Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and best endowed scholarships in the world. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship accepts less than 0.3% of applicants and remains extremely competitive. Each year, approximately 100 new graduate students from around the world receive funding to study at Cambridge University. The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in mid-2005 as a "Learning Initiative", and became a full-fledged program under the Global Development Division in early 2010. The foundation has since 2005 undertaken a wide range of efforts in the WASH sector involving research, experimentation, reflection, advocacy, and field implementation. In 2009, the
USS Thomas S. Gates the Gulf of Aqaba. Following an in-port period at Jeddah (2–10 March), where she underwent an IMAV alongside the destroyer tender , "Thomas S. Gates" transited the Suez Canal (12 March). She then conducted anti submarine warfare exercises in the central Mediterranean (15–17 March), after which she transited the Strait of Gibraltar (18 March), headed for Norfolk, returning to her homeport on 28 March. "Thomas S. Gates" fourth major deployment was from 6 May to 6 Nov 1992. "Thomas S. Gates", with HSL-44 Detachment 9 embarked, deployed (Med 2-92) in company with guided missile cruiser and destroyer on 6 May