Below are various funding opportunities relevant to language preservation and
revitalization projects. These will be updated as opportunities become available.
ADMINISTRATION FOR NATIVE AMERICANS (ANA)
The ANA promotes self-sufficiency for Native Americans by providing discretionary funding for community-based
projects, and training and technical assistance to eligible tribes and Native organizations. The ANA has 2 funding
opportunities for language revitalization and preservation projects. These grants are available annually and
generally have a spring application deadline. Grant applications are submitted through grants.gov
ADMINISTRATION FOR NATIVE AMERICANS (ANA)
The ANA promotes self-sufficiency for Native Americans by providing discretionary funding for community-based
projects, and training and technical assistance to eligible tribes and Native organizations. The ANA has 2 funding
opportunities for language revitalization and preservation projects. These grants are available annually and
generally have a spring application deadline. Grant applications are submitted through grants.gov
AND MAINTENANCE (P&M)
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (March 31). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.
NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE – Esther Martinez Immersion (EMI)
The program provides funding for community-based projects that ensure continuing vitality of Native languages through immersion-based instruction. Programs funded under the EMI notice of funding opportunity must meet the requirements for either a Native American Language Nest, or a Native American Survival School.
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (March 31). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.
AND MAINTENANCE (P&M)
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (March 31). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.
NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE – Esther Martinez Immersion (EMI)
The program provides funding for community-based projects that ensure continuing vitality of Native languages through immersion-based instruction. Programs funded under the EMI notice of funding opportunity must meet the requirements for either a Native American Language Nest, or a Native American Survival School.
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (March 31). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES (NEH) AND NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
NEH offers a variety of grant programs to individuals and organizations that do the highest quality of work to promote the humanities. Below are grants that support language documentation. These grants are available annually and are a partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF). Grant applications are submitted to NSF for review.
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES (NEH) AND NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF)
NEH offers a variety of grant programs to individuals and organizations that do the highest quality of work to promote the humanities. Below are grants that support language documentation. These grants are available annually and are a partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF). Grant applications are submitted to NSF for review.
DYNAMIC LANGUAGE INFRASTRUCTURE — DOCUMENTING ENDANGERED LANGUAGES FELLOWSHIPS
The DLI-DEL Fellowships are offered as part of a joint, multi-year funding program of NEH and NSF to develop and advance scientific and scholarly knowledge concerning endangered human languages. Fellowships support individuals who are junior and senior linguists, linguistic anthropologists, and sociolinguists to conduct research on one or more endangered or moribund languages.
DEADLINE
Anticipated September 13, 2023
DYNAMIC LANGUAGE INFRASTRUCTURE — DOCUMENTING ENDANGERED LANGUAGES
SENIOR RESEARCH GRANTS
The Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL) program is a partnership between the NEH and NSF to develop and advance knowledge concerning endangered human languages. Awards support fieldwork and other activities relevant to recording, documenting, and archiving endangered languages, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases.
DEADLINE
Anticipated September 15, 2023
DYNAMIC LANGUAGE INFRASTRUCTURE — DOCUMENTING ENDANGERED LANGUAGES FELLOWSHIPS
The DLI-DEL Fellowships are offered as part of a joint, multi-year funding program of NEH and NSF to develop and advance scientific and scholarly knowledge concerning endangered human languages. Fellowships support individuals who are junior and senior linguists, linguistic anthropologists, and sociolinguists to conduct research on one or more endangered or moribund languages.
DEADLINE
Anticipated September 13, 2023
DYNAMIC LANGUAGE INFRASTRUCTURE — DOCUMENTING ENDANGERED LANGUAGES
SENIOR RESEARCH GRANTS
The Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL) program is a partnership between the NEH and NSF to develop and advance knowledge concerning endangered human languages. Awards support fieldwork and other activities relevant to recording, documenting, and archiving endangered languages, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases.
DEADLINE
Anticipated September 15, 2023
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES
The NEH also offers funding opportunities to faculty and staff in the Humanities and offers some grants specifically to TCUs. These grants are available annually. Grant applications are submitted through grants.gov
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES
The NEH also offers funding opportunities to faculty and staff in the Humanities and offers some grants specifically to TCUs. These grants are available annually. Grant applications are submitted through grants.gov
AWARDS FOR FACULTY AT TRIBAL COLLEGES
AND UNIVERSITIES
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (April 12). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.
AWARDS FOR FACULTY AT TRIBAL COLLEGES
AND UNIVERSITIES
The NEH Awards for Faculty program seeks to
strengthen the humanities at TCUs by encouraging
and expanding humanities research opportunities
for individual faculty and staff members. The
program is open to all faculty and staff members
including full time, part time, adjunct, and retired
faculty at TCUs. While the program welcomes
programs in all areas of the humanities, projects
related to Indigenous knowledge that sustain and
strengthen tribal languages and/or cultural
traditions are especially encouraged.
