Kozma Ahačič (born April 27th, 1976) is the head of the Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language and a researcher at its Department of the History of the Slovenian Language. His research work mainly focuses on the history of linguistics and the history of language use. He edits the dictionary portals Fran, Franček, and Franja, participates as a lexicographer in compiling Dictionary of the Sixteenth-Century Slovenian Literary Language, edits the institute’s dictionary series (Slovarji), and serves as the vice chair of the ZRC SAZU Research Council. and editor of the journal Slovenski jezik / Slovene Linguistic Studies. He is also the author of several modern school grammars, a columnist, and a music lover.

Research Area

• historical and contemporary sociolinguistics
• organization and planning of the work in linguistics
• history of language use
• history of grammaticography
• lexicology
• historical lexicography

Education, Academic and Scientific Titles

• 2018: research advisor, ZRC SAZU, Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language
• 2014: associate professor of linguistics, University of Nova Gorica
• 2007: PhD thesis: Misel o jeziku in književnosti pri slovenskih protestantskih piscih 16. stoletja (Thought on Language and Literature in Slovenian 16^th-Century Protestant Writers), Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana
• 2002: BA degrees in A – Slovenian Language and Literature and A – Latin Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana
• 1995: matura exam, Gimnazija Poljane, Ljubljana

Employments, Leadership Positions and Competences

Employments:

• 2021: Associate professor of linguistics, ZRC SAZU Graduate School
• 2011: visiting professor, Alpen-Adria-Universität, Klagenfurt, Austria
• 2008–2017: secondary employment, University of Nova Gorica
• 2008–2013: temporary employment, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana
• 2014–: temporary employment, Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU
• 2003–: ZRC SAZU, Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language

Leadership Positions:

• 2024–: Editor-in-chief and coordinator of the dictionary portal Franja.si
• 2024–: Vice chair of the ZRC SAZU Research Council
• 2023–2024: Vice dean of the ZRC SAZU Graduate School
• 2022–: Head of the Central Specialized Information Center for the Humanities
• 2021–: Editor-in-chief and coordinator of the dictionary portal Franček.si
• 2017–2021: Leader of the projects Portal Franček, Language Consulting Site for Teachers of Slovenian, and School Dictionary of Slovenian (Ministry of Culture and the European Social Fund)
• 2016–2017: Leader of the target research project Language Policy of the Republic of Slovenia and the Needs of Users
• 2015–: Leader of the program group Slovenian Language in Synchronic and Diachronic Development
• 2014–: Editor and work coordinator of the dictionary portal Fran.si
• 2014–2018: Leader of the basic research project Historical Dictionary of Sixteenth-Century Slovenian Literary Language: Volume 1
• 2013–2018: Deputy head of the Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language
• 2012–: Member of the Research Council of the Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovenian Language
• 2012–2018: Head of the Department of the History of the Slovenian Language
• 2012–2013: President of the Expert Committee for Slovenian at the Ministry of Culture
• 2011–: Editor of the international journal Slovenski jezik / Slovene Linguistic Studies
• 2011–2019: Leader of the institute’s internal project Digitization of Sixteenth-Century Texts
• 2011–2014: Leader of the basic research project Incorporation of Selected Grammars by Slovenian Authors into the International Corpus CTLF (Corpus de textes linguistiques fondamentaux) and Establishment of the Slovenian Grammars and Orthographical Dictionaries Portal
• 2008–2010: Leader of the postdoctoral research project Linguistic History and Sociolinguistic Features of Linguistic Thought in Slovenia between 1607 and 1758

Supervision:

• initiation of new colleagues into the work: Metod Čepar, Alenka Jelovšek
• PhD supervision: Aleksander Erniša, Mitja Trojar
• young researchers: Mitja Trojar, Janoš Ježovnik

Other Experience:

• visits: Heidelberg (2018), Ulm (2013), Paris (2012), Saint Petersburg (2011), Prague (2008), Munich (2005, 2006), Moscow (2001, 2003)

