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The Bonderman Travel Fellowships are created through a generous 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. The experience had a profound impact on his life. Now a successful investment advisor, Mr. Bonderman provides opportunities to current UW students for similarly transformative travel experiences.

David Bonderman, the donor, wishes to give students an opportunity to experience learning and growth in new and unexpected ways. Graduate students (including those in the Law and Business Schools and other graduate professional programs) and undergraduate students in the University Honors Program (college or departmental) and in UW Tacoma’s Global Honors Program are invited to apply.

Bonderman Fellows will undertake international travel for eight or more months, to six or more countries in two or more major regions of the world. Through solo travel the Fellows will focus on exploration and discovery, learning about the world and themselves in it.

Up to five graduate and five undergraduate Bonderman Fellowships will be awarded in Spring 2008. Each Fellowship carries a $20,000 award to be used only for extended international travel. Fellows may not conduct research, pursue an academic project, or participate in a formal program or organization. Fellows should plan to begin their travel between May 2008 and June 30, 2009. Students who propose to travel beginning later than June 2009 should apply in the next round.

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 world community. A candidate's academic record will be considered together with those experiences that reflect initiative, commitment, and creativity.

To learn more about this extraordinary opportunity, please attend an information session on one of the following dates:

· Tuesday, January 22^nd at 10:30-12:30 in the Honors Multipurpose Room (MGH 206)

Please see the links below to access the letter of invitation, guidelines and cover form.

To access the letter of invitation to University of Washington students, please click here.

To access the Bonderman graduate application form, in Word format, please click here. Save the form with a new title, such as "Doe, Jane, Bonderman". When you are finished, you can either email the form and the other application materials listed in the instructions to Dianne Zimmer at dzimmer@u.washington.edu or send it by regular mail to Box 352192, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2192. Preference is for emailed applications. Hand-delivered applications will not be accepted.

If you are an undergraduate, the undergraduate Bonderman application is available here.

For a short summary of the proposals of the winning graduate Bonderman fellows for the last two academic year, click here.

For frequently asked questions about the Bonderman fellowship, please click here.