Deadline: 01-Oct-2026
The Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP) Individual Graduate Scholarships (IGS) support doctoral students worldwide conducting field-based research on language documentation. The funding covers fieldwork costs, living stipends, and archival processing for projects lasting 12–36 months. The scholarship is available to PhD-level researchers of any nationality and does not cover tuition fees.
The ELDP Individual Graduate Scholarship (IGS) is a doctoral-level funding programme supporting language documentation research across the world.
It enables graduate researchers to:
- Conduct fieldwork on endangered languages
- Collect and preserve linguistic data
- Archive documentary materials for long-term access
- Process and analyse research outputs
Core Purpose
The programme focuses on:
- Documentation of endangered and under-documented languages
- Creation of accessible linguistic archives
- Preservation of audio, video, and textual language data
- Support for long-term research-based field studies
Funding Coverage
What the Scholarship Covers
- Fieldwork travel and research expenses
- Living stipend during research phases
- Costs related to data processing and documentation
- Archiving of linguistic materials
Research Phases Supported
- Preparation phase (pre-fieldwork)
- Implementation phase (field research)
- Processing phase (post-fieldwork analysis and archiving)
Project Duration
- Funding duration: up to 3 years
- Fieldwork period: typically 12 to 36 months
Important Funding Restrictions
- No tuition fee coverage
- No institutional overhead costs
- Stipend is not considered a salary
- Stipend is not subject to employment taxation
Eligibility Criteria
Who Can Apply
- Doctoral students (PhD or equivalent programmes)
- Researchers of any nationality
- Applicants conducting field-based language documentation projects worldwide
Academic Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be enrolled in or admitted to a doctoral programme
- Have completed at least one full academic year of postgraduate study beyond a Bachelor’s degree by the time the award begins
- A Master’s degree may count toward this requirement
Research Experience Considerations
Applicants are assessed based on prior experience in:
- Fieldwork or linguistic documentation
- Audio and video recordings
- Transcription and translation work
- Annotation and database creation
- Word list or corpus development
Applicants are encouraged to ensure their previous materials are:
- Archived properly
- Accessible for evaluation
Funding Administration Rules
Institutional Payment Structure
- All funds are paid directly to an accredited host institution
- The institution manages financial administration of the award
Principal Investigator Restrictions
The Principal Investigator (PI) must NOT be:
- A director of the host institution
- An owner of the institution
- A founder of the institution
- Head of financial administration within the institution
This ensures:
- Financial independence
- Transparent fund management
- Proper institutional oversight
Why This Programme Matters
- Preserves endangered and vulnerable languages
- Supports global linguistic diversity
- Enables long-term archival research resources
- Strengthens academic research capacity in documentation
- Prevents loss of cultural and linguistic heritage
How It Works
Step 1: Confirm Eligibility
- Enrolled or admitted to a PhD programme
- Completed required postgraduate training
- Planning field-based language documentation
Step 2: Design Research Project
- Identify endangered language community
- Define documentation goals
- Plan fieldwork duration (12–36 months)
- Include archival strategy
Step 3: Prepare Application
- Research proposal
- Fieldwork plan and timeline
- Budget for living and research costs
- Documentation and archiving plan
Step 4: Institutional Setup
- Identify accredited host institution
- Ensure PI eligibility compliance
- Arrange financial administration structure
Step 5: Submit Application
- Submit through ELDP application system
- Include prior documentation experience if applicable
- Provide evidence of readiness for fieldwork
Step 6: Evaluation
Applications are reviewed based on:
- Academic quality
- Feasibility of fieldwork
- Documentation and archiving plan
- Prior experience in linguistic data collection
- Contribution to language preservation
Common Mistakes
- Requesting tuition fees (not covered)
- Missing required postgraduate study requirement
- Weak or missing archiving plan
- Ineligible Principal Investigator setup
- Poorly defined fieldwork scope
Tips for a Strong Application
- Clearly define endangered language focus
- Provide detailed fieldwork methodology
- Include strong data archiving and access plan
- Demonstrate prior documentation experience
- Align project with long-term linguistic preservation
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the ELDP Individual Graduate Scholarship?
- A doctoral funding programme supporting field-based language documentation research
- Focuses on endangered languages
- Supports global research projects
- Includes fieldwork and archiving components
How long does funding last?
- Up to 3 years total
- Includes preparation, fieldwork, and processing phases
- Fieldwork typically lasts 12–36 months
What costs are covered?
- Fieldwork expenses
- Living stipend during research phases
- Data processing and documentation costs
- Archiving of linguistic materials
What is not covered?
- Tuition fees
- Institutional overhead costs
- Employment-related salary structures
Who can apply?
- PhD or equivalent doctoral students
- Any nationality
- Must be enrolled or accepted into a doctoral programme
What academic requirements must be met?
- At least one full year of postgraduate study beyond Bachelor’s degree
- Includes Master’s level training
How are funds managed?
- Paid directly to an accredited institution
- Institution administers funds
- PI must not hold financial authority roles in host institution
Conclusion
The ELDP Individual Graduate Scholarships (IGS) support doctoral researchers in documenting endangered languages through fieldwork, data collection, and archiving. With funding for up to three years, the programme strengthens global efforts to preserve linguistic diversity and ensure long-term access to endangered language resources.
For more information, visit ELDP.
