NSF Dynamic Language Infrastructure - NEH Documenting Endangered Languages

NSF 22-615
Posted: Jul 17, 2022 12:00:00 AM EDT
Closes: 02/17/2026

Funding Information

Estimated Total Funding
$4,800,000
Expected Number of Awards
25

Description

This funding partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports projects to develop and advance knowledge concerning dynamic language infrastructure in the context of endangered human languages — languages that are both understudied and at risk of falling out of use. Made urgent by the imminent loss of roughly half of the approximately 7,000 currently used languages, this effort aims to exploit advances in human-language technology to build computational infrastructure for endangered language research. The program supports projects that contribute to data management and archiving, and to the development of the next generation of researchers. Funding can support fieldwork and other activities relevant to the digital recording, documentation and analysis, and archiving of endangered language data, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases. Funding is available in the form of one- to three-year senior research grants and conference proposals. Fellowship support is available through a separate funding opportunity administered by NEH.


Note: a conference proposal should generally be submitted at least a year in advance of the scheduled date of the conference. For additional information about creating and submitting conference proposals, please refer to PAPPG Chapter II. E.9.

Synopsis

This funding partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports projects to develop and advance knowledge concerning dynamic language infrastructure in the context of endangered human languages — languages that are both understudied and at risk of falling out of use. Made urgent by the imminent loss of roughly half of the approximately 7,000 currently used languages, this effort aims to exploit advances in human-language technology to build computational infrastructure for endangered language research. The program supports projects that contribute to data management and archiving, and to the development of the next generation of researchers. Funding can support fieldwork and other activities relevant to the digital recording, documentation and analysis, and archiving of endangered language data, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases. Funding is available in the form of one- to three-year senior research grants and conference proposals. Fellowship support is available through a separate funding opportunity administered by NEH.


Note: a conference proposal should generally be submitted at least a year in advance of the scheduled date of the conference. For additional information about creating and submitting conference proposals, please refer to PAPPG Chapter II. E.9.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants:
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
-Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities.
-Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
-
Tribal organizations and other American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian serving organizations.


*Who May Serve as PI:

There are no program-specificrestrictions or limits.

Funding Activity Categories

Science and Technology and other Research and Development

CFDA Numbers

  • 47.050 - Geosciences
  • 47.070 - Computer and Information Science and Engineering
  • 47.075 - Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences

Contact Information

Agency: National Science Foundation
Contact: U.S. National Science Foundation
Phone: 703-292-4203
NSF grants.gov support
grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov

Additional Information

Document Type: synopsis
Opportunity Category: Discretionary
Version: 12
Last Updated: Oct 01, 2025 11:00:11 PM EDT

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