The National Science Foundation has awarded Sadaf Munshi, associate professor of linguistics, a $284,000 grant to document and preserve Mankyali, a severely endangered language.

Munshi, the principal investigator, will collaborate with linguists and scholars from local partner Air University. Together, they will work with members of the Mankiyali community and also with personnel at the Forum for Language Initiative in Pakistan.

The fewer than 500 native Mankiyali speakers left in the world live in a remote village of Pakistan. UNT researchers and students will travel to the region and help provide a lasting record of the language.