14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft Research New England opened its gates on September 22, 2008, with the Redmond giant praising the advent of a new era in computer science. With an international team of 33 researchers, the New England group is Microsoft's sixth research facility and an integral part of a multibillion dollar annual investment from the company. Designed to catalyze the evolution of computing, Microsoft Research New England will be led by Managing Director Jennifer Chayes, Ph.D., and Deputy Managing Director Christian Borgs, Ph.D, the founders of the lab.
“As part of the core mission of Microsoft Research, we’re investing in a sixth research lab in one of the great research and technology hotbeds of the world. Jennifer Chayes is one of the most accomplished researchers in her field, and the combination of her leadership, the great cross-disciplinary team she has assembled and the fertile academic ground of New England is a powerful one,” explained Rick Rashid, senior vice president of Microsoft Research.
According to Microsoft, the new lab in Cambridge, Mass., will focus on interdisciplinary research, blending core computer science with social science and the technology design of the future. Although Microsoft Research New England is already enjoying the participation of 33 researchers, the company indicated that this would be nothing more than the core team, and that it is looking for additional collaborators.
“Technology is part of the fabric of society today,” Chayes said. “By merging the disciplines of computer science and social science, the research we’re doing at the New England lab begins a new era in computer science and is really a reflection of how technology is evolving along with human beings. We have a great team in place, and our location in the New England technology and academic ‘green belt’ should provide an amazing source of talent, partnerships and ideas.”