Government of Espírito Santo and Instituto Trajetórias establish landmark partnership for international Master’s scholarships

Instituto Trajetórias
May 25
4 min read

Updated: May 26

The Government of Espírito Santo and Instituto Trajetórias launched, this Monday (25), two calls for applications under the Global Talents Espírito Santo – International Master’s Program 2026, aimed at selecting students, professionals from various fields, and state public servants for international master’s scholarships at top universities and programs abroad.

Applications are now open and may be submitted until June 23. All application documents must be uploaded online through the SigFapes platform.

The partnership aims to expand the presence of Brazilian talent in international master’s programs at world-class universities and strengthen public administration. One of the calls is open to the general public, while the other is specifically designed for state public servants from Espírito Santo.

“The internationalization initiatives promoted by Fapes are gaining new momentum with the launch of these calls. This is an unprecedented partnership that expands access to excellence in international master’s education, preparing talents in strategic areas for Espírito Santo’s development, aligned with the ES 500 Years Plan. Our goal is to qualify professionals and strengthen both public service and society for the challenges of the State’s new cycle of economic and social development,” said Rodrigo Varejão, Director-General of Fapes.

Leany Lemos, CEO of Instituto Trajetórias, highlighted that only 1% of Brazilians aged 25 to 34 hold a master’s degree, compared to an average of 16% among OECD countries. According to her, investing in master’s education at world-class universities is more than a personal achievement — it is a public policy strategy with significant positive impacts.

“It is a great satisfaction to participate in a project that opens scholarship opportunities for talents from Espírito Santo, broadening horizons and connecting students, private sector professionals, and public servants to the world’s leading universities. Investing in international education means strengthening the future of Espírito Santo and Brazil,” said the CEO of Instituto Trajetórias.

What are the calls for applications?

The calls are the result of a partnership between Espírito Santo State Government agencies and Instituto Trajetórias. Call No. 14/2026 is organized by the Espírito Santo Research and Innovation Support Foundation (Fapes), in partnership with the State Secretariat for Management and Human Resources (Seger), and offers scholarships for state public servants.

“Espírito Santo has been working to build a public administration that is increasingly innovative, efficient, and connected to future challenges. Through Global Talents, we are creating opportunities for public servants to study at international centers of excellence and bring back new knowledge and solutions that will directly contribute to strengthening public administration and the State’s development,” said Marcelo Calmon, Secretary of Seger.

Call No. 15/2026 is a partnership between Fapes and the State Secretariat for Science, Technology, Innovation, and Professional Education (Secti), offering scholarships to the general public.

Secti Secretary Jales Cardoso explained that the world of work, innovation, and public management is undergoing profound transformation.

“Today, knowledge no longer has geographical borders. People from Espírito Santo can — and should — occupy spaces at the world’s best universities. The Global Talents Espírito Santo Program embraces this vision: connecting intelligence, purpose, and international excellence to develop leaders capable of transforming realities here in our State,” said Jales.

He also emphasized that the State Government, under the leadership of Governor Ricardo Ferraço, has spared no effort to expand opportunities, invest in high-quality education, and strengthen the internationalization of knowledge as a development strategy for Espírito Santo.

“This is not just about scholarships, but about building bridges between Espírito Santo and the world’s most prestigious institutions, technology, and innovation hubs. We are investing in people who will return better prepared to think about public policies, economic development, digital transformation, sustainability, and solutions for the challenges of our time. Innovation does not happen through technology alone. It happens when we broaden perspectives, connect cultures, and give people the opportunity to learn from the most advanced practices in the world. We believe that developing people means developing the future of Espírito Santo,” concluded the Secti Secretary.

What do the calls offer?

Call No. 14/2026 will select up to 10 state public servants, while Call No. 15/2026 will select up to 10 students and/or professionals connected to Espírito Santo.

Selected candidates will receive:

A monthly scholarship of US$ 1,666 for up to 24 months
A relocation allowance of US$ 10,000
The possibility of tuition and fee discounts

The calls clarify that scholarships and relocation allowances will be paid in Brazilian reais (BRL), based on the exchange rate conversion provided by the Central Bank of Brazil on the payment date.

Approved candidates will be eligible to pursue in-person stricto sensu postgraduate programs (master’s degrees) at internationally renowned institutions under the Global Talents Espírito Santo – International Master’s Program.

The master’s program must fall within one of the following areas of knowledge:

State digital transformation, digital government, data science, artificial intelligence, and public systems interoperability;
Innovation policies, technological entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and innovation ecosystems;
Sustainability, climate change, green economy, bioeconomy, and energy transition;
Regional economic development, competitiveness, reindustrialization, and strategic production chains;
Public health, innovation in healthcare systems, and evidence-based management;
Public education, educational assessment, pedagogical innovation, and educational systems management;
Government planning, public policy evaluation, and results-oriented public management.