Professional employees of the Washington wine industry are eligible to apply for the Bill Powers Sabbatical. The fund provides an opportunity to travel to a wine-producing region of the world and explore wine grape growing or winemaking practices that further the recipient’s career and benefit the Washington state wine industry.

According to a news release from the Washington Wine Industry Foundation, the fund was created to honor the late owner of Badger Mountain Winery and his insatiable desire to find new and best practices to grow better wine grapes.

The Bill Powers Sabbatical will award up to $5,000 to an individual each year. Recipients must be working in the Washington state grape or wine industry and have at least five years of experience in viticulture or enology. The Washington Wine Industry Foundation manages the fund, as well as other scholarships and grants.

Since 2002, the foundation has awarded more than $263,000 to 185 students for education in the grape and wine industry. For more information and an application form, visit www.washingtonwinefoundation.org/scholarships.

Applications for the Bill Powers Sabbatical are due April 30, 2019.