KAY WILLIAMSON EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION
Notes on applications for funding
All applications are to be made through this website; the trustees are dispersed and cannot consider personal applications of any sort.
Who can apply?
Anyone can apply but priority will be given to Nigerian citizens in the case of competing applications of equal merit.
What level of grants are made?
KWEF has been hit by low interest rates like many another charity and we have had to reduce our outgoings. The trustees will consider applications up to an annual level of £2000. Successful completion of a project makes an applicant eligible to apply for a further grant.
What
areas are eligible for grants?
The KWEF will make grants in the following areas;
a) Descriptive studies of Nigerian languages*, especially dictionaries and grammars
b) Ethnoscientific studies of particular Nigerian languages and cultures
c) Support to publication of educational materials such
as reading books, primers, etc. in minority languages of
d) Support to core costs of linguistics and languages
conferences held in
e) Support to equipment purchases such as computers and digital cameras
*Countries
bordering
KWEF cannot support salaries or honoraria nor will it contribute to general running costs. Consumables will only be considered in the context of particular projects.
KWEF will support primarily
applications relating to Nigerian languages, but will also consider
applications relating to other countries in
Guidelines
for applications
Applications will be judged on their merits, but the following guidelines should be considered when making a proposal.
a) Proposals to study majority languages such as Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and Pidgin English will not be considered unless the applicant can show that the dialect under consideration is little-studied
b) Endangered languages will be considered a priority where competing applications are judged of equal merit.
c) ‘Ethnoscience’ is the study of the natural world with a linguistically informed methodology, particularly the identification of plants and animals in Nigerian languages
d) Applications that make use of a highly theoretical framework will not be considered; proposals that include dissemination to the community are particularly encouraged.
e)
Applicants are expected to send their write-up to the committee of the trust
but can apply separately for support to publication within
f) Conference organisers applying for funds should be very sure that the topic of their conference falls within the remit of the trust and should support their application with detailed costings.
g) Joint applications are subject to the £5000 limit; in other words, this sum must be shared between the applicants
h) Support to costs of academic degrees will not normally be considered, although the applicant can undertake a fieldwork project supported by the trust that will lead to such a degree.
i) Independent scholars and non-established academics will be given priority where necessary
j) Applicants who have already had funding from Endangered Languages funding bodies, such as ELDP and Volkswagen will not normally be considered.
k) Applications for equipment purchases should state precisely what equipment is to be purchased, why it is needed, how it will be purchased and how its use will contribute to the broader goals of KWEF
Other
features of applications
a) In the case of support to research, one-third of the sum granted by the trustees will be withheld until submission of the final report, in the case of research grants. If the final report is significantly delayed beyond the deadline given by the applicant, the trustees reserve the right to withhold part of this final payment. Projects should normally last for one year unless reasons are advanced for a longer deadline. Equipment purchases should be backed up with supporting invoices.
b) The trustees reserve the right to send both applications and reports to referees for comment. The trustees reserve the right to reject reports on quality grounds on the basis of comments by referees. Decisions by the trustees are final and no appeals will be admitted.
c) The trustees will not consider applications for individuals to attend conferences
d) Applicants should be willing to have their proposals and reports posted on the KWEF website, unless a publication deal is in progress and electronic publication would sabotage the viability of the publication
e) Applications completed incorrectly or not accompanied by PDFs of the supporting documentation will be rejected.
f) The KWEF has a limited sum to disburse each financial year. Once this limit is reached, a notice will be posted on the website stating that no new applications will be considered until the next financial year.