particularly suited to recent graduates seeking substantial research experience before pursuing doctoral study. Fellows will be treated as full members of the research team and will participate in building AI systems, conducting field studies, analysing data, and contributing to academic publications.
Candidates may apply for either one or both positions, depending on their academic background and research interests.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should complete the online application form and indicate whether they wish to be considered for the field research and evaluation role, the tool development and deployment role, or both.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, meaning candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible rather than waiting for a fixed deadline.
The opportunity provides an important pathway for graduates interested in pursuing Ph.D.-level research while gaining practical experience working with leading academic, technology, healthcare, and development partners on real-world AI applications in India.
Application: Candidates should complete the official online application form provided by the programme.
