Wallenberg Fellowship

Overview and Introduction

The Wallenberg Fellowship is awarded in the spring of each year to a graduating University of Michigan senior of exceptional promise and accomplishment who is committed to service and the public good.

The fellowship provides $25,000* to carry out an independent project of learning or exploration anywhere in the world during the year after graduation.

One Wallenberg Fellowship is awarded annually. Prospective students must apply in their final year at U-M, with the intent to conduct their 9-12 month project in the year after graduation.

The History of Raoul Wallenberg

Raoul Wallenberg (B.S. Arch. ’35) is one of the most illustrious graduates of the University of Michigan.

At U-M, Wallenberg was recognized for the excellence of his academic work, his eagerness for knowledge of the world and for understanding others, and for his intrepid independence and resourcefulness. He left Ann Arbor resolved to be actively engaged in life, and spent his first years post graduation traveling and experiencing new communities. Ten years after graduation, as a Swedish diplomat during World War II, Wallenberg coordinated the rescue of tens of thousands of Jews in Budapest. He disappeared after he was arrested by Soviet authorities.

The Establishment of the Wallenberg Fellowship

U-M parents Jon and Lili Bosse have provided a generous gift to initiate the Wallenberg Fellowship. U-M alumnus Bert Askwith (BA 1931) and his daughter Patti Kenner generously created the Mary Sue Coleman Endowed Fund for the Raoul Wallenberg Fellowship to support future generations of Michigan students who are inspired by Wallenberg's legacy and to honor President Coleman's leadership during her tenure at U-M.

The Wallenberg Fellowship Program was designed by former Assistant Dean John Godfrey and former ONSF Director Henry Dyson to give exceptional graduates of U-M the same type of opportunity as Wallenberg himself, and inspire them to great acts of humanitarianism in their career. ONSF is honored to continue to steward the Wallenberg Fellowship and champion the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg.

Campus Application Deadline: November 2nd, 2025 at 11:59pm ET

Campus Application TBD

Canvas Course TBD

Sister Website

Eligibility:

Degree Level: Senior standing with full-time enrollment, in their final undergraduate year. December and May Graduates are eligible to apply. The Wallenberg Fellowship recipient must graduate by the time the fellowship period begins (August 15, 2026)
Academics: No minimum GPA is required
Citizenship: Any citizenship
Major/Minor: Any area of study
Questions: If you have questions about your eligibility, please email onsf.info@umich.edu

For a list of previous Wallenberg Fellowship recipients at U-M, please see this page.

Selection Criteria:

Project Proposal and Budget: Quality and feasibility of the proposal as described in the Project Proposal and Budget section on the U-M Wallenberg Fellowship Canvas site.
Qualifications: Academic and/or professional record relevant to the project proposal goals, relevant training, accomplishments, and extracurricular activities, language preparation/plan for language learning (depending on location).
Wallenberg Values: Extent to which the project will help to advance the Wallenberg Fellowship's aims of commitment to service and the public good, and promoting mutual understanding through engagement in host communities, among other activities.
Wallenberg Personal Attributes: Candidate possesses evidence of the qualities of Raoul Wallenberg and the capacity for successfully completing an independent year-long project.
- Empathy: Openness to others and flexibility to new ideas
- Tolerance and maturity: A sense of humility and a curiosity about the world
- Courage: Self-reliance, poise, and adaptability to unexpected situations
- Leadership: Resourcefulness, seriousness of purpose, and the ability to affect change.

Additional Selection Factors: Ability of the applicant to confirm access to resources and travel permissions.

Application Deadlines

U-M School or College Deadline: November 2nd, 2025 at 11:59pm ET
If you are selected as nominee by your department, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with your mentors and departments after submission and will be permitted to resubmit your finalized application prior to the department nomination deadline.
Department Nomination Deadline: January 15th, 2026
Awardee Selection: January 27th, 2026

Instructions for Prospective Applicants

Prospective applicants should join the Wallenberg Fellowship Canvas course for an overview of the application, program requirements, additional advising information, and more. Each school has an independent advisor for the Wallenberg Fellowship, you can find your school's advisor on our Campus Contacts Page.

Application Components

Title and brief description (100 words) of your proposed project
Proposed project timeline
Language and international travel experience (list prior experience)
Plan for sharing your Wallenberg experience (100 words)
Personal statement (1,000 words)
Project proposal and budget (1,250 words)
2-page resume
UM Transcript and non-UM transcripts if applicable
Two letters of recommendation required, three accepted. At least one letter must come from a faculty member or staff from the University of Michigan.

*Please note that the amount a Wallenberg Fellow receives may be subject to taxation and therefore the final amount received may be reduced. If selected, Wallenberg Fellows are responsible for determining their personal taxation situation with University of Michigan Finance.

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