About
From 2001 through 2023, the Program awarded more than $75.4 million in funding through 893 competitive grants to Stranding Network members in 26 states, the District of Columbia, two territories, and three tribes. The Prescott Grant Program provides grants or cooperative agreements to eligible stranding network participants for (1) recovery and treatment (i.e., rehabilitation) of stranded marine mammals; (2) data collection from living or dead stranded marine mammals, and (3) facility upgrades, operation costs, and staffing needs directly related to the recovery and treatment of stranded marine mammals and the collection of data from living or dead stranded marine mammals.
Prescott Grants provide valuable support for Network members, but do not fully cover the cost of stranding network activities. They are not the sole source of funding for the organizations. Many stranding organizations are supported by their local communities and volunteers.
Responders assess a group of white-sided dolphins during a mass stranding event. Photo courtesy of International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Fiscal Year 2025 Prescott Grants
History
The Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Act of 2000 amended the Marine Mammal Protection Act to establish the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program.
View funded Prescott Grant Proposals from previous years:
Learn more:
- Program Report: A Decade of Support to Save and Conserve Stranded Marine Mammals (2001-2010)
- Program Report: The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program Report FY 2011–2015
- Program Report: A 5-Year Review of Federal Grant Support to the Marine Mammal Stranding and Entanglement Networks to Respond to and Conserve Entangled and Stranded Marine Mammals (FY 2016-2020)
Recognizing the importance of all of our partners, and the key role of the Prescott Grant Program, NOAA Fisheries shares the accomplishments of six regional recipients.
For Applicants
Application Process
Who Can Apply?
Eligible applicants are currently active, authorized participants or researchers in the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Eligible applicants must be:
- Stranding Agreement holders or their designee organizations.
- Co-Investigators authorized to conduct marine mammal entanglement response under the Marine Mammal Health Stranding Response Program’s Marine Mammal Protection Act/Endangered Species Act scientific research and enhancement permit
- Holders of researcher authorization letters issued by a Fisheries Regional Administrator and/or of scientific research or enhancement permits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and/or Endangered Species Act, including co-investigator authorizations;
- Eligible federal, state, or local government personnel or tribal personnel (pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act section 109(h) [16 U.S.C. 1379(h)]); or
- Diagnostic or service organizations performing services for the stranding network.
An applicant cannot be a current full-time or part-time federal employee.
For more eligibility information please see the Frequently Asked Questions: Prescott Grant Program - Eligibility FAQ
If you are not a member of the stranding network and are interested in becoming one please contact your Regional Stranding Coordinator.
How to Apply
We strongly recommend all applicants visit the NOAA Grant Application Process website to understand the updated application process and allow plenty of time to complete all the necessary registration steps.
1) Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov, the online portal to all federal grant opportunities. Please note that you must be registered with Grants.gov in order to apply for funding online, and the registration process can take several days. See further information on how to register with Grants.gov. Note that as of April 4, 2022, all applicants must have a SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
2) Register your organization in eRA Commons
3) Detailed guidance on how to prepare proposals in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Read this document carefully to ensure that proposals meet eligibility requirements and are complete upon submission. Complete instructions for preparing and submitting proposals are also available through Grants.gov.
Submit your proposal by mail only if you have extenuating circumstances and are unable to submit it online. Note: please contact the Prescott Grant Program Manager prior to mail submissions so that we can ensure someone will be able to receive the mailed submission in our offices. The address for mail submissions is:
Arthur Wong
NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources (F/PR2)
Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program
1315 East-West Highway, Room 13604
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3283
When to Apply
This nationwide competition opened on August 2024 and will close on October 30, 2024. The grant schedule below provides additional information about the timing of the grant cycle stages.
Schedule
2024
July – September: NOAA Grants Office finalizes Fiscal Year 2024 awards. Award recipients notified via e-mail. Prescott Program Office also notifies non-recipients via e-mail after all recipients have been notified.
August: Announcement of federal funding opportunity for the Fiscal Year 2025 competition posted on Grants.gov.
August – October 30, 2024: Submission period. Applications must be received by October 30, 2024.
November – January 2025: Proposals screened for eligibility and required elements; reviewers solicited and assigned to proposals; proposals undergo technical review.
2025
March: Program Review Panel meeting convenes; funding recommendations made.
March/April: NOAA Fisheries reviews proposals and makes final recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2025.
April – June: Pre-award negotiations with recommended applicants; award files submitted to NOAA Grants Management Division.
July – September: NOAA Grants Office finalizes Fiscal Year 2025 awards. Award recipients Prescott Program Office notifies award recipients via e-mail. Prescott Program Office also notifies non-recipients via e-mail after all recipients have been notified.
Need Help?
Arthur Wong, PhD
Mackenzie Griffin, M.S.
Stephen Manley, M.S.
Last updated by Office of Protected Resources on 12/19/2024