Deadline: 18-Dec-2025
The World Wildlife Fund is excited to announce the competitive Fonseca Leadership Program supported by the GEF, designed to advance local and regional conservation leadership in Latin America.
The program focuses on applied conservation – specifically courses of study and research that ground students in ‘real world’ conservation challenges therefore providing training that will be critical for the early career researchers to design and implement conservation action. It also emphasizes the ecological and socioeconomic context of biodiversity conservation and why the proposed work is needed at local, national, and regional levels.
Fellows are encouraged to build on partnership and active engagement with local communities, academic research, and practitioners, while considering human dimensions in conservation and sustainable development, including community-based conservation and science, Indigenous peoples knowledge systems, and enhancing local expertise, skills, and knowledge.
The Fonseca Leadership Program offers funding support to the current and next generation of researchers and practitioners to pursue graduate-level studies, including master’s and PhD programs. Fellows may request up to $30,000 per year, for a maximum of two years for master’s studies and three years for PhD studies, with the amount of funding approved varying based on the proposal. Accepted applicants will be notified by June 2026.
The fellowship is open to applicants from eligible countries within WWF-US and the GEF priority areas who are already enrolled in or are interested in enrolling in a master’s or PhD program, including Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Suriname.
Eligible applicants must be from eligible countries, preferably with at least two years of conservation-related work or research experience, and be enrolled in or admitted to a master’s or PhD program in-country, across the region, or internationally. WWF or GEF employees, consultants, or previous EFN grant recipients should contact EFN to confirm eligibility.
The selection process will identify finalists through a competitive review, scoring applicants based on their academic and professional contributions and potential, the strength and quality of their research proposal, and the proposed project’s individual and collective impact. Proposals are expected to engage diverse stakeholders, including gender mainstreaming and the involvement of local and Indigenous communities, and demonstrate measurable outcomes. Collaborations and recommendation letters supporting the applicant’s potential for conservation leadership will also be considered.
The application timeline includes submissions by December 18, 2025, a selection process from January to April 2026, notifications to successful applicants in June 2026, and grant contracts signed in July–August 2026.
For more information, visit WWF.
