Be part of The Fonseca Leadership Program – Apply now
With the generous support of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Graduate Scholarship Program (GSP) is pleased to announce the Fonseca Leadership Program in Africa. This initiative is designed to support emerging African conservation leaders pursuing a Master’s or Ph.D. degree.
These prestigious Fellowships are established in honor of the late Gustavo Fonseca, whose significant contributions to biodiversity conservation have left a lasting legacy. The Fellowships will be awarded to candidates from GEF recipient countries in Africa who demonstrate:
- A deep and genuine dedication to conservation in their country or region
- At least five years of relevant experience with a national or international conservation NGO, government, private sector, or academia
- Strong leadership potential
- The ability to collaborate and work effectively with diverse groups across various sectors and issues
- Self-motivation and a strong work ethic
- A practical focus, with the goal of benefiting their nation or region through expertise in their chosen field
- The right timing in their career to pursue further academic study and achieve substantial conservation impact, with the capability to succeed at a respected higher education institution.
Nomination and Application Process Instructions:
The application process for the 2025 Fonseca Leadership Program in Africa through the WCS GSP will be completed in two phases.
The first phase involves submitting a brief application by 7 February 2025. Applicants selected in this phase will then be invited to submit a detailed application, which is due by Monday, 31 March 2025.
The final decisions regarding scholarship awards are anticipated to be announced in May 2025.
Nomination Process:
- Approved nominators may only nominate one candidate.
- Interested applicants should email Kate Mastro (kmastro@wcs.org) to request the forms.
- The forms consist of a series of short questions and supporting documentation:
- Five questions for the nominator and three questions for the nominee.
- Curriculum Vitae, an abridged version, no more than four pages.
- Three letters of recommendation. Referees can be academic work advisors, work supervisors, or other individuals familiar with the applicant’s abilities.
Additional Information
To be eligible, all candidates must:
- Be nominated by an approved or eligible nominator, which may include government officials, senior representatives from intergovernmental agencies, academic professors, senior conservationists within organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Conservation International (CI), or senior conservationists from selected national NGOs.
- Be a citizen of a GEF recipient country in Africa.
The strongest candidates are practical conservationists, with career objectives focused on hands-on, applied conservation work, rather than purely academic interests. While candidates do not need to have already been accepted into a graduate program, they should plan to start their studies by October of the year following their award.
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