HRELP

The Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project was launched in March 2003 by SOAS, University of London, with support from the Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund (later Arcadia Fund). It comprised three components:

  • the Endangered Languages Academic Programme (ELAP) which was tasked with research, teaching, student supervision, and outreach in language documentation, description and revitalisation. From January 2003 to December 2015 I was Director of ELAP;
  • the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP) that provided funding via competitive grants ranging from small grants for fieldwork to major project grants. In 2022 ELDP moved to the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy, Germany, and can be accessed here;
  • the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR) which provided archiving, training and support to ELDP grantees and to ELAP staff and students. ELAR staff were also active in research and publications on archiving and documentation and description. It was moved to the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy in 2022 and can be accessed here.

HRELP was discontinued by SOAS when funding from Arcadia ran out in 2015. An archived version of the HRELP website can be accessed on the Internet Archive here.

Annual reports were published by HRELP between 2006 and 2014 describing its various activities. They can be accessed here

HRELP ran an annual Endangered Languages Week from 2007 to 2013 with a wide range of activities showcasing the work of the project as well as providing information about endangered languages to the university community and the general public. Here are some posters from over the years.