PhD Research Intern: NLP Researcher – MSR Africa, Nairobi

13 hours ago

Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya Microsoft Full time 900,000 - 1,200,000 per year

We are currently inviting applications for an internship position focused on building an agentic system for cultural tailoring of multi-modal content for the African Health Stories project. Africa Health Stories is a collaborative project between Microsoft Research and Stellenbosch University, the University of Pretoria and Swansea University to create a story generation tool which produces interactive visual, oral, and text stories enabling patients to better understand how to apply health advice to their local circumstances.

This role presents a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of Machine Learning (ML) and Image Generation technologies that are culturally and linguistically grounded in the African context.

Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:

  • Participate in the African Health Stories project focused on leveraging generative AI to produce multi-modal content which is medically accurate and culturally appropriate to help patients living with Type II Diabetes make appropriate lifestyle changes.
  • Develop agentic solutions for producing and evaluating culturally tailored and medically accurate output.
  • Contribute to advancing Microsoft Research Africa, Nairobi's human-centred AI (HCAI) agenda by experimenting with new methods for scalable human-centred evaluation of generative AI outputs.
  • Publish findings in top conferences or journals.
  • Engage in close collaboration with an interdisciplinary team comprising Researchers, Applied Scientists, Designers, and Machine Learning Engineers across various Microsoft Research teams to drive innovation and facilitate knowledge sharing.

Internship Duration: 6 Months
Locations: Nairobi, Kenya Africa
Qualifications
Required
:

  • PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related field or equivalent experience.
  • Enrolled in, or recently completed, doctoral studies in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field.
  • Knowledge of state-of-the-art and emerging Language Models, including their application in complex systems.
  • Familiarity with Large Language Models such as the OpenAI GPT models, Phi3.5 etc., model fine-tuning techniques (LoRa, QLoRa), and quantization, prompting techniques (Chain of Thought, ReACT etc.), and Retrieval Augment Generation
  • Coding and engineering skills to design and run experiments and help to drive research into product.

Preferred

  • Strong understanding of foundational LLM architectures and optimization techniques
  • Experience with multimodal models and AI agentic systems.
  • A passion for bridging research and real-world impact, with a desire to see innovations translated into practical solutions.
  • Publication record in relevant conferences, such as ACL, EMNLP, NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, etc.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

  • PhD Research Intern: NLP Researcher – MSR Africa, Nairobi

    13 hours ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya Microsoft Full time 900,000 - 1,200,000 per year

    We are currently inviting applications for an internship position focused on building an agentic system for cultural tailoring of multi-modal content for the African Health Stories project. Africa Health Stories is a collaborative project between Microsoft Research and  Stellenbosch University, the University of Pretoria and Swansea University to create a...

  • Research Analyst(Data and Policy)

    13 hours ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya Datawise Africa Full time 1,200,000 - 2,400,000 per year

    Company DescriptionDatawise Africa is a Research and Development company focused on building the backbone of Africa's AI future. We build the data, AI, and compute foundations that power Africa's next century of innovation. From language and agriculture to healthcare and governance, we're laying the groundwork for a smarter, more resilient continent — one...

  • Feeds Research Officer

    13 hours ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya ILRI Full time 120,000 - 540,000 per year

    The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a Feeds Research Officer to enhance the sustainability, productivity and cost-effectiveness of livestock feeding among smallholder farmers in Africa. With increasing pressure on locally available feed resources, innovative solutions are needed to bridge the feed gap and improve livestock...

  • Research and Data Specialist

    13 hours ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya UN Women Full time $60,000 - $120,000 per year

    Background:UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.UN...

  • Research Microbiologist

    13 hours ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya YIMBIK-KENYA ( Future global health and food security) Full time 50,000 - 150,000 per year

    Company DescriptionYIMBIK-Kenya is a dynamic national association dedicated to driving innovation and entrepreneurship in microbiology and biotechnology. The organization focuses on revolutionizing the agriculture, environment, and health sectors by empowering students and young professionals to create impactful, solution-driven innovations. YIMBIK...

  • Regional Program Assistant, Research

    13 hours ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya Nutrition International Full time 78,000 - 150,000 per year

    Employment Type: Full-timeLocation: Nairobi, KenyaDeadline for Submission: 3rd December 2025About us At Nutrition International, we make a difference, because nutrition is the difference.Woven into the very fabric of our approach is the passion and drive of our global team of over 600 people, working in 13 offices across 11 countries with one common goal:...

  • Regional Program Assistant, Research

    13 hours ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya Nutrition International Full time $60,000 - $120,000 per year

    Employment Type: Full-timeLocation: Nairobi, KenyaDeadline for Submission: 3rd December 2025About usAt Nutrition International, we make a difference, because nutrition is the difference.Woven into the very fabric of our approach is the passion and drive of our global team of over 600 people, working in 13 offices across 11 countries with one common goal:...

  • Research Executive – Consumer Research

    13 hours ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya Safaricom Candidate Experience site Full time $40,000 - $60,000 per year

    Reporting to the Senior Manager – Market Research and Customer Insights, the position holder will play a critical role in conducting research that will impact the strategic direction of Safaricom PLC by delivering actionable insights and data-driven recommendations. This position is pivotal in understanding market trends, consumer behavior, and...

  • Quantitative Research Officer

    2 weeks ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya YIMBIK-KENYA ( Future global health and food security) Full time 900,000 - 1,200,000 per year

    Company DescriptionYIMBiK-KENYA is a dynamic society dedicated to advancing research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in microbiology and biotechnology. As a legally registered national association, YIMBiK is shaping the future of health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability by nurturing young scientists, innovators, and entrepreneurs. We...

  • User Experience Researcher

    2 weeks ago

    Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya JMKeim Full time 120,000 - 360,000 per year

    2-Week Project, Remote — Nairobi County, KenyaCompany Description:Power Valuesis a human-performance company at the intersection ofbehavioral science, coaching, and AI. Founded byJonathan Keim, Chief Development Officer atRobbins-Madanes Training, the brand helps individuals and organizations align decisions with what matters most.Through ourPower Values...