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (April 12). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INDIAN AFFAIRS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INDIAN AFFAIRS
DEADLINE
Not yet available; FY2023 LLGP solicitations are
anticipated for early spring.
LIVING LANGUAGES GRANT PROGRAM (LLGP)
This funding opportunity is provided for Tribes to
aid in documentation and revitalization of languages
that are at risk of disappearing. Past grant
proposals were rated on the extent to which funding
would document, preserve or revitalize a Native
language; the degree to which the language
addressed by a proposal risks extinction; the
likelihood that the instruction to be funded would
revitalize the language by preventing
intergenerational disruption; and the number of
students or percentage of Tribal members the
proposal would benefit. While only federally
recognized Tribes and Tribal organizations are
eligible for the Living Languages Grant Program,
grantees can retain for-profit and non-profit
community groups to perform a grant’s scope of
work.
DEADLINE
Not yet available; FY2023 LLGP solicitations are
anticipated for early spring.
THE ENDANGERED LANGUAGE FUND (ELF)
The Endangered Language Fund provides small amounts of funding (less than $10,000) to organizations or individuals supporting language preservation and documentation projects. They offer 2 small funding opportunities; both grants are available annually. Grants are submitted through ELF’s Grants Management System. Carefully read through the eligibility requirements for each of the grant opportunities as they indicate specific regions, tribes, or languages.
THE ENDANGERED LANGUAGE FUND (ELF)
The Endangered Language Fund provides small amounts of funding (less than $10,000) to organizations or individuals supporting language preservation and documentation projects. They offer 2 small funding opportunities; both grants are available annually. Grants are submitted through ELF’s Grants Management System. Carefully read through the eligibility requirements for each of the grant opportunities as they indicate specific regions, tribes, or languages.
NATIVE VOICES ENDOWMENT: A LEWIS & CLARK
BICENTENNIAL LEGACY
This funding opportunity is for eligible tribal nations
whose ancestral homelands were traversed by the
Lewis & Clark Expedition (see website for full list).
Proposals are accepted for Native language
education programs, curricula, or projects;
documentation and recording of Native language
for preservation and future education; or for Native
students studying an individual language.
DEADLINE
Not yet available for 2023. Check website for
updates.
LANGUAGE LEGACIES
Language Legacies grants provide funding for
language documentation and revitalization, and for
linguistic fieldwork that serves both the Native
community and the field of linguistics. Support for
publication is a low priority, although it will be
considered. The language involved must be in
danger of disappearing within a generation or two.
Endangerment is a continuum, and the location on
the continuum is one factor in our funding decisions.
There are also specific eligibility requirements (see
website for full list).
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (March 17). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.
NATIVE VOICES ENDOWMENT: A LEWIS & CLARK
BICENTENNIAL LEGACY
This funding opportunity is for eligible tribal nations
whose ancestral homelands were traversed by the
Lewis & Clark Expedition (see website for full list).
Proposals are accepted for Native language
education programs, curricula, or projects;
documentation and recording of Native language
for preservation and future education; or for Native
students studying an individual language.
DEADLINE
Not yet available for 2023. Check website for
updates.
LANGUAGE LEGACIES
Language Legacies grants provide funding for
language documentation and revitalization, and for
linguistic fieldwork that serves both the Native
community and the field of linguistics. Support for
publication is a low priority, although it will be
considered. The language involved must be in
danger of disappearing within a generation or two.
Endangerment is a continuum, and the location on
the continuum is one factor in our funding decisions.
There are also specific eligibility requirements (see
website for full list).
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (March 17). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.
PHILLIPS FUND FOR NATIVE AMERICAN RESEARCH
The Phillips Fund of the American Philosophical Society provides small grants (average award of $3,000) for research in Native American linguistics, ethnohistory, and the history of studies of Native Americans in the continental U.S. and Canada. Eligibility for grants is preferred for younger scholars who have received a doctorate. The award is available annually and grants are submitted through the American Philosophical Society’s website.
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (March 1). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.
PHILLIPS FUND FOR NATIVE AMERICAN RESEARCH
The Phillips Fund of the American Philosophical Society provides small grants (average award of $3,000) for research in Native American linguistics, ethnohistory, and the history of studies of Native Americans in the continental U.S. and Canada. Eligibility for grants is preferred for younger scholars who have received a doctorate. The award is available annually and grants are submitted through the American Philosophical Society’s website.
DEADLINE
The 2023 deadline has closed (March 1). Check the
website for 2024 opportunities.