The Laura W. R. and George N. Appell Research Grants

The Laura W. R. and George N. Appell Research Grants, offered by The Firebird Foundation, support the preservation of oral literature and traditional ecological knowledge among indigenous communities. Established to honor the Appell couple's dedication to the Rungus Momogon of Sabah, Malaysia, these grants provide up to $40,000 for community-based projects. They encourage collaboration with community members to safeguard their cultural heritage and environmental knowledge, addressing the urgent need to document rapidly disappearing art forms.

The Firebird Foundation honors the legacy of our founders, George and Laura Appell, and supports efforts that contribute broadly to culture, language, and the environment for the betterment of humanity. Of particular interest are efforts that focus on preserving the environment, supporting the arts, sciences, and humanities, and supporting efforts that contribute to the preservation of the dignity of all peoples.
The unique oral literature and traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous people are rapidly being lost through modernization and the increasing deaths of elders and traditional practitioners. The Firebird Foundation is offering Supplemental Research Grants for the Documentation of Oral Literature and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to encourage the collection of these rapidly disappearing art forms and body of scientific knowledge.
Oral literature may include ritual texts, curative chants, epic poems, musical genres, folk tales, songs, myths, legends, historical accounts, life history narratives, word games, as well as traditional ecological knowledge including agricultural, hunting knowledge, information regarding animal migration and astronomy, etc.
These research grants are available to anthropologists, linguists, other scholars, as well as to individuals or teams of community researchers in indigenous societies who are dedicated to preserving their oral traditions and their knowledge of the natural world.
The Laura W. R. Appell Research Grants were established in 2015 to honor Laura W. R. Appell and her work among the Rungus Momogon of Sabah, Malaysia. On the death of George N. Appell in 2020 the Research Grants were renamed to honor both members of the Appell husband and wife research team and the body of work that arose from their continuing commitment to the Rungus Momogon community, beginning in 1959. It includes the establishment of the Sabah Oral Literature Project, their work on Rungus religion and society, and their work on the Rungus Cultural Dictionary.
The Laura W. R. and George N. Appell Research Grants are given in recognition of their long term commitment to the Rungus Momogon community and in honor of their Rungus friends, especially Itulina, Marajun, Minobidong, and Sovoli, their primary collaborators on Rungus religion and culture. The recipients of this Research Grant are expected to develop a long term commitment to a community and to collaborate with the community’s members to preserve and protect their oral literature and traditional ecological knowledge.
Each Research Grant can include up to $40,000 for the expenses required to establish a long-term community-based project. The project must explicitly adhere to the values, ethics, and methodology established by the Sabah Oral Literature Project to collect and preserve the oral literature and the traditional ecological knowledge of that community. The grant recipient will work with The Firebird Foundation to ensure the Sabah Oral Literature Project Guidelines are both adhered to and adapted appropriately to the individual community.

Eligibility

These research grants are available to anthropologists, linguists, other scholars, as well as to individuals or teams of community researchers in indigenous societies who are dedicated to preserving their oral traditions and their knowledge of the natural world.