Documenting Endangered Languages
Note to PIs

The following program summary is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It does not replace the sponsor’s actual funding opportunity announcement. Always review the most recent version of the sponsor’s full announcement to verify that the deadline has not changed and to identify the most current program requirements.

About the Program

The Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL) program is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop and advance knowledge concerning endangered human languages. Made urgent by the imminent death of an estimated half of the 6000-7000 currently used languages, this effort aims also to exploit advances in information technology. Awards support fieldwork and other activities relevant to recording, documenting, and archiving endangered languages, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases. DEL funding is available in the form of one- to three-year project grants as well as fellowships for six to twelve months. At least half the available funding will be awarded to projects involving fieldwork.
 
All DEL applications are submitted to NSF for review. Upon completion of the review process, the administration of awards is conducted separately by NEH or NSF.
The DEL guidelines and instructions are available on the National Science Foundation's website.

Eligibility

For senior research grants: There are no restrictions or limits. For fellowships: U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for fellowships. Foreign nationals who have been living in the United States or its jurisdictions for at least the three years prior to the proposal deadline are also eligible to apply for fellowships. Applicants can be affiliated with an institution or be an unaffiliated individual. Applicants need not have advanced degrees. Individuals currently enrolled in a degree-granting program are ineligible to apply. Applicants who have satisfied all the requirements for a degree and are awaiting its conferral are eligible for DEL Fellowships; but such applicants need a letter from the dean of the conferring school or their department chair attesting to the applicant’s status as of the DEL deadline listed in this solicitation. This signed letter should be uploaded in FastLane as a “Supplementary Document”.

Award Amount/Award Period

Preservation: Up to 3 years.
For Fellowships:  6 – 12 months.

Application Deadline

September 15, 2020.

Award Type

Organizations

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Documenting Endangered Languages