Bonderman Travel Fellowships

The Bonderman Travel Fellowships

Deadline: 31 January 2011, noon

The Bonderman Travel Fellowships are created through a gift from David Bonderman, who earned his undergraduate degree in Russian from the University of Washington in 1963. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he received a Sheldon Fellowship that allowed him to travel internationally, an experience that a profound impact on his life. Now a successful investment advisor, Mr. Bonderman provides opportunities to current UW students for similarly transformative travel experiences.

The Bonderman Travel Fellowship program offers graduate students (including those in the Law and Business Schools and other graduate and professional programs) and undergraduate students in the University Honors Program and in UW Tacoma’s Global Honors Program an opportunity to engage in independent exploration and travel abroad.

Bonderman Fellowships enable students to undertake independent international travel to explore, be open to the unexpected, and come to know the world in new ways. Because Bonderman Fellowships are intended to foster independence, Fellows may not conduct research, pursue an academic project, or participate in a program, organization, or formal study at a foreign university. Bonderman Fellowships are intended to introduce students to cultures, peoples, and areas of the world with which they are not familiar, consequently, family heritage proposals (i.e. for travel to countries of origin) will not be considered. For similar reasons, in most cases proposals for travel in Western Europe and Australia and New Zealand will be less competitive.

In the selection of Bonderman Fellows we seek to identify students who demonstrate integrity, the capacity for vision and leadership, and potential for humane and effective participation in the global community. A candidate should demonstrate initiative, commitment, and creativity. The selection criteria are holistic and will consider the student’s experience as well as curiosity and seriousness of purpose.

In your proposal please discuss why you want to undertake extended solo travel and how you think the experience will affect you. Consider what prepares you to undertake such a journey, challenges that you anticipate, and the impact your travels may have on the people and places you visit.

At the time of submission of your application, you must be an enrolled student in good standing in a graduate or professional degree program or a junior or a senior in good standing in the University Honors Program (either College or Departmental) or in the UW Tacoma Global Honors Program. Applicants must hold US citizenship or permanent residence status to be eligible. A committee of past Bonderman Fellows, faculty, and staff will review applications. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview, with final awards announced during spring quarter 2010.

Each Bonderman Fellow will receive a $20,000 award for travel. By accepting the award Fellows must commit to travel independently for eight or more months, exploring six or more countries in two or more major regions of the world. Fellows selected in this round will embark on their journeys between June 2011 and June 30, 2012. Students who propose to travel beginning later than June 2012 must apply in the 2012 round.

Information sessions will be held to learn more about this extraordinary opportunity.
Due to space limitations you must register for a session on Catalyst at: https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/bbkelly/117386

Friday, January 14, 2011 from 12:30-2:20 p.m. in Paccar Hall, room 291
Please see the links below to access the letter of invitation, guidelines and application materials.

For more information, visit: http://grad.washington.edu/students/fa/bonderman/index.shtml

Application on Catalyst at: https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/bbkelly/116233