The Prescott Grant Program provides grants or cooperative agreements to eligible Marine Mammal Stranding Network participants. Below you will find answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the program.
There is no limit on the number of grants that you can apply for as the same eligible stranding network participant or researcher. If you submit multiple proposals, you must clearly identify the different projects and should address national and/or regional priorities. Eligible stranding network participants can receive no more than two awards per fiscal year as part of the competitive program. The two awards must be for projects that are clearly separate in their objectives, goals, budget, and cost-sharing requests. If you are applying as an eligible researcher, but not independently authorized under Sections 112(c) or 109(h) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, you can only receive one award for the fiscal year.
All Prescott awards are considered "new," even if the project continues previously funded work.
The project period for awards may be up to 3 years to complete the proposed work, but each award can only be $100,000 in federal funds. You should select a start date no earlier than August 1, 2022. The start date must be on the first day of the month and the end date must be the last day of the month. For example, from August 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023.
Yes, the project can continue work completed under a previous Prescott award, but it will still be considered a "new" application.
You can submit your Prescott Grant proposal any time after the federal funding opportunity has been published on Grants.gov. We cannot guarantee a review before the deadline date; therefore, you should ensure that your proposal meets all the federal funding opportunity requirements.
All eligible applicants must currently be active, authorized participants or researchers in the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Applicants must also be one of the following:
Federal agencies in the U.S. Department of Commerce or U.S. Department of the Interior are not eligible to receive a Prescott award.
Researcher participants must hold a current, active, authorizing letter for the proposed award period from the appropriate NOAA Fisheries regional administrator or the assistant administrator to salvage stranded marine mammal specimens, parts, and samples for scientific research (50 CFR 216.22). Researchers who are authorized under an MMPA or ESA scientific research or enhancement permit must still obtain an authorizing letter from the regional stranding coordinator to use parts or specimens from stranded animals. Researcher participants that would not require an authorizing letter from the NOAA Fisheries regional administrator (i.e., they will be working with data only and not possessing samples or specimens) must still provide a letter of eligibility from the regional stranding coordinator. Researcher participants must also have designated co-investigator(s) that are active, NOAA-authorized stranding network participants in good standing and provide documentation to this effect.
Indirect costs are overhead costs for the basic operational functions of a facility, organization, or business (e.g., lights, rent, water, and insurance). Indirect costs may be included in the budget. Applicants proposing to use an approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) must submit a copy of the signed NICRA with the application package. Applicants that have not previously established an indirect cost rate with a federal agency may choose to use the de minimis indirect cost rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (as allowable under 2 C.F.R. §200.414). If an applicant has not previously established an indirect cost rate with a federal agency, the applicant may choose to negotiate a rate with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The negotiation and approval of a rate are subject to the procedures required by NOAA and the U.S. Department of Commerce Standard Terms and Conditions, Section B.06.
The maximum amount of federal funds that can be awarded for any one grant is $100,000. The applicant must match up to 25 percent of the TOTAL project costs, NOT JUST the federal costs. If the federal portion (75 percent of the total costs of the project) is $100,000, the applicant's matching costs must be at least $33,334 (25 percent of $133,334). Match amounts must be in whole dollars. If the 25 percent results in cents, please round up to the next whole dollar. For example, a calculated 25 percent match of $24,414.29 should be rounded up to $24,415. Applicants are encouraged to use the cost-share calculator to determine matching funds.
By definition, all contributions are cash because they represent direct costs to the applicant. "In-kind" contributions are non-cash contributions from third parties (i.e., anyone other than the applicant). Non-federal contributions toward the match, including cash and third-party in-kind, are acceptable when such contributions are:
Verifiable from the applicant's records (e.g., a log of volunteer hours, copies of donation receipts).
Not included as non-federal matching contributions for any other federally-assisted project or program (including other Prescott awards).
Necessary and reasonable for accomplishing project objectives.
Allowable under the federal grants administrative requirements and federal cost principles. For further explanation of the federal grants requirements and cost principles, please refer to 2 C.F.R. § 200.306.
Not paid by the federal government under another award, except where authorized.
Provided in the approved budget.
Volunteer services furnished by professional and technical personnel, consultants, and other skilled and unskilled labor may be counted as non-federal match if the service is an integral and necessary part of an approved project. Rates for volunteer services shall be consistent with those paid for similar work in the recipient's organization (documentation of consistent salaries is helpful and may be necessary).
For the Prescott Grant Program, allowable costs for construction include build-outs, alterations, upgrades, and renovations to facilities. If construction costs are included, the proposal must allow the program office to determine whether the proposed costs are allowable, reasonable, and necessary. This includes any contractual arrangements that will be used to fulfill all or part of the construction work.
If you need a research permit, please apply through the NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Permit Program.
Funds will be equitably distributed among regions based on the program review panel’s recommendations. The program review panel—consisting of at least three national and regional Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program staff consulting with the Marine Mammal Commission, if possible—will evaluate technical review comments and scores, application materials, stranding statistics by region, stranding network effort or coverage per region, and previous Prescott award performance (if applicable). Equitable distribution will be determined using the best available data on average annual strandings and mortalities, sizes of marine mammal populations within each region, and unusual mortality events.
Yes, examples are provided here:
Standard Form 424-A (Budget Information: Non-Construction Project) (PDF, 3 pages)
Project Title Page (PDF, 1 page)
Budget Table (PDF, 1 page)
Organizational Summary (PDF, 1 page)
NOAA Fisheries staff in the field at a restoration project site in Louisiana. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
A school of lined butterflyfish swim above a shallow coral reef at Kona, Hawaii. Credit: Christine Shepard.