RFAs: Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme

Deadline: 01-Oct-2026

The IPF programme provides structured postdoctoral funding to support early-career researchers in language documentation and linguistics.

Fellowships are hosted at academic institutions and focus on advancing:

• Field-based linguistic research
• Language documentation and preservation
• Archiving and analysis of linguistic data

Core Objectives

The fellowship aims to:

• Strengthen language documentation research capacity
• Support postdoctoral academic development
• Promote high-quality linguistic fieldwork
• Advance archiving and accessibility of language data
• Encourage integration of research and documentation practices

Key Research Areas

Language Documentation

• Audio and video recordings of languages
• Fieldwork in endangered language communities
• Collection of primary linguistic data

Archiving and Data Processing

• Transcription and translation
• Annotation of linguistic datasets
• Development of lexical databases
• Preparation of materials for long-term archiving

Academic Research and Output

• Scholarly publications
• Linguistic analysis and theory development
• Integration of field data with academic research

Academic Training and Mentorship

• Research development at host institution
• Academic mentoring and collaboration
• Integration into institutional research environments

Fellowship Duration

• Maximum duration: 24 months

Funding Overview

• Total funding: up to €250,000
• Covers:
  • Postdoctoral salary support
  • Fieldwork-related expenses

Exclusions

Funding does NOT cover:

• Institutional overhead costs
• Administrative charges
• Salary supplements for permanent academic staff
• Existing institutional salary obligations

Eligibility Criteria

Who Can Apply

Applicants must:

• Be early-career researchers of any nationality
• Hold a PhD in linguistics or a closely related field
• Have completed PhD within 5 years prior to start date
• Have submitted and had dissertation approved by start of fellowship

Host Institution Requirements

• Fellowship must be hosted at a different institution than PhD awarding institution, unless justified
• Host institution must support research activities and supervision

Application Structure

• Single applicant only
• No co-applicants allowed
• Principal Investigator must be an individual researcher

Key Restrictions

• Must be early-career (strict 5-year post-PhD window)
• No team-based or co-led applications
• Limited to linguistics and closely related disciplines
• Must demonstrate independent research capability

Why This Programme Matters

• Supports next-generation linguists in advanced research careers
• Strengthens global capacity in endangered language documentation
• Enables long-term preservation of linguistic data
• Promotes high-quality academic output from field research
• Builds institutional and international research collaboration

How It Works

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility

• Ensure PhD completion within last 5 years
• Confirm dissertation approval by start date
• Identify suitable host institution

Step 2: Define Research Project

• Select target language or linguistic focus
• Plan fieldwork and documentation activities
• Include archiving and publication strategy

Step 3: Secure Host Institution

• Arrange academic placement
• Justify if same institution as PhD

Step 4: Prepare Application

• Research proposal
• Budget (salary + fieldwork costs)
• Documentation and archiving plan
• Academic CV and publications

Step 5: Submit Application

• Single applicant submission only
• Demonstrate independent research leadership

Step 6: Evaluation

Applications are assessed on:

• Scientific and linguistic quality
• Feasibility of fieldwork and documentation
• Academic track record and potential
• Contribution to language documentation field
• Archiving and dissemination strategy

Step 7: Fellowship Implementation

• Conduct fieldwork and documentation
• Develop datasets and publications
• Engage in host institution research activities
• Complete archiving and dissemination outputs

Common Mistakes

• Exceeding 5-year post-PhD eligibility window
• Submitting co-applications (not allowed)
• Missing dissertation approval requirement
• Weak justification for host institution change
• Lack of clear archiving strategy

Tips for a Strong Application

• Clearly define linguistic documentation goals
• Emphasize fieldwork feasibility and methodology
• Include strong archiving and data management plan
• Demonstrate independence as a researcher
• Align project with long-term language preservation goals

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the IPF programme?

• A postdoctoral fellowship supporting language documentation research
  • Focuses on fieldwork, archiving, and linguistic analysis
  • Hosted at academic institutions

How much funding is available?

• Up to €250,000 total
  • Includes salary and fieldwork expenses

How long does the fellowship last?

• Up to 24 months

Who can apply?

• Early-career researchers with PhD in linguistics or related field
  • Must be within 5 years of PhD completion
  • Must have dissertation approved

Can multiple applicants apply together?

• No
  • Only single applicants are allowed

Can I stay at my PhD institution?

• Generally no
  • Must move to a different host institution unless justified

What does the fellowship support?

• Fieldwork in language documentation
• Archiving and data processing
• Academic research and publication
• Salary and research expenses

Conclusion

The Individual Postdoctoral Fellowships (IPF) provide substantial support for early-career linguists working in language documentation. With up to €250,000 in funding over 24 months, the programme enables independent research, fieldwork, and archiving while strengthening global efforts to preserve and study endangered languages.

For more information, visit ELDP.