Bonderman Graduate Travel Fellowships are intended to provide an intensive solo travel experience to expand personal horizons. The fellowship is not for research projects, formal study at a foreign university, or internships abroad.
DEADLINE: January 14, 2026
Eligibility
Must be U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Must be a University of Washington graduate student, or graduate business, law or other professional student
Must be registered in course credits in a degree program during winter quarter 2026 (being on leave is not considered enrolled)
Must be in good academic, conduct and disciplinary standing during the quarter the application is due.
If awarded, good academic, disciplinary and conduct standing is a prerequisite of receiving the fellowship.
The Peña Graduate Fellowship was established to provide support to graduate students engaged in research and/or activities related to wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ (Intellectual House). Awardees must have financial need and an interest in and a commitment to addressing social and environmental issues impacting American Indian, Alaska Native, and/or other Indigenous communities.
Deadline: Monday, July 14, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PST. No exceptions will be made.
Eligibility
Graduate students enrolling in a full-time master’s or doctoral program (10+ credits per quarter) for the 2025-26 academic year, and previously enrolled in the 2024-25 academic year as a graduate student.
Demonstrated financial need (FAFSA, WASFA or equivalent).
US citizen, DACAmented, undocumented or hold permanent resident status.
Tribal enrollment verification or proof of lineage for American Indian and Alaska Native students.
Students in fee-based programs are eligible for the $20,000 stipend and GAIP coverage (no tuition coverage).
Students graduating in academic year 2025-26 are eligible. In this case, departmental match is not necessary.
The following are ineligible:
Students who will be enrolled in a foreign study, study abroad or international program or exchange
Students enrolled in MD/JD/DDS/PharmD programs
1st-year graduate students
Nomination Process
Nominations must be made by the department in the MyGrad awards management system. There is no limit to the number of unique nominations a department can submit. Please login to nominate a student and submit the following:
Letter of nomination from Department Chair or GPC describing how the graduate student meets the eligibility for the Peña Graduate Fellowship, the department’s plan for the second year of funding (if applicable) and how the department will provide support (outside of funding) to the student throughout their graduate studies at the University of Washington.
Statement from student addressing their interest in and commitment to addressing social and environmental issues impacting American Indian, Alaska Native and/or indigenous communities
Questions?
Regarding questions about the Alfonso Carlos Peña Graduate Fellowship, please contact GSEE at uwgsee@uw.edu or 206.543.9016.
Between her undergraduate and graduate years, Near and Middle Eastern Studies Ph.D. student Mindy Cohoon has received 23 fellowships, grants and scholarships. She credits her success to three factors: careful attention to the mission of the fellowship, getting feedback on her essays and applying to at least 10 fellowships per year.
Cohoon’s experience demonstrates an important truth about applying for fellowships: being rejected is a necessary component of success. Accept that you will sometimes be rejected and that it might be due to factors beyond your control. If you apply broadly and consistently for fellowships, then you will be rejected by some funders. Rejection does not mean that you are a weak applicant or that your research is unimportant. Funders are usually trying to select awardees from a pool of excellent applicants, so being rejected could mean that you missed being awarded by a hair’s breadth.
Cohoon described her strategies for applying for fellowships and her research on Iranian and Iranian American women gamers to the Graduate School. Read the story here.
