diff --git a/dmp-backend/data/src/main/java/eu/eudat/data/dao/entities/ResearcherDaoImpl.java b/dmp-backend/data/src/main/java/eu/eudat/data/dao/entities/ResearcherDaoImpl.java
index ad7297163..6b05c69d6 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/data/src/main/java/eu/eudat/data/dao/entities/ResearcherDaoImpl.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/data/src/main/java/eu/eudat/data/dao/entities/ResearcherDaoImpl.java
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@ public class ResearcherDaoImpl extends DatabaseAccess<Researcher> implements Res
     public QueryableList<Researcher> getWithCriteria(ResearcherCriteria criteria) {
         QueryableList<Researcher> query = asQueryable();
         if (criteria.getLike() != null && !criteria.getLike().isEmpty())
-            query.where((builder, root) ->builder.or(builder.like(builder.upper(root.get("reference")), "%" + criteria.getLike().toUpperCase() + "%")));
+            query.where((builder, root) ->builder.or(builder.like(builder.lower(root.get("reference")), "%" + criteria.getLike().toLowerCase() + "%")));
         if (criteria.getName() != null && !criteria.getName().isEmpty())
-            query.where((builder, root) ->builder.or(builder.like(builder.upper(root.get("label")), "%" + criteria.getName().toUpperCase() + "%")));
+            query.where((builder, root) ->builder.or(builder.like(builder.lower(root.get("label")), "%" + criteria.getName().toLowerCase() + "%")));
         if (criteria.getReference() != null && !criteria.getReference().isEmpty())
-            query.where((builder, root) ->builder.or(builder.like(builder.upper(root.get("reference")), criteria.getReference().toUpperCase())));
+            query.where((builder, root) ->builder.or(builder.like(builder.lower(root.get("reference")), criteria.getReference().toLowerCase())));
         return query;
     }
 
diff --git a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/dmp/Researcher.java b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/dmp/Researcher.java
index d8c205c77..c3991eb32 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/dmp/Researcher.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/models/data/dmp/Researcher.java
@@ -94,10 +94,12 @@ public class Researcher implements DataModel<eu.eudat.data.entities.Researcher,
         researcher.setId(UUID.fromString(this.id));
         if (this.key != null) {
             if (this.key.toLowerCase().equals("internal")) {
-                if (this.reference != null) {
+                if (this.reference != null && !this.reference.startsWith("dmp:")) {
                     researcher.setReference("dmp:" + this.reference);
-                } else {
+                } else if (this.reference == null) {
                     researcher.setReference("dmp:" + this.id);
+                } else {
+                    researcher.setReference(this.reference);
                 }
             } else {
                 if ((this.key + ":").equals(this.reference.substring(0, this.key.length() + 1))) {