Fonseca Leadership Program in Africa 2026

Nominations are open for the Fonseca Leadership Program in Africa 2026, a fellowship to support rising African conservation leaders seeking to pursue a Masters or Ph.D. degree. The program is administered through the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Graduate Scholarship Program and honors the late Gustavo Fonseca for his contributions to biodiversity conservation. It targets candidates from GEF recipient countries in Africa and emphasizes applied, on-the-ground conservation leadership.

All candidates must be nominated by a pre-approved nominator, be a citizen of a GEF recipient country in Africa, and have leadership potential with a focus on applied conservation.

Nomination process occurs in two stages: Stage 1 submission due February 6, 2026 (short-form); Stage 2 long-form submission by March 30, 2026 for approved nominees; final decisions expected by June 2026.