Application Deadline: February 6, 2026.
Applications are now open for the 2026 Fonseca Leadership Program in Africa. Through the generous support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) Graduate Scholarship Program (GSP) is honored to announce the Fonseca Leadership Program in Africa, to support rising African conservation leaders seeking to pursue a Masters or Ph.D. degree.
Eligibility
Only nominated applicants will be considered, no unsolicited applications are reviewed.
All candidates must be:
- Nominated by a pre-approved/eligible nominator, including government officials; senior officials from intergovernmental agencies, academic professors, senior conservationists within the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Conservation International (CI); senior conservationists within select national NGOs;
- A citizen of a GEF recipient country in Africa
The most competitive candidates are practical conservationists, with career goals rooted in applied, practical, on the ground conservation, rather than purely academic pursuits. Candidates do not need to have been accepted in any graduate program in order to be eligible, but should plan to begin studies no later than October of the year following their award.
Nomination Procedure
The call for nominations for the 2026 Fonseca Leadership Program in Africa, administered through the WCS GSP, is now open. The process will occur in two stages.
- Stage 1: Submission of the short-form application, due February 6, 2026.
- Stage 2: Applicants approved from Stage 1 will be invited to submit a long-form application, due March 30, 2026.
- Final Decisions: Scholarship award decisions are expected to be announced by June 2026.
Nomination Process:
- Only nominated applicants will be considered; unsolicited applications will not be reviewed.
- Each nominator may submit only one nomination.
- To obtain approval for a nominator, interested applicants must email the following information to Kate Mastro ([email protected]):
- A brief summary of the proposed nominator, including their name, job title, place of employment and a high-level description of their role.
- An abridged Curriculum Vitae for the proposed nominator (maximum four pages).
- Once the nominator is approved, the required nomination forms will be shared with the applicant and approved nominator. The forms include:
- A set of short-answer questions (five questions for the nominator and three questions for the nominee).
- An abridged Curriculum Vitae for the nominee (maximum four pages).
- Three letters of recommendation. Referees may include academic advisors, work supervisors, or other individuals familiar with the applicant’s qualifications/abilities.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Fonseca Leadership Program in Africa
