At the initiative of the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Mikheil Chkhenkeli, Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia will announce a targeted grant competition for the protection of the state language (Georgian and Abkhazian) in 2022, which will promote the functioning of Georgian and Abkhazian languages, protection, and research.

The Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Mikheil Chkhenkeli held a working meeting with the Director General of the Shota Rustaveli Georgian National Science Foundation, Jaba Samushia and the Chairman of the State Language Department, Giorgi Alibegashvili and discussed issues related to the grant competition. 

At the meeting, the parties noted that the new targeted competition is a matter of state importance, as Abkhazian scholars interested in researching the Abkhazian language will have the opportunity to participate in it along with Georgian language researchers. 

At the initiative of Mikheil Chkhenkeli, the process of elaboration and refinement of the tender regulations will be transparent, and the scientific community will take an active part in it. 

Within the framework of the competition, special attention will be paid to the issues of standardization of state language, terminology, creation of language technologies and resources, research, and documentation of Georgian and Kartvelian, as well as ethnic minority languages. 

The total budget of the target competition is GEL 240 000, under which four projects will be funded. 

It should be noted that the grant program is in line with the unified state language strategy and action plan for 2021-2030 created by the State Language Department. 

The main goal of the state language strategy is to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the state language. To achieve this goal, several important tasks have been identified: supporting the functioning and popularization of the Georgian and Abkhazian languages; Regular updating and introduction of the norms of the Georgian literary language; Promoting the level of Georgian language proficiency at all levels of formal and non-formal education; Promoting fundamental and applied research in the Kartvelian languages ​​and Abkhazian; Support for the teaching and research of ethnic minority languages ​​in Georgia.