Opportunity Information: Apply for F20AS00048
The grant opportunity under CFDA 15.683 is the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. It is a discretionary grant designed to strengthen the capacity of qualified marine mammal stranding network participants to respond when certain marine mammals are found sick, injured, distressed, or dead. The program is meant to cover the full arc of stranding response work, including on-the-ground retrieval, veterinary and husbandry care, treatment, rehabilitation, and release when release is appropriate, along with scientific research that is directly related to those stranding and rehabilitation efforts. In practice, the funding is aimed at helping responders and facilities do the hands-on, time-sensitive work required to save animals, improve welfare outcomes, and better understand the causes and patterns behind strandings.
A key feature of this opportunity is that it is limited to wild populations of marine mammal species that fall under the Department of the Interior's management authority as described in section 3(12) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Within that scope, project selection is driven by how well proposed activities align with species-specific priority needs identified by the Service. The announcement also highlights a statutory preference: as required by the Prescott Grant Program, priority is given to facilities that can demonstrate an established track record in rescuing or rehabilitating sick and stranded manatees, sea otters, walruses, and polar bears within U.S. waters. That preference matters because it signals that proven operational capability and documented experience with these focal species can strengthen an application, particularly when the work involves specialized facilities, trained personnel, and established protocols for safe handling and care.
From the funding details provided, the opportunity number is F20AS00048, and the funding instrument is a grant under the environment activity category. The award ceiling listed is $100,000 per award, with an anticipated total of about 20 awards. Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the competition is broadly open to applicants of any entity type, although applicants still need to meet the program's functional requirement of being eligible marine mammal stranding participants and should pay attention to any additional eligibility clarifications included in the full notice. The posting date was January 22, 2020, and the original application deadline was March 22, 2020, which frames this as a specific funding cycle rather than a permanently open program.
Overall, this grant is best understood as targeted operational support for organizations that respond to strandings of DOI-managed marine mammals, combined with limited, mission-relevant research support. Competitive proposals are those that clearly connect requested funds to concrete improvements in stranding response outcomes (for example, increased rescue readiness, enhanced clinical care capacity, improved rehabilitation infrastructure, better post-release monitoring, or research that directly informs response and rehabilitation practices), and that demonstrate credible experience and coordination capacity for working with the priority species emphasized in the notice.Apply for F20AS00048
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "15.683" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.683.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 22, 2020.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 22, 2020. (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 20 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (CFDA 15.683) - FAQs
What is this grant opportunity?
This opportunity is the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (CFDA 15.683), a discretionary grant administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). It is intended to strengthen the capacity of qualified marine mammal stranding network participants to respond when certain marine mammals are found sick, injured, distressed, or dead.
What is the main purpose of the program?
The program is designed to support the hands-on, time-sensitive work needed for marine mammal stranding response. This includes improving rescue readiness and response capacity, strengthening clinical and husbandry care, supporting rehabilitation and release when appropriate, and improving understanding of the causes and patterns behind strandings through directly related scientific research.
Which federal agency administers the grant?
The program is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number listed is 15.683.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number provided is F20AS00048.
What type of funding instrument is used?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What activity category does this funding fall under?
The activity category is listed as environment.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is described as unrestricted, meaning the competition is broadly open to applicants of any entity type. However, applicants still need to meet the program's functional requirement of being eligible marine mammal stranding participants and should review the full notice for any additional eligibility clarifications.
Does "unrestricted eligibility" mean anyone can apply?
Unrestricted eligibility indicates the competition is broadly open across entity types, but the notice also emphasizes that the grant is intended for qualified marine mammal stranding network participants. Applicants should confirm they meet the functional requirements described in the program notice.
Which marine mammals are covered by this grant?
The opportunity is limited to wild populations of marine mammal species that fall under the Department of the Interior's management authority, as described in section 3(12) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Are non-wild or captive marine mammals within scope?
No. The opportunity is limited to wild populations of covered marine mammal species under DOI management authority.
What kinds of activities can the grant support?
The program is intended to cover the full arc of stranding response work, including on-the-ground retrieval, veterinary and husbandry care, treatment, rehabilitation, and release when release is appropriate. It can also support scientific research, but only when that research is directly related to stranding and rehabilitation efforts.
Can the grant be used for scientific research?
Yes, but the notice specifies that research must be directly related to stranding response and rehabilitation efforts (for example, work that helps improve response practices or understanding of stranding causes and patterns in a way that informs response and rehabilitation).
What does the program mean by covering the "full arc" of stranding response?
It means the program can support activities from initial on-the-ground response and retrieval through clinical treatment and rehabilitation, and through release when release is appropriate, along with directly related research that supports those operational goals.
How are projects selected for funding?
Project selection is driven by how well proposed activities align with species-specific priority needs identified by the Fish and Wildlife Service, within the scope of DOI-managed marine mammals.
Is there any stated priority or preference in selection?
Yes. The announcement highlights a statutory preference within the Prescott Grant Program: priority is given to facilities that can demonstrate an established track record in rescuing or rehabilitating sick and stranded manatees, sea otters, walruses, and polar bears within U.S. waters.
Which species are specifically emphasized for priority consideration?
The notice specifically emphasizes manatees, sea otters, walruses, and polar bears (within U.S. waters) for the statutory preference tied to demonstrated rescue or rehabilitation experience.
What does "established track record" imply for applicants?
Based on the notice, it implies documented experience and proven operational capability in rescuing or rehabilitating the priority species. The preference signals that facilities with demonstrated experience, specialized protocols, trained personnel, and appropriate infrastructure may be more competitive when proposing work involving these focal species.
What types of improvements might be considered competitive?
Competitive proposals are those that clearly connect requested funds to concrete improvements in stranding response outcomes. Examples mentioned include increased rescue readiness, enhanced clinical care capacity, improved rehabilitation infrastructure, better post-release monitoring, and research that directly informs response and rehabilitation practices.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed is $100,000 per award.
How many awards are anticipated?
The opportunity indicates an anticipated total of about 20 awards.
Is this a permanently open funding opportunity?
No. The notice provides specific dates (posting date and application deadline), indicating it is tied to a specific funding cycle rather than an always-open opportunity.
What was the posting date for this funding cycle?
The posting date listed is January 22, 2020.
What was the application deadline for this funding cycle?
The original application deadline listed is March 22, 2020.
What geographic scope is referenced for the priority species preference?
The statutory preference referenced applies to rescuing or rehabilitating sick and stranded manatees, sea otters, walruses, and polar bears within U.S. waters.
What is the overall goal of funding in practice?
In practice, the funding is aimed at helping responders and facilities perform the hands-on, time-sensitive work required to save animals, improve welfare outcomes, and better understand the causes and patterns behind strandings, as long as the work is within the DOI-managed marine mammal scope described in the notice.
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