Maine Space Grant Consortium
Maine Space Grant Consortium is an Augusta, Maine-based public charity and an affiliate of NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. Formed in 2000, it supports aerospace-related research and education in areas important to Maine and aligned with NASA’s mission.
Maine Space Grant Consortium at a glance
In short: Maine Space Grant Consortium gave $1.1M across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $62K), mostly in Maine. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,122,164
- -14.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +38.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $62,342
- -38.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $19,202
- Total assets
- $421,065
- -32.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (6 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Maine Space Grant Consortium
- How to Apply
-
For the FY 2026–2027 RID cycle, applicants were directed to submit a letter of intent and proposal using the program call and associated forms. The listed forms include a letter-of-intent template, proposal cover page, project summary, budget, and biosketch. Cost share is required for the RID program.
- Review Cycle
- The FY 2026–2027 RID letter-of-intent deadline was July 13, 2026, and the proposal deadline was September 28, 2026; both dates have passed.
- Deadline
- The FY 2026–2027 RID letter-of-intent deadline was July 13, 2026, and the proposal deadline was September 28, 2026;…
- Contact
Mailing address: 87 Winthrop Street 200, Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: (207) 622-4688
Website: https://msgc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Maine Space Grant Consortium
Who Maine Space Grant Consortium funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Maine ($437K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 57 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Consortium states that its purpose includes strengthening Maine’s aerospace-related research and education capacity. Its 2025 grant dollars went primarily to Maine recipients: 94% to Maine, 4% to Massachusetts, 1% to New York, and less than 1% to California, as reported in the filing data.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Maine Space Grant Consortium open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 18 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $85K. How we count
Medians: $14K first-time, $23K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $587K (2019) to $1.3M (2024). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Maine Orono, ME | Research and Education Grants | $437,433 |
| University of Southern Maine Portland, ME | Research and Education Grants | $200,062 |
| College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, ME | Research and Education Grants | $143,170 |
| University of New England Biddeford, ME | Research and Education Grants | $75,718 |
| Northeastern University Boston, MA | Research Grant | $49,133 |
| Maine Development Foundation Augusta, ME | Educational and Workforce Development grant | $45,340 |
| Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership Augusta, ME | Rent - 3,840 Workforce development grant - 20,000.24 | $23,840 |
| Educate Maine Portland, ME | Research and Education Grants | $23,720 |
| Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | Education Grant | $21,404 |
| Robotics Institute of Maine Augusta, ME | Educational grants | $17,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Maine Space Grant Consortium?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $421,065 | $1,842,879 | $1,840,865 | $1,122,164 | 18 | $2,014 |
| 2024 | $620,372 | $2,546,352 | $2,545,194 | $1,317,348 | 13 | $1,157 |
| 2023 | $623,670 | $1,823,356 | $1,823,347 | $950,855 | 9 | $8 |
| 2022 | $425,041 | $1,490,070 | $1,490,063 | $848,193 | 9 | $8 |
| 2021 | $475,433 | $1,010,110 | $1,010,102 | $634,890 | 8 | $8 |
| 2020 | $249,887 | $1,034,257 | $1,036,662 | $663,644 | 10 | $41 |
| 2019 | $218,402 | $924,086 | $925,605 | $586,657 | 10 | $41 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Consortium’s mission is to improve its affiliates’ research infrastructure in areas of mutual interest to NASA and Maine, encourage more students to pursue STEM careers, and enhance NASA’s presence throughout Maine. Its stated priorities include expanding Maine’s research and education capacity in the new space economy and increasing public awareness of STEM.
Its website describes programs supporting collaborative research, workshops, travel, curriculum development, and education. The Consortium says eligible applicants for space grant funds include faculty and staff at higher education institutions and nonprofit research institutions; for-profit organizations may be included if circumstances warrant and doing so furthers its mission.
The 2025 grants included research and education grants to universities and colleges, as well as education and workforce development support. Grantee-described missions illustrate the range of recipient organizations: the Maine Development Foundation says it fosters sustainable, long-term economic growth in Maine; Educate Maine says it champions college and career readiness and seeks to increase educational attainment in the Maine workforce; and Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership says it provides services to help Maine manufacturers remain resilient and thrive.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Consortium reported 18 grants totaling $1,122,164. Grant amounts ranged from $5,301 to $437,433, with a median of $19,202.
The largest reported grants included $437,433 to the University of Maine for research and education grants, $200,062 to the University of Southern Maine for research and education grants, $143,170 to College of the Atlantic for research and education grants, and $75,718 to the University of New England for research and education grants. Other recipients included Northeastern University ($49,133), Maine Development Foundation ($45,340), Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership ($23,840), and Educate Maine ($23,720).
The website describes application-based opportunities, including proposals for research infrastructure development grants. The FY 2026–2027 RID program lists collaborative seed research grants of up to $50,000, workshop grants of up to $5,000, and travel grants of up to $2,500. It requires cash and/or in-kind cost share; indirect costs are capped at 10% of the federal request for collaborative seed research awards and are not allowed for workshop or travel grants. The listed eligible applicants are faculty and researchers at Maine higher education and nonprofit research institutions. The 2026 MERITS program is described as summer internships for Maine high school juniors, rather than a grant program for outside applicants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists the following directors: Nikki Becker, Sascha Deri, Dr. Jason Goldstein, Dr. Giovanna Guidoboni, Dr. Jason Judd, Dr. Ruth Kermish-Allen, Dan Koloski, Chris Maher, and Dr. Jerome Mullin. It also lists Pious Ali as a director whose term ended in April 2024, and Chris Maher as a director whose term began in December 2024.
