Congratulations from everyone at the Irish Association for American Studies to Dr Clair Sheehan, from the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Limerick. Clair has just been awarded the IAAS Early-Career Travel, Research, and Conference Bursary, to support her recent trip to Elmira College in New York, where she attended the Eighth International Conference on the State of Mark Twain Studies: “The Assault of Laughter” as part of her research for a forthcoming article entitled “Innocents Abroad–Mark Twain Studies in Ireland.” Dr Sheehan also took the opportunity to visit the archives and library at Elmira College and Quarry Farm. The IAAS is delighted to have been able to support her on this very worthwhile and fruitful trip to the US.