Major grants for research into linguistic phenomena and Vikings in Asia

Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) has awarded SEK 325 million in grants to researchers in the humanities and social sciences. The two largest projects will receive a total of SEK 88 million.

Harald Hammarström, Professor of Linguistics, is leading the project “Unexplored language phenomena (UNLAP): Identifying, documenting, and explaining the outer reaches of human expressive capacity”. This is a collaboration between the University of Gothenburg, Stockholm University, Uppsala University and Lund University.

“We aim to identify rare linguistic phenomena through fieldwork, shedding light on the question of how much human languages can actually vary and whether there are limits to what a language can express,” says Harald Hammarström.

Developing a digital resource for language data

He is looking forward to getting started with the project after the turn of the year, on 1 January 2026. During the six years of the research programme, the group will take a closer look at phenomena in at least 20 different languages. A digital resource will also be developed to preserve all the language data collected for the future.

“It’s really exciting to be able to realise the ambition of documenting more languages, which will also strengthen the local environment for students and colleagues who are not directly employed in the project. It will be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.”

Investigating the boundaries of the Viking diaspora

Neil Price, Professor at the Department of Archaeology, Ancient History and Conservation, is leading the project The Vikings in Asia: Diversity and Distance in the Norse Diaspora.

“We will be investigating the frontiers of the Viking diaspora, with an emphasis on the east and south: how far did the Norse really travel, where did they go, and who did they meet? Our research programme will explore Scandinavian interactions by land and sea with the peoples of the Silk Roads, and give us a clearer idea of their place in the wider world beyond the borders of Europe.”

Creating job opportunities for researchers

According to Neil Price, the grant makes it possible to conduct groundbreaking research. At the same time, the substantial grant will create job opportunities for a large team of talented researchers, many of whom are in the early stages of their careers.

“Uppsala’s position as a leading centre for Viking-Age studies will be further strengthened, with positive impacts on our teaching and outreach. It’s an ambitious programme, challenging but fun, and we can’t wait to get started,” says Neil Price.

Annica Hulth