# Opus Magnum

**Funder:** Volkswagen Foundation
**Consortium:** No
**Eligible countries:** DE
**Official call:** https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de/en/funding/funding-offer/opus-magnum
**Last verified:** 20 June 2026

## Eligibility & scope

Aimed at outstanding professors from the humanities, cultural studies and social sciences. Funds a substitute professorship to free up time for writing a major scholarly work (opus magnum). Applicants must hold a professorship.

## Summary

The Opus Magnum programme from the Volkswagen Foundation funds substitute professorships for outstanding German professors in the humanities, cultural studies, and social sciences to free up time for writing a major scholarly work. Applicants must hold an active professorship and be ready to dedicate focused time to a substantial intellectual project. This is a rare call designed for senior scholars at a critical moment in their career.

## Who should apply

- Active professors at German universities or research institutions
- Scholars in humanities, cultural studies, and social sciences
- Researchers with an ambitious, well-defined manuscript or major scholarly project
- Senior scholars seeking concentrated time away from teaching and administrative duties

## Key dates

- Verify deadline and application cycle on Volkswagen Foundation website

## Tips for applicants

- This is a rare call for senior scholars, clarity about the intellectual scope and significance of your opus magnum is essential.
- Demonstrate how the substitute professorship precisely enables your project; vague time-management arguments will not succeed.
- The teaching-replacement angle matters: show that a capable substitute can maintain your course load without compromising department operations.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is eligible for the Volkswagen Foundation Opus Magnum award?

Active professors at German universities and research institutions in the humanities, cultural studies, and social sciences.

### What does the Opus Magnum award fund?

A substitute professorship that frees the applicant from teaching and administrative duties to focus on writing a major scholarly work.

### Which countries are eligible for Opus Magnum?

Germany; applicants must hold a professorship at a German institution.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/volkswagen-foundation-opus-magnum-2026) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.