Presentation
The Graduate Program (PPG) in Ecology and Evolution at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) was established in 2003 (initially offering only a Master's degree) and welcomed its first cohort in March 2004. In 2007, the program began offering Doctoral positions. Over the years, the PPG in Ecology and Evolution has established itself as an internationally recognized program, with a strong capacity to attract students, faculty, young researchers, and collaborators from Brazil and abroad. As a result, even though the first doctoral dissertation was defended only in 2010, the PPG in Ecology and Evolution at UFG achieved high scores in successive evaluations by CAPES, receiving a top score of 7 in the two most recent assessments (2013–2016 and 2017–2020).
Historically, the program was created following a recommendation by CAPES, which observed that the “Ecology” concentration area within the former Biology PPG at UFG’s Institute of Biological Sciences (ICB) had matured and could be expanded and better structured as an independent program. In its early years, the PPG in Ecology and Evolution had a relatively small faculty and few students, due to the limited availability of scholarships. In the following years, new master's scholarships were awarded. In 2007, with the master’s program already consolidated, the doctoral proposal was approved by the CAPES Technical-Scientific Council (CTC), and the first cohort of PhD students was admitted.
The PPG currently has a single concentration area (Ecology and Evolution) with four research lines:
- Biodiversity, Conservation, and Ecosystem Services
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution
- Limnology
- Macroecology and Community Ecology
Most faculty members conduct projects and advise students in more than one of these areas. Their work is strongly grounded in evolutionary theory and methodology, in alignment with the overall vision of the program. These research lines are not isolated; instead, they often overlap and interact synergistically (e.g., conservation is a theme that permeates all of them, although there is a specific line for more focused conservation work).
The program hosts the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) in "Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity Conservation", two PELD projects (located in Emas National Park, Goiás, and in the Silvânia National Forest), and the PPBio Araguaia initiative, all supported by CNPq and FAPEG. Faculty members are involved in numerous research projects, most of which are funded by CNPq and FAPEG, in addition to several collaborative initiatives supported by CNPq and CAPES. A total of 40 courses, continually updated, with a strong theoretical and methodological focus, support student training and research across the program’s research lines.
The PPG currently includes 27 accredited faculty members (22 permanent and 5 collaborators). Among the permanent faculty, 45.5% are dedicated exclusively to the PPG until the end of 2024. Overall, the permanent faculty demonstrate strong involvement in teaching, research, and administrative activities within the program. Currently, 14 permanent faculty members hold CNPq productivity fellowships. All core faculty members have an h-index ≥ 10 (according to SCOPUS indicators).
As of February 4, 2025, the PPG in Ecology & Evolution has 57 active students (18 Master’s and 39 PhD). From its inception until the end of 2024, 222 Master’s theses and 151 Doctoral dissertations have been defended and made available through UFG’s library portal. Most students receive scholarships from CAPES, CNPq, and FAPEG. The program also includes one Postdoctoral fellow supported by the PIPD/CAPES program, as well as several other postdoctoral researchers funded by various agencies.