FRANKFURT. The German Research Association (DFG) is supporting Priority Program 2392, titled “Visual Communication: Theoretical, Empirical, and Applied Perspectives” (ViCom), for another three years. The goal of the second funding phase is to further explore and theoretically model the unique structures and functions of visual forms of expression such as gestures, signs, and emojis.
Since its launch in 2022, ViCom has significantly shaped the research field of visual communication both nationally and internationally. During the first phase, 19 subprojects made important contributions to understanding how people create and interpret meaning through visible signs and movements, whether in sign languages, gestures, or digital communication using emojis. The interdisciplinary program has led to numerous publications, international conferences, and collaborative research projects.
As the second funding phase begins, the focus is on developing theories and systematizing the findings from the first phase. Using the extensive empirical data collected, researchers aim to advance new linguistic and cognitive models to describe visual communication in all its dimensions – from the grammar of sign languages to the role of gestures in conversation and digital forms of expression. Special attention is being given to supporting early-career researchers and fostering international collaboration.
“Visual communication is a cornerstone of human understanding, connecting language, body, and thought,” says Prof. Cornelia Ebert from Goethe University, who coordinates the priority program together with Prof. Markus Steinbach (University of Göttingen). “The second funding phase gives us the opportunity to further solidify the theoretical fundamentals of this comparatively young research field and expand scientific exchange on an international level.” Prof. Steinbach emphasizes: “During the first phase, a vibrant research community emerged, closely linking linguistics, psychology, neurosciences, and computer science. We now aim to deepen this interdisciplinary collaboration through new projects, programs for junior scholars, and international summer schools.”
In addition to its scientific goals, ViCom is committed to fostering an open and inclusive research structure. Programs for the advancement of junior scholars, equal opportunities advancement, and accessibility were already established during the first phase, including mentoring opportunities, family-friendly working conditions, and sign language interpretation at events. In the second phase, the focus will shift more toward practical measures to support junior scholars, while continuing and expanding successful equal opportunities and accessibility initiatives.
The priority program’s second funding phase will run until October 2028. ViCom includes a total of 17 subprojects located at various universities and research institutions across Germany. The German Research Foundation is supporting the second phase with €6 million, the same amount as in the first funding phase.
Prof. Dr. Cornelia Ebert has been conducting research and teaching at Goethe University Frankfurt since 2019, focusing primarily on semantics. She studied computer linguistics in Potsdam and, after several academic positions in Osnabrück and Berlin, moved to Frankfurt. In 2020, she received a Goethe Fellowship at the Forschungskolleg Humanwissenschaften in Bad Homburg. In 2022, she became the Spokesperson for the ViCom priority program, which she co-founded with Prof. Markus Steinbach. Ebert has also been involved in another priority program: XPRAG.de – New Pragmatic Theories based on Experimental Evidence.
Prof. Dr. Markus Steinbach has been conducting research and teaching at the University of Göttingen since 2009, with a focus on semantics, pragmatics, and sign language linguistics. He studied German studies and philosophy at Goethe University Frankfurt and earned his doctorate at Humboldt University in Berlin. From 2007 to 2008, he held a professorship at Goethe University. At Göttingen, he leads the experimental sign language lab. He is involved in several collaborative projects and serves as the publisher of a professional journal and two book series. In 2022, he became the Spokesperson for the ViCom priority program, which he co-founded with Cornelia Ebert.