Brian Doyle Humor Scholarships

You could earn a scholarship for your sense of humor! No joke — you could earn one of five $3,333 Brian Doyle Scholarships in Gentle & Sidelong Humor for students who propose a way to bring some laughs to The Bluff.

The Brian Doyle Scholarships in Gentle & Sidelong Humor were established in 2012 by John and Patricia Beckman. To honor Brian, the Beckmans developed this scholarship to help foster an intentional way for students to seek and present the joys, hilarity, and surprises that can be discovered when not being too serious while learning.

The project can be anything — videos, comic books, comedy nights, websites, performances, graphic novels, you name it! — but it must be something that is presented, published or posted publicly. Recipients are responsible for the implementation of their projects, and must be willing and able to organize and publicize their own events for projects that are presented or performed. The Garaventa Center is able to provide very modest logistical support. There is no source of funding for these projects, so recipients must be prepared to assume any costs involved, or to plan projects that do not require funding.

Applications open March 18th to April 21st. To apply, undergraduate and graduate students should send an email with “Humor Scholarship” in the subject line to scholarshipthankyou@up.edu. The email application should include first and last name, student ID number, and complete but brief (e.g. 2-3 paragraph) idea for a humorous campus project that they will complete independently if selected for the scholarship.

Applications are due on April 22, 2024.

Let your humor run wild!