Don’t be surprised if in the not-too-distant future, computers can follow spoken commands without first training them to recognize the user’s voice. Or if every member of the family – regardless of the size of their hand or dexterity of their fingers – can easily control their control their portable device with a single hand.

And don’t be surprised if one or more of the top computer science talents chosen to receive this year’s Microsoft Research Student Fellowships play a pivotal role in turning these and other innovative ideas into realities. Speech recognition, mobile-computer interaction and digital media are among the areas of computer science that this year’s 24 fellowship recipients hope to advance over the coming years with the financial support and mentoring of Microsoft Research.

Now in its 10th year, the Microsoft Research Student Fellowship program has helped nearly 125 top graduate students, primarily at U.S. and Canadian universities, pursue their ambitions within computer research. In addition to financial support for their academic studies and research, the program offers the student fellows the opportunity to gain real-world experience as interns, working alongside Microsoft’s top researchers. In the process, Microsoft Research hopes the program nurtures the next generation of IT leaders, as well as generates interest among the best and the brightest students of the future as they investigate career options.