ESF Grants: Information and Application Process

The Foundation has two grant programs:

The Interlinguistics Support Fund and the General Support Fund

Interlinguistics Support Fund (ISF):

The Interlinguistics Support Fund (ISF) is administered by an international panel under the auspices of the Center for Research and Documentation on World Language Problems. It awards small grants, normally less than $2000, to assist scholars and advanced students in conducting research in the fields of language planning, interlinguistics, transnational language policy, linguistic justice, and planned languages (including Esperanto). The grants may cover the purchase of, or access to, research materials, attendance at conferences, travel to research libraries, fieldwork support, website development, publication costs, etc. ISF grants are awarded on a competitive basis and must normally be used within a year of the award. See below for deadlines.

General Support Fund (GSF):

The General Support Fund (GSF) covers all three of ESF’s current priorities: Research, Education, and Conservation. It is open to individuals and organizations, including universities. Projects must sit firmly within ESF’s priority areas. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Although most grants are small and must normally be used within a year of the award, occasionally grants are made for longer periods and in larger amounts. Before making a request for funding, it is best to submit a brief message of inquiry to admin (at) esperantic.org. GSF applications are reviewed by a subcommittee of the ESF Board of Directors. GSF applications that fall within the guidelines for the ISF will be referred to the ISF committee.

Application and Notification Deadlines:

There are three application deadlines per year, for both of the above support programs:

  • 31 January
  • 30 April
  • 30 September

Whenever possible, applicants will be notified of acceptance or rejection within one month of the application deadline, although ESF may ask for additional information before making a final decision, thereby requiring additional time.

 

 

 

How to apply:

We prefer to receive applications in English or Esperanto.

You are encouraged to use our grant application template. Choose page one for an application in English and page two for an application in Esperanto.

A proposal should include the following:

  • Brief summary (1-3 sentences)
  • Expected outcomes and deliverables (e.g. article, book, research report, website)
  • Budget (ESF tends to favor proposals in which part of the cost is borne by other sources)
  • Brief biographies of project participants, including their qualifications for undertaking the project.
  • Explanation of how the project aligns with the priorities of ESF
  • Provide three references

Proposals should be addressed to: admin@esperantic.org

Further questions:

  • Conference participation. Will the applicant present a paper at the conference?
  • Support for research and/or fieldwork. What are the plans for publication and dissemination of the results?
  • Website development. What are the purpose, extent, and likely impact of the project, and what are the plans for long-term maintenance of the site?
  • Support for monographs and other publications. What work has already been completed, who is the audience, what scholarly work already exists in the field, and what is the work’s intended impact?

Additional guidelines and information:

Because there are many resources for beginners to learn Esperanto (Duolingo, Lernu.net, local courses, etc.), normally ESF does not fund Esperanto courses for beginners.

ESF favors proposals showing evidence of cost-sharing, including grants from other organizations or entities.

Successful grant applications will be those that best align with the priorities and focus areas of ESF.

However, ESF welcomes innovative proposals and does occasionally fund proposals outside its immediate priority areas. Potential applicants are encouraged to check with ESF before submitting a proposal that is outside our stated priorities.

ESF is not an Esperanto organization: it is interested in a range of topics that may include Esperanto but are fundamentally broader in scope. However, ESF will fund projects that benefit the Esperanto community when they align well with ESF’s overall priorities.

While ESF funds proposals in all regions of the world, it tends to give priority to projects that have relevance for a North American audience.

A payment timeline and deliverables will be agreed with the successful grant applicant and payment is contingent on providing the agreed deliverables.

Funding is generally paid in installments, with a final payment upon completion of the project.

ESF normally asks for the following of grantees:

    • Picture and wording for a social media post.
    • Final report that includes the results of the project or event, who benefited and future plans, etc.
    • A short article that will be posted on the ESF blog ESFConnected
    • A write up for inclusion in Information for Interlinguistics (IfI) and the companion Informilo por Interligvistoj (IpI)
    • Photos related to the project or event that can be posted on the ESF webpage
    • A testimonial of appreciation to ESF for the support given
    • Other deliverables depending on the nature of the project

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