An important source of funding

The Aboriginal Language Research and Resource Centre’s preeminent role is to support grants to language development and revitalization programs in Aboriginal communities. Since 2003 the program has provided over $1 million towards Aboriginal language projects under the Community Languages Assistance Program.

Aboriginal Community Languages Assistance (Grants) Program

The Language Centre administers the Aboriginal Community Languages Assistance Program. This grants program provides one-off grants of up to $25,000 to Aboriginal community organisations to help them undertake language revitalisation. Projects eligible to apply must meet the following selection criteria:

Other sources of funding for language revival work:

1. DCITA funding http://www.dcita.gov.au/indigenous_programs/funding_programs_and_support/Maintenance_of_Indigenous_Languages_and_Records
   
   The Maintenance of Indigenous Languages and Records program supports the recording and transcription of Indigenous languages, the development of language teaching materials such as dictionaries and wordlists, CDs of songs in language and the development of data bases and supportive links between language promoters.
   
    
2. NSW Premier's Department: http://www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/
   
   This website covers available funding sources and how to support your bid by writing a successful submission. It also looks at alternative means of support and other ways to provide resources for your project or organisation.
   
    
3. The Endangered Languages Documentation Programme offers up to UK£1million in grants each year for the documentation of endangered languages across the world. In evaluating applications for grants, they look at the degree of language endangerment and the urgency of the situation. They favour projects that will document social and cultural contexts as well as formal aspects of languages, and projects that are likely to enhance expertise in field linguistics, including among members of language communities. ELDP is funded by the Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund. It is governed by an international panel, and administered by the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. The objectives are:

    

   • to encourage fieldwork on endangered languages, especially by younger scholars with skills in language documentation
   • to support the documentation of as many endangered languages as possible in order to facilitate the preservation of culture and knowledge
   • to create a repository of language resources for the linguistic, social science, and language communities.

    

• The project must be involved in recording, revival, education or use of language or developing materials to help in the use or teaching of language;
• Projects must support Aboriginal community language work;
• Applicants must be an incorporated Aboriginal community organisation, for example an Elder’s Group, or a partnership between an Aboriginal community organisation and an incorporated body;
• The items produced through the project will be made freely available on the publicly-accessible Online Archive; and
• the project is not currently receiving funding from any other government agency.