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Maryland Historical Trust

Museum Assistance Program Review Panel

Call for FY27 Applications

  • We are seeking reviewers to serve staggered terms of one to three years whose work currently meets the grant panel eligibility criteria (see below). 

  • Reviewers will provide feedback on the grant application and selection process, evaluate applications remotely, and participate in a virtual review panel later this year with other grant review panelists. 

  • Participation on the review panel will not limit your organization’s ability to apply for funding. 

  • If you are interested in volunteering to support Maryland’s museums through this exciting opportunity, please fill out the application by May 29, 2026. 

  • If you have any questions, please email Brenna Spray at [email protected]. 

The Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) administers a Review Panel for the Museum Assistance Program (MAP), which provides funding to support Maryland’s history museums and cultural organizations, helping them steward and interpret our shared heritage. The Review Panel informs the program’s policies and plays a vital role in ensuring thoughtful, fair, and informed funding decisions.  

Members are appointed by the Secretary of Planning and represent institutions eligible for MAP program funding. The panel also includes three ex officio members: one appointed by the Secretary of Planning to represent the Executive Branch, one appointed by the Speaker of the House (Maryland General Assembly), and one appointed by the Senate President (Maryland General Assembly).

Current members

David Shackelford, Staff Curator, National Museum of Health and Medicine (appointed in FY26)

Natalie Shores, Registrar & Collections Manager, Johns Hopkins University (appointed in FY26)

Kari Saavedra, Recreation Manager-Natural & Cultural Heritage, Frederick County Parks & Recreation (appointed in FY26)

Briayna Cuffie, Treasurer, Peerless Rens Club, Inc. (appointed in FY26)

Gabriella Cantelmo, Assistant Curator, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (appointed in FY26)

Rod Cofield, Executive Director, Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum (ex officio appointed in FY26 by the Secretary of Planning)

Vacant

Vacant (ex officio, appointment by Speaker of the House, Maryland General Assembly)

Vacant (ex officio, appointment by Senate President, Maryland General Assembly)

Grant panel eligibility criteria

Reviewers must currently work with an organization or institution that meets the applicant eligibility criteria, which include:

  • nonprofit organizations that are in good standing, qualified to do business in Maryland, and have operated as a nonprofit for at least three years; and
  • museums that are operated by a local government and have been in existence for at least three years.  

Potential reviewers should have three or more years of experience in one of the following areas: 

  • museum operations or administration
  • collections care and conservation
  • public history or cultural programming 

Museums operated in whole or in part by the federal government as well as state museums are not eligible to apply for this program, so their staff cannot be appointed at the agency level as reviewers. However, if you represent one of these institutions and are interested in serving as a reviewer, please submit an application and MHT will keep your information on file for ex officio appointment consideration.