Microsoft Research program aims to boost Europe's competitiveness in science Microsoft has granted scholarships worth €90,000 ($107,000) over three years to 22 doctorate-level students in Europe, the company said.The students are doing projects in areas such as improving search tools and using computers to better understand problems in the natural sciences.The awards from Microsoft Research in Cambridge, England, complement the company’s European Science Initiative, a program started about a year ago to boost Europe’s competitiveness in science. Along with the €90,000, each student gets a tablet PC and a chance for an internship at Microsoft Research.The 22 students were selected by a panel of scientists from 130 candidates from the European Union.Other projects include using computing to understand the immune system’s response to bacteria, and studying protein anomalies behind diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, Microsoft said. Software DevelopmentDatabasesTechnology IndustrySmall and Medium Business