NSF 16-617: Documenting Endangered Languages - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants
Closed
This grant is closed. A newer notice from the same program is open now: Major Research Instrumentation Program: (MRI) (NSF 27-500). Status: Closes January 29, 2027 (83 days left). It is in our archive of U.S. National Science Foundation notices from 2025.
U.S. National Science Foundation offered grants to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make about 15 awards worth $250,000 in total. It is no longer open on Grants.gov.
From the official notice on Grants.gov, last changed June 7, 2025. Checked November 7, 2026.
- Award floor$15,000
- Total funding$250,000
- Expected awards15
- Cost sharingNot required
- Funding typeGrant
Key dates
| Posted | June 6, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Archived by Grants.gov | June 7, 2025 |
Who can apply
This opportunity was open to the applicants described in the notice.
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: - Universities and Colleges - Ph.D. granting universities and colleges accredited in, and having a campus located in the US acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions. *Who May Serve as PI: <br />DDRIG proposals must be submitted with a principal investigator (PI) and a co-principal investigator (Co-PI). The PI must be the advisor of the doctoral student or another faculty member at the U.S. university where the doctoral student is enrolled. The doctoral student must be the Co-PI.
Is this a realistic fit?
- Most of the money in the 2 programs behind this notice (74% over five years) went to colleges and universities.
- No cost sharing or match is required.
What the grant funds
This funding partnershipsupports projects to develop and advance knowledge concerning endangered human languages. Made urgent by the imminent death of roughly half of the approximately 7000 currently used languages, this effort aims to exploit advances in information technology to build computational infrastructure for endangered language research. The program supports projects that contribute to data management and archiving, and to the development of the next generation of researchers. Funding can support fieldwork and other activities relevant to the digital recording, documenting, and archiving of endangered languages, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases. Funding in this solicitation will be available in the form of doctoral dissertation research improvement grants (DDRIGs)for up to 24 months and this solicitation addresses the preparation and evaluation of proposals for DDRIG awards.
Who has won Geosciences grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Geosciences (47.050) awarded $5.4 billion across 7,605 grant awards, an average of $710,829 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Corporation for Atmospheric Research | Colorado | 78 | $725 million |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Massachusetts | 288 | $627 million |
| Texas a & M Research Foundation | Texas | 3 | $287 million |
| University of California San Diego | California | 170 | $223 million |
| The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York | New York | 160 | $193 million |
Who has won Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences grants before
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (47.075) awarded $1.1 billion across 4,434 grant awards, an average of $247,002 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Michigan | 105 | $112 million |
| National Bureau of Economic Research Inc | Massachusetts | 79 | $36.3 million |
| National Opinion Research Center | Illinois | 8 | $25.7 million |
| Arizona State University | Arizona | 88 | $20.3 million |
| Regents of the University of Minnesota | Minnesota | 44 | $16.4 million |
Applying now
This notice no longer takes applications. Apply under the newer notice, NSF 27-500, which is open now.
The notice on Grants.gov keeps its full text and attachments, which is useful for planning a resubmission.
Questions people ask
Is NSF 16-617 still open?
No. It is no longer open on Grants.gov. A newer notice is open: NSF 27-500, closes January 29, 2027 (83 days left).
Who can apply for Documenting Endangered Languages - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants?
U.S. National Science Foundation accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.
What is the deadline for Documenting Endangered Languages - Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants?
Closed. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.
How much funding is available?
About $250,000 in total across about 15 awards.
Who has won Geosciences grants before?
The largest recipients over five fiscal years were University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Texas a & M Research Foundation. The program made 7,605 awards worth $5.4 billion in that time.