Carl Öhman has won the 2025 Researchers’ Grand Prix, Sweden’s leading science communication competition. For the first time in the event’s history, the trophy is heading to Uppsala.
Competing researchers must explain a project they may have spent years working on – in just four minutes. The audience and an expert jury decide the winner, making clarity, charisma and persuasive storytelling essential.
Carl Öhman, a political scientist at Uppsala University, researches what happens to our digital footprints after we die. In his presentation, he highlighted how his research had made headlines worldwide after he calculated that deceased users on social media will soon outnumber the living. Our personal data, he noted, is controlled by a handful of digital giants. What does that mean for future historical records – and who controls them?
“The internet is becoming the world’s largest cemetery, and who owns it is ultimately a question of power,” explained Carl Öhman.
The final took place at Kulturhuset in Stockholm
The final of the Researchers’ Grand Prix took place on 18 November 2025 at Kulturhuset in Stockholm, hosted by presenter Josefin Johansson. The expert jury comprised comedian Ahmed Berhan, KTH professor of the history of technology Nina Wormbs, and science journalist Lena Nordlund.
“Reaching out is incredibly important,” commented jury member Lena Nordlund. “If we understand what researchers are trying to solve and explore, the rest of us gain a clearer picture of the world. The challenge is to explain it in a way people want to listen to and can grasp – and encouraging that in a fun way is always worthwhile.”
The prize, which includes 20,000 kronor alongside the honour itself, was presented by the Swedish Research Council’s Director-General, Maria Thuveson.
“The Researchers’ Grand Prix is crucial for making research accessible, especially now, when ‘opinions and gut feelings’ spread at lightning speed,” Thuveson said. “It also strengthens the connection between researchers and the public. Many school pupils who might not otherwise follow research may become curious, and perhaps even inspired to pursue a scientific career.”
Second place in the 2025 competition went to Vivek Venkatesh Shenoy from Scania/KTH, whose research focuses on shifting heavy lorry transport from diesel to electric power.
Third place was awarded to Chalmers researcher Martina Olsson, who presented how X-rays can be used to develop more effective medicines.
Sweden’s largest science communication competition for researchers.
The Researchers’ Grand Prix is Sweden’s largest science communication competition for researchers. Since 2012, the final has been organised by the non-profit association Public & Science Sweden together with the research councils Formas, Forte and the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet). Finalists qualify through regional heats held in cities including Gothenburg, Eskilstuna, Stockholm and Lund, as well as a national heat in Uppsala open to researchers across the country. The competition is part of the ForskarFredag science festival, Sweden’s European Researchers’ Night.