Work in Editorial Boards and Expert Commissions

• 2024–: Member of the executive council of the European Federation of National Institutions for Language (EFNIL)
• 2024–: Member of the editorial board of the journal Naše řeč (Prague)
• 2024–: Member of the ZRC SAZU Awards Committee
• 2024–: Editor of the series Slovarji
• 2023–: Member of the ZRSŠ Curriculum Committee for Slovenian
• 2023–: Member of the Committee for Developing Joint Objectives and Integrating Them into the Curricula and Catalogs of Knowledge Standards in Culture, Art, and Civics at the Slovenian National Education Institute (ZRSŠ)
• 2023–: Member of the ZRC SAZU Committee for Selecting Projects for Financing New Research Horizons 
• 2023: Head of the organizational committee of the twentieth Annual EFNIL Conference By the People for the People: Online Dictionaries, Language Portals, and the Role of Language Users, Ljubljana, October 11th–13th
• 2022–2024: Member of the Working Group for Developing the Language Education Strategy until 2030
• 2022–2024: Member of the Working Group for Implementing the Research and Innovation Activities Act
• 2022–2023: Member of the Working Group for Producing the Action Plan for Objective 5 of the 2030 Resolution on the Slovenian Research and Innovation Strategy
• 2020–2023: Member of the Slovenian Expert Council for General Education at the Ministry of Education2021–2022: Member of the Expert Group for Primary School and High School Curriculum Reform
• 2020: Editor-in-chief of the journal Književni jezik (Sarajevo)
• 2019–: Member of the extended SAZU and ZRC SAZU Normative Committee
• 2018–: Member of the ZRC SAZU Committee for Selecting the Word of the Year and coordinator of articles for the Word of the Week column in Delo
• 2017–2018: Member of the Slovenian Government’s Council for Language Resources and Technologies
• 2015–2019: Member of the ZRC SAZU Senate’s Graduate School
• 2015–2017: Member of the Working Group for Inventorying and Harmonizing Linguistic Terminology in the Curricula for Slovenian, Italian, Hungarian, and Foreign Languages at the National Education Institute of Slovenia
• 2014–: Editor-in-chief of the portals Fran, Franja (since 2024), and Franček (since 2021)
• 2013–2014: member of the Expert Group for the Preparation of the Action Plan for Language Education at the Ministry of Culture
• 2013–2014: Member of the Expert Group for Preparing the Action Plan for Language Education at the Ministry of Culture
• 2012–2013: President of the Expert Committee for Slovenian at the Ministry of Culture; in this capacity, he led the preparation of the 2014–2018 National Program for Language Policy, adopted by the Slovenian Parliament on July 15th, 2013
• 2011–: Member of the Field Subject Committee for Slovenian at the National Education Institute of Slovenia
• 2011–: Member of the Field Subject Committee for Slovenian at the National Education Institute of Slovenia
• 2011–2012: Member of the expert council of the Fr. Stanislav Škrabec Foundation
• 2009–2011: Member of the group responsible for languages in creating the White Paper on Education in the Republic of Slovenia
• Member of the program board of the symposia Obdobja 28, Obdobja 30, Obdobja 34, and Obdobja 37, and the seventh through tenth editions of the Škrabec Days symposia, and secretary of the symposium Slovenian Literary Language in the Sixteenth Century

Outstanding Achievements, Awards and Grants

• 2024: Completed textbook series Moč jezika for secondary-school Slovenian instruction
• 2024: Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) 2024 Excellence in Science award for the coauthored work Zgodovina slovenskega literarnega prevoda
• 2023: University of Ljubljana’s 2023 most outstanding research achievement award for the work Zgodovina slovenskega literarnega prevoda
• 2023: International Pretnar Award (Slovenian Language Ambassador)
• 2021: Excellence in Science Award conferred by ARIS for Slovar slovenskega knjižnega jezika 16. stoletja
• 2018: Delo Personality of the Year 2017
• 2017: Trubar Award for longstanding collaboration in studying Slovenian Protestantism and enhancing the profile of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovenia
• 2017: Publication of the primary school grammar Kratkoslovnica: slovenska slovnica za osnovne šole and the secondary school grammar Slovnica na kvadrat: slovenska slovnica za srednje šole
• 2017: Name of the Month in March (for the grammars Kratkoslovnica and Slovnica na kvadrat), Val 202
• 2017: Apple of Inspiration prize awarded by the president of Slovenia for the grammars Kratkoslovnica and Slovnica na kvadrat
• 2017: ZRC SAZU Golden Emblem for outstanding research achievements in the history of Slovenian linguistics and for designing the conceptual structure and graphic layout of the portal Fran
• 2016: The portal Fran edited by Kozma Ahačič received a prize for outstanding achievements at the Excellent in Science event organized by the Slovenian Research Agency, Ljubljana
• 2016: Elected full member of the French Institute of Slavic Studies (http://institut-etudes-slaves.fr/), Paris
• 2016: Name of the Month in October (for the portal Fran), Val 202
• 2015: Golden Pear award and a prize for the best children’s book in a Slavic language dealing with the history and culture of Slavic nations conferred at the book fair in Minsk (several prize winners) for the book Jezični možje: zgodba o slovenskem jeziku
• 2015: The portal Slovenian Grammars and Normative Guides, and an exhibition of all Slovenian grammars and dictionaries at the National and University Library, Ljubljana
• 2014: Award for the best electronic publication: Fran.si, Slovenian Book Fair, Ljubljanarsity Library, Ljubljana
• 2014: Trubar Distinction for outstanding achievements in conserving Slovenian written heritage awarded by the National and University Library, Ljubljana
• 2014: Grand Prize and a special award for the electronic book of 2014: the web portal www.fran.si, Slovenian Book Fair, Ljubljana
• 2014: English-language volume The History of Linguistics and Language Use in 16th Century Slovenia, published by Peter Lang
• 2014: The portal Fran: prize for outstanding achievements at the Excellence in Science event organized by the Slovenian Research Agency
• 2013: Participation in discovering a new copy of Primož Trubar’s Cerkovna ordninga (1564) and an exhibition at the National and University Library in Ljubljana after the discovery
• 2008: Golden Pear award for the book Primož Trubar.doc (11,000 copies)
• 2007: Publication of one of the most frequently cited Slovenian linguistic works: Zgodovina misli o jeziku in književnosti na slovenskem: protestantizem
• 2004: Fr. Stanislav Škrabec Foundation grant