Maine Space Grant Consortium is led by Terry Shehata, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 2 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Terry Shehata
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
22 hrs/week
$55K (2019) → $77K (2025)
Jeremy Qualls
Chair
Director → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janet Sorter PhD
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Ziegelaar
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nikki Becker
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sascha Deri
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Koloski
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Giovanna Guidoboni
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Goldstein
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Judd
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jerome Mullin
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pious Ali
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ruth Kermish-Allen
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Maher
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jana Hall
Controller & Program Coordinator
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$62K (2019) → $75K (2025)
Scott Burgess
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Roughton
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Luke Shorty (2019–2024) — Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Shawn Laatsch (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Stephen Swan (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Ashanthi Maxworth (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Asli Sezen-Barrie (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Brian McLaughlin (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Mohamad Musavi (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Dana Humphrey (2019–2023) — Chair
- Former: Karl Hoose (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Joyce Gibson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Steve DeAngelis (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Annette DeCharon (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $77K, to Dr Terry Shehata (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Maine Space Grant Consortium
How much does Maine Space Grant Consortium give each year?
Maine Space Grant Consortium gave $1.1M across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 13 grants.
What is Maine Space Grant Consortium's typical grant size?
Maine Space Grant Consortium's median grant in 2025 was $19,202, and its average grant was $62,342, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Maine Space Grant Consortium that year got $18K on average.
Where does Maine Space Grant Consortium give grants?
Maine Space Grant Consortium gives mostly in Maine: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Augusta, ME (4 grants) and Portland, ME (2 grants).
Does Maine Space Grant Consortium give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Maine Space Grant Consortium's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research and Education Grants" (5 grants), "Education Grant" (4 grants) and "Educational grants" (4 grants).
Who are Maine Space Grant Consortium's largest grantees?
Maine Space Grant Consortium's largest 2025 grantees include University of Maine ($437,433), University of Southern Maine ($200,062) and College of the Atlantic ($143,170), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Maine Space Grant Consortium?
Maine Space Grant Consortium reported $421K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.8M.
What does Maine Space Grant Consortium fund?
The Consortium’s mission is to improve its affiliates’ research infrastructure in areas of mutual interest to NASA and Maine, encourage more students to pursue STEM careers, and enhance NASA’s presence throughout Maine. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Maine Space Grant Consortium?
For the FY 2026–2027 RID cycle, applicants were directed to submit a letter of intent and proposal using the program call and associated forms. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Maine Space Grant Consortium's EIN?
Maine Space Grant Consortium's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0532411. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 21, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Maine Space Grant Consortium funds
Science & Technology Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Maine Space Grant Consortium's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Maine Community Foundation Inc
Ellsworth, ME
Maine Community Foundation supports nonprofits and communities in Maine through grants for areas such as community building, arts, land and water, housing, and equity, as well as scholarships. Its 2024 grants had a median amount of $17,500, though awards varied widely. The profile describes online applications for competitive grants but does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$807.6M
Grants
1,161
Total Given
$57.6M
Vera Grace Greenlaw Trust
Portland, ME
Assets
$579K
Grants
9
Total Given
$33K
Higgins Mary E Educ Fund
Brooklyn, OH
Assets
$154K
Grants
5
Total Given
$5K
Elmina B Sewall Foundation
Freeport, ME
The Elmina B. Sewall Foundation funds Maine nonprofits working for equity and interconnected well-being for people, animals, and the environment, across areas including food systems, animal welfare, and community development. Its 2024 grants had a median of about $31,000, though awards varied widely; it accepts applications through its online system during designated periods and does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$164.8M
Grants
296
Total Given
$14.4M
John T Gorman Foundation
Portland, ME
The John T. Gorman Foundation funds nonprofits and government-affiliated entities working to improve child and family well-being and meet essential needs, especially for people experiencing poverty in Maine. In 2024, grants ranged from $500 to $345,000, with a median award of $20,250. It generally does not accept unsolicited proposals; most foundation-initiated grants are by invitation, though organizations may contact the Foundation with an aligned idea.
Assets
$223.5M
Grants
154
Total Given
$7.5M
Davis Family Foundation
Yarmouth, ME
The Davis Family Foundation funds eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in education, health care, and arts and cultural activities, prioritizing Southern Maine and then the rest of Maine; projects elsewhere in New England must benefit Maine learners. Its 2024 grants ranged from $6,000 to $400,000, with a median of $20,000. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$100.5M
Grants
92
Total Given
$3.2M
More similar funders
More Funders in Maine
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Maine Space Grant Consortium funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/maine-space-grant-consortium-morg_3985309494b24c0b953a5f6b99715ed6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_010532411_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Maine Space Grant Consortium funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/maine-space-grant-consortium-morg_3985309494b24c0b953a5f6b99715ed6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Maine Space Grant Consortium's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Maine Space Grant Consortium down — hundreds of funders to go?