Ed Farmer Scholarships
The Ed Farmer Sports Media Endowment for Excellence funds annual scholarships in honor of baseball pitcher and broadcaster Ed Farmer. Over his 11-year career in the major leagues, Farmer pitched 370 games for eight different teams including his hometown White Sox. In 1991, he returned to the White Sox, where he worked as radio broadcaster for nearly 30 years until his death in April 2020.
Ed Farmer Scholarships are competitive grants awarded to Sport, Media, and Culture students pursuing summer research projects, capstone projects, or unpaid internships related to sports media. Students may apply for up to $2,000 to cover related expenses. One or more scholarships will be given each year, depending upon the amount of funding each applicant requests, the number and quality of applications received, and each applicant’s demonstrated need. Students in the Gallivan Program for Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy may also apply.
For students who have secured unpaid summer internships related to sports media or journalism, Ed Farmer Scholarships may help offset living expenses. Grant recipients should work full-time for at least five weeks for the sponsoring organization. Farmer Scholarships may also support student research for a senior thesis, major research project or piece of journalism, or capstone project related to sports and media. Relevant expenses incurred during research projects include but are not limited to books, materials, and travel expenses.
Application Guidelines
Applications are due before noon on the first Friday in April. To apply, complete the form linked below and attach a 500-word statement of purpose, a one-page budget, and (if you seek support for an unpaid internship), your letters of application to and/or acceptance from the proposed internship site. Consult with the SMAC Director for applications regarding research and capstone projects, and with the SMAC Internship Director for applications regarding unpaid internships.
For research and capstone project funding, a strong statement of purpose will include the following:
- a working title, statement of topic and/or research questions, and methodology
- projected scope, form, and dissemination of the final project
- specific research you plan to accomplish over the funding period
- rationale for the receipt of an Ed Farmer Scholarship to advance the project
For unpaid internship funding, a strong statement of purpose will address the following:
- how you expect to contribute to your chosen program as an intern
- how the internship furthers your academic goals and those of the SMAC minor
- how the internship might affect your long-term research or career plans
- rationale for the receipt of an Ed Farmer Scholarship to fund the internship
The budget should outline all relevant expenses (travel, accommodation, meals, materials, etc.). If you are applying for additional or alternative funding, please name in your budget document the organization(s) to which you have applied and the amount(s) requested. If you are applying to more than one internship program, explain briefly how this might affect your projected budget.
The SMAC Director and Internship Coordinator will evaluate applications and notify scholarship recipients by the end of April.