John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (Prescott Grant Program) for Fiscal Year 2018 | NOAA NMFS PRPO 2018 2005309

Opportunity Information: Apply for NOAA NMFS PRPO 2018 2005309

The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (often called the Prescott Grant Program) is a NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) funding opportunity for fiscal year 2018 that supports the day-to-day work and applied science of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network. It sits under the broader Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program, which is authorized by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and is aimed at improving how the U.S. collects, standardizes, and shares information on stranded marine mammals and overall health trends in wild marine mammal populations. In practical terms, the program helps ensure that trained, networked responders and facilities have the resources to respond quickly when marine mammals strand, to treat animals when rehabilitation is appropriate, and to collect consistent, high-quality data from both live and dead animals so that NOAA and partners can better understand causes, patterns, and long-term population health issues.

This FY 2018 announcement explains how to submit proposals and how NMFS will decide which proposals may be funded, with a note that some requirements or details changed from the prior year and applicants should read the full announcement carefully. Funding is offered as discretionary federal assistance, using either grants or cooperative agreements, which generally means NOAA may have a more involved role in some projects depending on the award structure and project needs. The opportunity is identified as NOAA NMFS PRPO 2018 2005309 and is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce. It falls under CFDA 11.439 and is categorized under environment, natural resources, and science and technology/research and development, reflecting that it supports both hands-on response capacity and research tied directly to stranding and rehabilitation activities.

The program’s purpose is organized around three main types of support for eligible stranding network members. First, it funds core response functions and basic operational needs that enable organizations to respond to strandings, provide treatment or triage, and conduct systematic data collection from stranded animals, whether they are found alive or dead. Second, it funds scientific research that uses stranding-related data or samples to answer specific questions about stranding events, underlying health conditions, threats, causes of morbidity and mortality, or improved rehabilitation and treatment techniques. Third, it supports facility operations that are directly connected to recovery, treatment, and data collection for stranded marine mammals, which can include the kinds of operational capacity needed to run rehabilitation and response facilities in a way that produces reliable animal care outcomes and dependable scientific information.

In terms of scale and competition, the announcement lists an expected total of about 40 awards, with an award ceiling of $100,000 per award. The posting date (creation date) is July 24, 2017, and the original closing date for applications is October 17, 2017, for FY 2018 consideration. Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” with the expectation that the detailed eligibility requirements are clarified in the announcement’s eligibility section, but the description makes clear that the intended applicants are eligible members of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network rather than the general public. Overall, the Prescott Grant Program is designed to keep the national stranding response infrastructure functioning, improve the quality and usefulness of stranding data nationwide, and support targeted research and facility capacity that can directly strengthen marine mammal rescue, rehabilitation, and health assessment efforts.

• The Department of Commerce in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (Prescott Grant Program) for Fiscal Year 2018" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.439.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 24, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 17, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 40 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NOAA NMFS PRPO 2018 2005309

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