The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program provides grants or cooperative agreements to eligible stranding network participants.
We understand that these are very challenging times for our stranding network partners. We recognize many Network members may be feeling an increased financial burden as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated social distancing measures and economic downturn, including the potential loss of revenue or donations.
A few organizations have recently reached out to us to inquire about the possibility of applying for Emergency Prescott Grants to help reduce the financial hardships associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, we cannot accept applications for that purpose since the Emergency Prescott Grant Program has extremely limited funds that were not intended to be used for such purposes. Applications for Emergency Prescott grants can continue to be submitted to offset costs associated with marine mammal emergencies, as outlined below.
We encourage marine mammal stranding network organizations to pursue some of the other resources available for businesses through the CARES Act. Please see the National Sea Grant's Aid and Assistance Relief Programs page for more information on resources for businesses impacted by COVID-19. If we identify alternative funding opportunities for the stranding network community, we will pass along relevant information as soon as we learn about them.
Thank you everyone in the entire network for all your support during these challenging times.
The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program provides grants or cooperative agreements to eligible stranding network participants. Part of this funding is available for emergency marine mammal strandings through a competitive grant program.
Eligible persons or organizations may receive emergency funds even if they are receiving funds from the Prescott Grant Program’s annual competitive award cycle. They may not receive emergency funds for the same activities funded under their current award during the same time period, unless an emergency has exhausted current funds. Emergency funds are intended for unexpected events, not the continuous operation of a stranding network member. They will be available until expended.
An emergency is an event that:
Immediately or unexpectedly raises the costs for stranding or entanglement response, recovery, sample/evidence collection, diagnostics, or rehabilitation;
Is unpredictable (not excluding cyclical or endemic); or
May involve out-of-habitat animals.
To receive emergency Prescott grant funding, an event should involve one of the program’s eight national funding priorities:
Threatened and endangered species.
Mass strandings.
Out-of-habitat animals.
Human interaction cases.
Gaps in stranding response and rehabilitation coverage.
Natural and anthropogenic disasters.
Disease outbreaks.
Critical facility or equipment failure.
Find a list of emergency Prescott Grants previously awarded.
To be eligible, applicants must be currently active, authorized participants in the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network. They must also be either:
Stranding agreement holders or their designee organizations
Eligible federal, state, or local government personnel or tribal personnel, pursuant to Marine Mammal Protection Act section 109(h) (16 U.S.C. 1379(h)) or
MMPA/ESA Permit no. 18786-02 (or as amended) Co-Investigators letter holders for entanglement response.
Employees (full-time or part-time) of DOC or DOI may not apply.
Contact the appropriate NOAA Fisheries regional stranding coordinator to verify eligibility and determine if the application meets the emergency qualifications.
Prepare your proposal, following the guidelines for emergency Prescott applications (PDF, 2 pages). The project narrative must use the provided template (DOCX, 2 pages). Please read the guidelines carefully to ensure that your proposal meets national priorities, is eligible, and is complete upon submission.
For more guidance, see the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s frequently asked questions for applicants. NFWF is a private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization chartered by Congress. It works closely with several federal agencies and re-grants federal funds.
Submit proposals through Easygrants, NFWF’s online grant application system.
After submission, the Prescott Grant Program and the appropriate NOAA Fisheries regional stranding coordinator will verify your eligibility and determine if the application meets the emergency qualifications. All applications undergo both a technical and merit review. Successful applications are also subject to a mandatory Congressional notification period.
For questions on the emergency application, contact the NFWF Marine Team, Michelle Pico, at pico@nfwf.org.
For questions about the Prescott Grant Program, contact NOAA Fisheries' Office of Protected Resources.
For more information about NFWF’s Online Grant Application System, Easygrants, visit the NFWF website.
Guidelines for Emergency Applications (PDF, 2 pages)
Project Narrative Template (DOCX, 2 pages)
John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program
Pair of bottlenose dolphins. Credit: NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center/Lisa Morse.
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.
