LibGuides: * Linguistics: Funding

Research Funding

Grant Name	Amount of Award	Deadline	Eligibility/Language Restrictions	Undergraduate/Graduate
Administration for Children and Families Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance – Esther Martinez Immersion	$100,000–$300,000	Late March	Project must focus on Native American languages.	Graduate
Administration for Children and Families Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance	$100,000–$300,000	Late March	Project must focus on Native American languages.	Graduate
American Philosophical Society Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research	Up to $5,000	Mid November	N/A	Doctoral
American Philosophical Society Phillips Fund for Native American Research	Up to $3,500	Early March	N/A	Graduate
Endangered Language Fund Language Legacies Grant	Up to $4,000	Early March	Project must focus on endangered languages.	All
Endangered Language Fund Native Voices Endowment Grant	$2,500–$10,000	Late October	Must be an enrolled tribal member, etc. (see link for details). Applicable to Native American languages.	All
Endangered Languages and Documentation Programme Documentation Grant	Varies	Early January	Only endangered languages applicable (see website).	Graduate
Endangered Languages and Documentation Programme Legacy Material Grant	Up to €10,000	Early January	Only endangered languages applicable (see website).	Graduate
The Explorers Club Grants	$500–$5,000	Early November	Must be conducting fieldwork.	All
Firebird Foundation for Anthropological Research Fellowships for the Documentation of Oral Literature and Traditional Ecological Knowledge	Up to $10,000	Early March, Early June, Early September, Early December	Project must focus on oral traditions of indigenous communities.	Graduate
Firebird Foundation for Anthropological Research Laura W. R. and George N. Appell Fellowship for the Collection of Oral Literature and Traditional Ecological Knowledge	Up to $40,000	Early March, Early June, Early September, Early December	Project must be long-term and focus on indigenous languages and communities.	Graduate
Foundation for Endangered Languages Grant	Up to $1,000	Unknown	Must be a Foundation member. Project must focus on an endangered language.	Graduate
The Jacob Research Funds	Up to $9,000	Early February	Must be studying aboriginal languages and cultures of the Americas.	Graduate
National Endowment for the Humanities/National Science Foundation Dynamic Language Infrastructure Documenting Endangered Languages Senior Research Grant	Varies	Early September	See website for applicable languages.	Graduate
National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend	Up to $6,000	Late September	N/A	Graduate
National Geographic Level I Grant	Up to $20,000	Mid April	N/A	All
National Geographic Level II Grant	Up to $100,000	Mid April	N/A	All
National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates	Varies	Varies	N/A	Undergraduate
Seventh Generation Fund	Up to $50,000	Early March, Early June, Early September, Early December	Must be an indigenous person. Project must focus on indigenous languages.	Graduate
Sociological Initiatives Foundation Grant	$10,000–$20,000	Early August	N/A	Graduate
University of Rochester Discover Undergraduate Summer Research Grant	Up to $5,000	Late March	Internship/research opportunity secured before applying.	Undergraduate
University of Rochester River Campus Libraries Research Initiative Award for Undergraduates	$1,000	Late November	N/A	Undergraduate

Education, Conference & Travel Funding

Grant Name	Amount of Award	Deadline	Eligibility/Language Restrictions	Undergraduate/Graduate
Linguistic Society of America Committee on Ethnic Diversity in Linguistics Diversity Travel Award	$500	Early October	Must identify as a racial minority.	All
U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship	Travel, room, board, instruction fees, etc.	Early November	Must be a U.S. citizen. Must have completed at least one year of university. See website for eligible languages.	All
Defense Language and National Security Education Office Boren Awards Scholarship	Up to $25,000	Early February	Must be a U.S. citizen	Undergraduate
Defense Language and National Security Education Office Boren Awards Fellowship	Up to $25,000	Late January	Must be a U.S. citizen	Graduate
Linguistic Society of America Bernard and Julia Bloch Fellowship for the Linguistic Institute	Tuition, travel, sustenance	Late February	Must be a Linguistic Society of America member. Biennial award.	All
Linguistic Society of America Ivan Sag Institute Fellowship	Tuition, room, board, and travel	Late February	Must be a Linguistic Society of America member.	All
Linguistic Society of America Ken Hale Student Fellowship for the Linguistic Institute	Tuition, room, board, and travel	Late February	Must be a Linguistic Society of America member. Must be pursuing a course of study to document endangered languages and work with communities toward their preservation.	Graduate
BRIC Language Learning Go Global Scholarship	$1,000	Late June	Must be a U.S. citizen, have at least a 3.0 GPA, and is currently studying a foreign language	All
Society for Linguistic Anthropology Undergraduate Student Essay Prize	$500	Early February	Topics related to linguistic anthropology	All
University of Rochester Research Presentation Award	$500–$1000	Rolling, submit at least 14 days in advance of conference	Must have research already accepted for presentation, not on academic or disciplinary probation, up to two awards per academic year.	Undergraduate
U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship	Up to $5,000	Early March and October	Must be a U.S, citizen, must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant.	Undergraduate

Acknowledgements & Update Info

Thank you to Erin O'Malley for compiling this list as part of the Career Exploration in Librarianship and Mentoring program, first published in May 2018. Last updated in February 2024.