Presentation
The Graduate Program (PPG) in Ecology and Evolution at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) was created in 2003 (Master's Degree only) and received the first class in March 2004. In 2007, the PPG in Ecology and Evolution started offering doctoral positions. Over the years, the Program consolidated as an international level course, with a great capacity to attract students, professors, young researchers, and employees in Brazil and abroad. Thus, even though the first doctoral thesis was defended only in 2010, the PPG in Ecology and Evolution at UFG obtained higher scores in successive CAPES evaluations, having received a grade of 7 (maximum level) in the last four-year evaluation (2013-2016). It is important to emphasize that the PPG in Ecology and Evolution is the first, and for the time being, the only program with the highest score in the CAPES evaluation at UFG.
UFG's PPG in Ecology and Evolution currently has a single area of concentration (Ecology and Evolution) with four lines of research: (1) Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, (2) Molecular Ecology and Evolution, (3) Limnology and (4) Macroecology. Most professors develop projects and guidance in more than one of these lines. Although the lines of research present themselves as "classic" areas within Ecology, in fact, the role of teachers in these lines has a strong evolutionary component, both in theoretical and methodological terms, thus aligning with the general proposal of the program. Furthermore, these lines are not independent, there is overlap and synergy in several cases (for example, the idea of conservation permeates all of them, although there is a line for more specific work in conservation biology).
The PPG is home to the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) in "Ecology, Evolution and Conservation of Biodiversity" and two long-term monitoring (PELD) projects (in Emas National Park, in Goiás, and in Silvânia National Forest), supported by CNPq and FAPEG. A total of 52 projects, reviewed in 2017-2018, developed by professors and associated with these lines, the vast majority with funding from different sources (especially CNPq and FAPEG), in addition to several cooperation projects supported by CNPq and CAPES (PROCADs). A total of 38 disciplines, reviewed and discussed by the PPG in 2018, with a strong theoretical and methodological component, support the research work and the general education of students in the lines of research.
The Program currently has 22 accredited professors, 19 of whom are permanent (83%) and 3 (17%) are collaborators. Of the permanent professors, 40% are, in 2021, exclusive to the PPG, and the rest work in programs at UFG and some at other institutions. Anyway, there is an effective dedication and participation of permanent professors in the program, in terms of teaching, research and internal administrative activities. It is important to emphasize that currently 15 of the 19 permanent staff professors (~85%) are CNPq productivity scholarship holders, of which 8 are at Level 1 and 8 at Level 2. Of the total of 5 Level 1A researchers in the entire university (maximum level), 4 are permanent professors at the PPG (Paulo De Marco Jr., Luis Mauricio Bini, José Alexandre Diniz Filho and Rafael Loyola). In addition, 18 permanent faculty members (95%) have a Hisrch h index (in JCR/WoS) > = 10, whereas 8 (~30%) have h > = 30 (see SCOPUS indicators).
On balance, the PPG in Ecology & Evolution currently has around 50 students (~15 Master's and ~35 Doctorate). Since its creation until the end of 2021, 186 master's theses and 112 doctoral theses have been defended, available on the UFG Library portal. In general, all students have scholarships from CAPES, CNPq and FAPEG. The program also has 2 Postdoctoral fellows in the PNPD/CAPES program, in addition to a number of other associated postdoctoral fellows, receiving scholarships from various development agencies.
For more information about the program and applications, please contact the coordination (diniz@ufg.br)