Dynamic Language Infrastructure - Documenting Endangered Languages Fellowships

Division of Research Programs

Grant Snapshot

Maximum award amount

$60,000 ($5,000 per month)

Open to

Individuals

Expected output

Archival Documentation;
Book Section;
Dictionary;
Digital Resource or Publication;
Grammar Book;
Language Learning Resource

Period of performance

Six to twelve months

Application available (anticipated)

Next deadline (anticipated)

Expected notification date

Project start date

Starting February 21, 2022, you will be required to sign in to Grants.gov with Login.gov credentials. Create and link your account now.

NEH and NSF logos

The Dynamic Language Infrastructure – Documenting Endangered Languages (DLI-DEL) Fellowships are offered as part of a joint, multi-year funding program of NEH and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop and advance scientific and scholarly knowledge concerning endangered human languages.

Addressing the imminent loss of linguistic knowledge is a major concern and a priority for both agencies. The broad range of human languages are vital for understanding human behavior and cognition, but roughly half of the world's seven thousand languages are endangered and at risk of extinction. These endangered languages constitute an irreplaceable resource, not only for the communities who speak them, but also for scientists and scholars.

DLI-DEL Fellowships support individuals who are junior or senior linguists, linguistic anthropologists, and sociolinguists to conduct research on one or more endangered or moribund languages. DLI-DEL Fellowships prioritize scholarly analysis and publication, including but not limited to lexicons, grammars, databases, peer-reviewed articles, and monographs. Awards also support fieldwork and other activities relevant to digital recording, documenting, and sustainable archiving of endangered languages.

For projects involving collaborating scholars affiliated with an eligible institution, project directors should consider applying for a Senior Research Grant through the DLI-DEL program offered by NSF in collaboration with NEH’s Division of Preservation & Access.

On July 22nd, 2022, NEH staff hosted a webinar describing the program, discussing its goals, the application and review process, budgetary issues, and suggestions for writing an effective application. The presentation included questions and answers from participants. You can view the webinar here and the slides here.

Step 1 Review your application package

Read the Notice of Funding Opportunity and study the application to ensure you understand all the expectations and restrictions for projects delivered under this grant and are prepared to write the most effective application.

Application Materials

Dynamic Language Infrastructure -- Documenting Endangered Languages Fellowships Notice of Funding Opportunity, 2022 (PDF)

Dynamic Language Infrastructure -- Documenting Endangered Languages Fellowships Grants.gov application package

Program Resources

Dynamic Language Infrastructure  Frequently Asked Questions, 2021 (PDF)

Recently-funded Documenting Endangered Languages Fellowships

Samples Application Narratives

The narrative samples below should not serve as models but should give you a sense of how you might craft a successful application. Note that these applications may not follow the current guidelines. Follow the requirements in the current Notice of Funding Opportunity to ensure that your application is complete and eligible.

Narrative Sample: Turning Phrases: Exploring Expressive Potential in Morpheme Combinations of Nuwä Abigip (PDF)

Narrative Sample: Conversations of the Meskwaki People: Today’s Voices Recorded and Published with Audio (PDF)

Narrative Sample: Coeur d'Alene (cda) Narratives Project (PDF)

Step 2 Register for an account on Grants.gov

Grants.gov account is vital to the grants process; register as soon as you know you are going to apply for this grant. If you are already registered, make sure your registration is current.

Step 3 Complete your application package

Follow the instructions outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and the Grants.gov instructions.

Step 4 Submit your application package on Grants.gov

You will receive a confirmation from Grants.gov when you’ve successfully submitted your application. Subsequently, you will receive up to five more notices confirming different stages in the application process. Verify that you have received all confirmations. Note that email filters may send these messages to your spam or junk folder.