NSF Dynamic Language Infrastructure - NEH Documenting Endangered Languages | 19 606

Opportunity Information: Apply for 19 606

The NSF Dynamic Language Infrastructure - NEH Documenting Endangered Languages opportunity is a joint funding program run by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Its main goal is to support research and infrastructure-building focused on endangered human languages, especially those that are both understudied and at real risk of no longer being spoken or used. The program is framed around the urgency that a large share of the worlds roughly 7,000 living languages could be lost in the foreseeable future, and it emphasizes that modern information technology can play a major role in documenting, analyzing, and sustaining linguistic knowledge before it disappears.

The opportunity is centered on developing "dynamic language infrastructure," meaning practical, technology-enabled systems and resources that help researchers and communities record, manage, analyze, and preserve language data in ways that remain usable over time. Projects are expected to contribute to stronger data management practices and long-term archiving, so that recordings and annotations do not sit in isolated personal collections but instead become accessible, curated research assets. Another core priority is building the next generation of researchers by supporting training, mentorship, and pathways for emerging scholars to gain hands-on experience in endangered language documentation and digital methods.

The types of activities supported are broad, but they revolve around high-quality documentation and the creation of durable digital language resources. Funding can be used for fieldwork and other efforts tied to the digital recording, documentation, analysis, and archiving of endangered language data. Supported outputs may include lexicons (structured dictionaries or word lists), grammars (descriptions of sound systems, word formation, and syntax), curated text samples (such as narratives, conversations, ceremonial speech, or oral histories), and databases that organize linguistic and cultural materials for searching and reuse. In practice, this may involve collecting audio and video recordings, transcribing and translating them, adding linguistic annotations, designing metadata that makes materials discoverable, and depositing the resulting collections in appropriate archives.

The program offers multiple funding formats rather than a single grant type. It supports senior research grants with project periods of one to three years, fellowships that typically last six to twelve months, and conference proposals. Conference proposals come with a timing expectation: they should generally be submitted at least a year before the planned conference date, reflecting the lead time needed for review and logistics. The NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) is specifically referenced for guidance on preparing and submitting conference proposals, directing applicants to the relevant section for compliance and formatting requirements.

In terms of administrative details, this is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by NSF under the science and technology and other research and development category, with CFDA numbers listed as 47.050, 47.070, 47.075, and 47.076. The funding opportunity number is 19-606, and the opportunity anticipated around 30 awards. The listing indicates an award ceiling of 0, which typically signals that a specific maximum award amount is not stated in the summary and that applicants should rely on the full solicitation or program guidance for budget expectations and norms. Eligibility is described as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," meaning applicants need to consult the full program solicitation for the precise definitions of who may apply and under what organizational or institutional conditions. The opportunity information provided includes a creation date of September 22, 2019, and it lists a submission deadline of September 15, 2020 for senior research proposals, conferences, and fellowships.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NSF Dynamic Language Infrastructure - NEH Documenting Endangered Languages" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.050, 47.070, 47.075, 47.076.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 22, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 15, 2020 Submission Deadline for Senior Research Proposals, Conferences, and Fellowships Only. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 19 606

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