About
From 2001 through 2025, the Program awarded more than $83.3 million in funding through 974 competitive grants to Stranding Network members in 27 states, the District of Columbia, two territories, and three tribes. The Prescott Grant Program provides grants or cooperative agreements to eligible stranding and entanglement 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
- Prescott Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Year 2025 (PDF, 42 pages)
- FY2025 Federal Funding Opportunity Supplement - Pathogen Prioritization (PDF, 2 pages)
- Data Management Guidance for Prescott Grant Proposal Writers (PDF, 1 page)
- Prescott Pre-Award Checklist (PDF, 8 pages)
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:
View received Prescott Grant Proposals: Applications Received
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 past 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 and/or National Marine Mammal Entanglement Response Networks. 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 or entanglement 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:
Mackenzie Griffin
NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources (F/PR2)
Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program
1315 East-West Highway, Room 13605
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3283
Need Help?
Mackenzie Griffin, M.S.
Stephen Manley, M.S.
Last updated by Office of Protected Resources on 07/23/2026