IFO4
Loading...The IFO4 Research Fellowship is a fully funded program for exceptional scholars who want to make foundational contributions to the discipline of cloud financial operations. Fellows conduct original research, publish in academic and industry venues, and collaborate with leading cloud providers and enterprises.
Each fellow receives a competitive stipend, research budget, access to enterprise-scale cloud environments, and industry placement opportunities for applied research.
Fellows are encouraged to pursue research in these priority areas, though compelling proposals in adjacent domains will be considered.
Literature review, methodology development, coursework in advanced cloud economics, and research proposal defense.
Primary research, industry placement at a cloud provider or enterprise, data collection, and initial publications.
Complete research, defend findings, publish in top venues, and develop industry applications for your research.
Every fellow completes a 6-12 month placement at a partner organization, bridging academic research with real-world practice.
Work embedded within a major cloud provider, accessing internal pricing data, infrastructure teams, and product strategy.
Join a Fortune 500 FinOps team to study real-world cost management at scale. Access to billions in cloud spend data.
Collaborate with FinOps tooling companies to evaluate and improve cost optimization algorithms and methodologies.
Work with federal agencies to study public sector cloud economics, procurement, and governance challenges.
Our research fellows will transition into faculty positions, industry research roles, or leadership positions at cloud providers and enterprises. Outcomes data will be published as fellows complete the program.
The Research Fellowship program welcomes its first cohort in Fall 2027. Register your interest to receive application details.