Apply now for John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant (US)

The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant offers federal assistance through NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to support U.S. marine mammal stranding and entanglement response networks and their collaborators. The opportunity is administered by NMFS and issued as a cooperative agreement. The application deadline is 1 December 2026 (time zone not specified in the source). This grant program supports NOAA/NMFS’s Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP), authorized under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The program’s purpose includes collecting and disseminating reference data on stranded marine mammals (cetaceans and pinnipeds, excluding walrus) and tracking health trends of marine mammal populations in the wild. Under this competition, NMFS provides federal assistance to eligible members of: including their collaborators. The program supports activities such as marine mammal rescue and health-related data collection, emergency response, and efforts to build stranding network capacity (including training when facilities are absent or sparse). Eligibility is presented as a list of acceptable applicant types. Key points from the source include:

Eligible applicants include:

Mandatory Prescott Letter of Eligibility requirement (critical): All applicants must submit a Prescott Letter of Eligibility with the application to be considered for an award. The letter must state that the applicant: New applicants limitation (also required to be stated in the letter): For New Applicants, the Letter of Eligibility must state that the applicant is a new applicant who has never had a Prescott application reviewed during the technical review process of a previous Prescott competition.

Note on exclusions / clarification:

The source indicates additional eligibility clarification exists via an “Additional Information on Eligibility” text field (covered above). No other specific exclusions are provided in the supplied text. Funding supports activities that help achieve the program’s rescue, response, and health-data objectives. Specifically, NMFS states the federal assistance is for providing: This cooperative agreement opportunity is designed for organizations and collaborators that can strengthen the U.S. marine mammal rescue and response system—especially through emergency care and entanglement/stranding response. It also supports downstream work that helps improve marine mammal health understanding through data and sample collection from stranded animals. A key practical requirement is the Prescott Letter of Eligibility, which links applicants to the relevant national stranding/entanglement networks (either as an in-good-standing participant or as a collaborator). The provided source is a Grants.gov record that confirms the competition and key submission requirements, but it does not include full application steps or document lists. Submission method: Not specified in the source. Official application link: Use the Grants.gov opportunity record for NOAA-NMFS-PRPO-2026-31863. (The supplied text lists the Grants.gov page but does not provide a direct external URL to the specific application portal.) Deadline time and time zone: Not specified in the source. Grantor contact (as provided in the source): NOAA/NMFS/Office of Protected Resources (F/PR) 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13604, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: [contact details removed] Email: [contact details removed] What is the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant? It is a cooperative agreement grant program administered by NOAA/NMFS to provide federal assistance supporting U.S. marine mammal stranding and entanglement response networks and their collaborators. What is the funding amount for this opportunity? The Grants.gov record lists an award ceiling of $150,000 and an award floor of $1. The source does not provide the average award size. Who can apply? Eligible applicants include a broad range of U.S. entities such as institutions of higher education, nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status), federally recognized Native American tribal governments, certain government entities, small businesses, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and individuals (see “Who Is Eligible?” above). Is a Prescott Letter of Eligibility required? Yes. The source states all applicants must submit a Prescott Letter of Eligibility with the application to be considered. The letter must confirm the applicant’s network participation status or collaboration relationship. What activities are eligible for funding? Eligible activities include recovery/care/treatment of sick or entangled marine mammals, emergency response to stranding events, collection of data and samples for scientific research and health assessments, certain directly related facility operating costs, and training/capacity building where facilities are sparse or absent. When is the application deadline? The closing date for applications is 1 December 2026. The source does not specify the deadline time or time zone. Where can I find the full application instructions? Use the official Grants.gov opportunity record for NOAA-NMFS-PRPO-2026-31863 to access the “Package” and related documents. The supplied text does not include the detailed steps, required documents list, or the direct submission process. Review the official Grants.gov opportunity record for NOAA-NMFS-PRPO-2026-31863 and download the full announcement and application package. Pay particular attention to the Prescott Letter of Eligibility requirement and any cost sharing/matching instructions provided in the complete solicitation before submitting your proposal by 1 December 2026.