University of Pennsylvania (Penn Museum)

The Penn Museum will increase the capacity of the Cultural Property Experts on Call Program (CPEOC), which acts as a resource for law enforcement to identify cultural property that has been looted, stolen, or trafficked. Project activities will be administered by the Penn Cultural Heritage Center, a research and outreach center located at the museum. The museum will increase staff support for handling incoming CPEOC requests; improve data protocols; and recruit additional subject matter experts from the museum field to assist with determining object authenticity and provenance. The museum will also engage in a strategic planning process which will result in a planning document to support the project’s future development. Amendment 2023: $45,732 in additional funds were awarded in 2023 to support ongoing program operations, as well as further refinement of data protocols and planning documents in order to meet the needs presented by the growth and complexity of CPEOC cases.