New Directions in Historical Linguistics, Lyon, 14 May 2008 A New Direction at the ESF EuroBABEL: Better Analyses Based on Endangered Languages

www.esf.orgNew Directions in Historical Linguistics, Lyon, 14 May 2008

A New Direction at the ESF

EuroBABEL: Better Analyses Based on Endangered Languages

Eva Hoogland

New Directions in Historical LinguisticsLyon, 14 May 2008


EuroBABEL

A new EUROCORES Programme

Deadline Outline Proposals: 20 May 2008

Guiding idea: “Let endangered languages change linguistics and our ideas about language, culture and cognition”

www.esf.org/eurobabel

www.esf.org

EuroBABEL - Fact 1• majority of the world’s 6000 languages,

both spoken and signed, are disappearing or becoming more like the languages of wider communication

New Directions in Historical Linguistics, Lyon, 14 May 2008

www.esf.org

Thus• our ideas about language are based on

a small subset of the world’s languages• and our ideas about what is common

and what is rare are heavily biased


www.esf.org

Languages with evidentiality


www.esf.org

Languages with no prepositions or postpositions


www.esf.org

EuroBABEL - Fact 2:Several recent documentation initiatives

have produced new data, e.g.:– Volkswagen-DoBeS (Germany)– NSF/NEH DEL project (USA)– HRELP at SOAS (UK)– NWO programme (Netherlands)– …

But these data have not yet had sufficient influence on our thinking about language


www.esf.org

EuroBABEL is different by• creating a framework for collaboration

and integration of theory into primary data analysis

• bringing the newly gathered data to bear on the development of linguistic theory and all areas concerned with the study of language, i.e., the role of language in human society and history.



EuroBABEL – Topic Areas

I. Linguistic theory and endangered languagesII. Innovative approaches to creating descriptive

resources for endangered languages III. Language, cognition and social organisation in

a cross-linguistic perspective

Ideally, projects will build upon existing data sets, which may include archival material, combined with new fieldwork on the language(s) in question.


EuroBABEL Practicalities

Participating countries: Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and US

Deadline Outline Proposals: Tuesday 20 May 2008

www.esf.org/eurobabel

www.esf.org

www.esf.org


Part 1: About the European Science Foundation


About ESF

80 Member Organisations (MOs) in 30 countries, beyond the European Union.

o Research funding organisations

o Research performing organisations

o Academies


About ESF

• Established 1974• Independent, non-governmental• Offices in Strasbourg and Brussels• Budget: 45M€• Networking Budget: 1-3B€• Covering all research domains

www.esf.org


Part 2: About EUROCORES

www.esf.org

fragmentedresearch strengths

new, integratedknowledge

Funding agencies join forcesto support cutting edge collaborative research

on complex / broad questions

Responsive mode•Bottom-up, researcher-led

identification of themes•Consultation with funders

•Combines researcher’s needs and strategic priorities

Create critical mass in a global context:

New approaches, new collaborations, new knowledge

EUROCORES Vision

Complementary to national research programmes

and EC framework programme



What are EUROCORES?European Collaborative Research Programmes

are researcher-led research co-operations - for all areas of research - that create the critical mass of top-scientists necessary to tackle complex scientific questions.

First testing ground for the possibilities of - and problems - with joining national funding mechanisms at the European level.

Response to urgent need for harmonised and robust instruments and procedures for the coordination of joint activities of national research organisations, complementing EC FP and national programmes.


EUROCORES - Main Features• Multi-national research projects (research groups

from at least 3 different participating countries )• European competition• Funding remains national • ESF ensures quality control • Provides flexible framework for collaboration of

national funding agencies• Investigator driven

A Eurocores programme typically involves• 8-20 participating countries • a research budget of 5-12 M€• A running time of 3-4 years


EUROCORES - Where are we now?

Ca. 200 programme proposals submittedCa. 40 programmes selectedCa. 8.000 applications of Collaborative

Research teams (CRPs)Ca. 200 M€ fundingCa. 70 funding organisations from ca. 35

countries, within and outside Europe

Documents

New Directions in Historical Linguistics, Lyon, 14 May 2008 A New Direction at the ESF EuroBABEL: Better Analyses Based on Endangered Languages