DoBeS Volkswagen Foundation

The DoBeS Documentation of Endangered Languages program is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.   The DobeS funding initiative is entering its final phase 2008-2011, widening the scope of project activities and broadening the types of grants awarded as well as the circle of potential applicants. Henceforth, especially junior researchers who participated in an earlier DobeS project are invited to submit an application as a team leader to get into their career. Not only social anthropologists, but also area specialists are encouraged to collaborate with linguists in the interdisciplinary project teams. Projects from areas hitherto underrepresented within the DobeS initiative will obtain certain preference. Capacity building in the target region and a policy of participation with the speech community are further specifications of the program.   Two types of projects are funded:

• Documentation projects which collect, process and archive linguistic and cultural data for (at least) one endangered language lacking sufficient documentation. Existing field material (audio, video, film, photo, texts) may be integrated into the planned documentation, but should be combined with new data collections.
• Documentation projects which use the DobeS archive for scientific purposes for example for comparative studies but also to detect new research questions connecting documentation linguistics with other branches of linguistics.

  The project period may span up to three years, but shorter term applications can be submitted, too. A follow-up for a second project phase is possible, but the total project period should not exceed 5 years.   The budget applied for should not exceed the amount of 300,000 EUR.   Deadlines: applications are due September 15, 2011.