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Microsoft has unveiled more than ?3 million of funding for research in universities. More than ?1.8 million will go to six areas where it seeks research proposals including tools using mobile phones to improve healthcare and work that could lead to commercial, practical applications of human-robot interaction within a decade. It has also set up a ?500,000 fund for breakthrough research, announced ?500,000 for five new and rising academics and a ?375,000 donation to launch a centre at Washington University to develop technology for research collaboration and interactive distance learning.