A conversation with Dr. Adriana Gonçalves Moreira, Head of the GEF Partnerships Division, about the Fonseca Leadership Program – an initiative partnered with the FUNBIO Grants Program

Since 2023, the FUNBIO Grants Program – Conserving the Future has expanded its scope through a partnership with the Fonseca Leadership Program, an initiative launched by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The program pays tribute to biologist Gustavo Fonseca, who led GEF’s programs division for many years and ed away prematurely in 2022, leaving a remarkable legacy in global conservation.

 Dr. Adriana Gonçalves Moreira, current Head of the Partnerships Division at the Global Environment Facility (GEF), worked closely with Gustavo Fonseca and was also a close personal friend. She emphasizes that integrity, perseverance, and a spirit of collaboration were among the core values he championed – principles that continue to guide and inspire the new generation of conservation leaders ed by the Fonseca Leadership Program.

A renowned expert in biodiversity conservation, climate change, and sustainability, Adriana has played a key role in shaping and managing impactful initiatives, including the Amazon Region Protected Areas Program (ARPA). She is also a co-founder and the first president of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM).

 As the lead of the Fonseca Leadership Program, Adriana explains that the initiative is designed to transformative projects that harness science as a tool to inform public policy and drive real impact in nature conservation.

The program extends beyond Brazil, engaging 166 fellows across more than 40 countries on every continent – forming a truly global network of researchers. In Brazil alone, through its partnership with FUNBIO, the program has already ed 20 research projects.

Read the full interview with Adriana about the Fonseca Leadership Program:

What motivated the creation of the Fonseca Fellowship Program, and how did the partnership with the FUNBIO Grants Program come about?

The creation of this initiative was deeply meaningful to us, as it came at a very difficult time for the institution following the ing of our director, Gustavo Fonseca. The partnership with FUNBIO came about quite naturally. We were already familiar with FUNBIO’s Grants Program and saw it as a swift and effective way to implement the concept – already approved by the GEF Council – of ing youth capacity building and training a new generation of conservation leaders. We wanted to begin in Brazil, so partnering with FUNBIO, a long-time GEF collaborator, was an organic choice.

We discussed the different fellowship funding streams, and in Brazil, the focus is quite specific – most of the is directed toward field research, which is a critically important area. I personally benefited from scholarships during my master’s and doctoral studies, and I know from experience that funding for fieldwork is often the hardest to secure. This initiative is also aimed at addressing that gap, by ing the training of future conservation leaders in Brazil.

What types of research projects are you looking to , and what outcomes do you hope to achieve?

There’s an incredible pool of talent, and we a wide range of fields. But at the heart of it, we’re looking for transformative projects – those with the potential to create real, lasting impact. In particular, we’re very interested in initiatives that use science to inform public policy. That’s a key area where we see great potential for meaningful change.

We’re especially interested in projects that synthesize work across critical areas such as landscape ecology, protected area management, flagship species, and endangered species – always with a more applied focus. Scientific rigor is essential, of course, but we’re looking for research that translates into real impact: advancing species conservation, protecting Brazil’s biomes, and informing government-led initiatives and public policies in these areas.

Although the partnership with FUNBIO focuses on Brazilian researchers, this isn’t a Brazil-only initiative. Can you tell us more about that?

The program is global. Even though it’s still relatively new, we already have a network of 166 Fonseca Fellows, our grantees, spread across every continent. We’re now working on building stronger connections within this network. One of our strategies is to bring the most outstanding fellows into global policy dialogues, particularly those tied to international conservation agendas.

For instance, we’re organizing a training event for fellows from Southeast Asia and the Pacific, focused on leadership and navigating the science–policy interface. It will take place during the International Congress for Conservation Biology in Brisbane, Australia, this June. We’re also planning a special session at the IUCN [International Union for Conservation of Nature] event in October, with a spotlight on the program’s emerging leaders.

How do you plan to promote this global platform for researchers?

We’re developing a dedicated platform to foster integration and knowledge exchange within the program, which will be launched soon. I see it as a way to stimulate global interaction among researchers from diverse backgrounds. This is a key strategy of the program, to broaden researchers’ perspectives, not only in of scientific inquiry, but also by encouraging language learning, cross-cultural engagement, and a deeper understanding of decision-making processes at national, regional, and global levels. It’s a vital part of the leadership development we’re committed to ing in the field of conservation.

What do you hope these researchers – most of whom are still in the early stages of their academic careers – will gain from this experience?

We want the fellowship to give them the opportunity to fully focus on their research – financial plays a key role in making that possible. But just as importantly, we hope it helps them cultivate a broader perspective on the world and expand their sense of what’s possible for their future.

There are a few key ideas we hope to inspire through the program. First, we want fellows to engage with Gustavo’s story, his roots, his journey. He was a researcher who, early in his career, had the privilege of receiving funding that enabled him to pursue advanced academic training, both in Brazil and abroad. We invite those selected through a highly competitive process to reflect on the impact such opportunities can have, not just on their own careers, but on their ability to give back to their country and to the global environment. It’s an invitation to broaden their perspective and recognize the importance of aligning their work with the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Another important message is that scientific thinking, the ability to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, and apply rigorous methodology, can be used well beyond academic research. We want to broaden the perspective that pursuing a master’s, a PhD, and an academic career is the only path. While academia is essential for building critical mass, especially in Brazil and across the Global South, it’s just as important for researchers to remain open to other career possibilities – ones that allow them to contribute meaningfully in key areas and make a real difference.

I’m a biologist with a master’s and PhD who began in academia and now works at the World Bank, financing conservation projects because that kind of training is equally valuable in this space. One of the key messages I share through this program is an invitation to explore non-traditional career paths: working with civil society organizations, embracing an entrepreneurial mindset to create new processes, new institutions. We want to encourage the next generation to see their academic background through a broader lens and to pursue diverse opportunities where they can truly make a difference.

Which of Gustavo Fonseca’s values would you like to see inspire the next generation of researchers?

Gustavo and I were very close friends. What stands out most to me is his unwavering perseverance in pursuing his goals, and his deeply inquisitive mind – he was always asking questions, and never the easy ones. He embodied integrity, but also had a strong commitment to collective work. He had a gift for inspiring teams and bringing people together, and I think that truly defined him.

He also had a visionary approach to institution-building. He helped found Fundação Biodiversitas in Brazil and played a major role in establishing Conservation International (CI) in the country. His mission was always to leave a lasting legacy of strong, high-impact institutions dedicated to conservation.

What are the future prospects for the program? Long live the Fonseca Leadership Program?

Absolutely! The GEF operates in four-year cycles, and we’re already preparing for the next, GEF-9, which will run from July 2026 to June 2030. We’re now approaching the end of GEF-8, the cycle in which the Fonseca Leadership Program was launched, with an initial investment of USD 10 million. An expansion of the program is already on the table for the next cycle, broadening its scope beyond conservation to include other key GEF areas such as climate change, chemicals, and international waters. This expansion reflects a long-term vision: that investing in the next generation of environmental leaders is essential. The program is a cornerstone of GEF’s commitment to building youth capacity and preparing future changemakers across the full spectrum of environmental challenges.