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 3b4904319..086adf820 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
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ 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(root.get("reference"), "%" + criteria.getLike().toUpperCase() + "%")));
+            query.where((builder, root) ->builder.or(builder.like(builder.upper(root.get("reference")), "%" + criteria.getLike().toUpperCase() + "%")));
         if (criteria.getName() != null && !criteria.getName().isEmpty())
-            query.where((builder, root) ->builder.or(builder.like(root.get("label"), "%" + criteria.getName().toUpperCase() + "%")));
+            query.where((builder, root) ->builder.or(builder.like(builder.upper(root.get("label")), "%" + criteria.getName().toUpperCase() + "%")));
         return query;
     }
 
diff --git a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/logic/managers/ResearcherManager.java b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/logic/managers/ResearcherManager.java
index 95066af1e..1671dd91d 100644
--- a/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/logic/managers/ResearcherManager.java
+++ b/dmp-backend/web/src/main/java/eu/eudat/logic/managers/ResearcherManager.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 /**
  * Created by ikalyvas on 2/5/2018.
@@ -40,7 +41,6 @@ public class ResearcherManager {
                     .build();
             researchers.add(researcher);
         }
-        researchers.stream().distinct();
-        return researchers;
+        return researchers.stream().distinct().collect(Collectors.toList());
     }
 }
diff --git a/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/external-sources/external-sources.service.ts b/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/external-sources/external-sources.service.ts
index 94b684044..2e2a5fe14 100644
--- a/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/external-sources/external-sources.service.ts
+++ b/dmp-frontend/src/app/core/services/external-sources/external-sources.service.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export class ExternalSourcesService {
 	}
 
 	public searchDMPResearchers(requestItem: RequestItem<ResearcherCriteria>): Observable<ExternalSourceItemModel[]> {
-		return this.http.post<ExternalSourceItemModel[]>(environment.Server + '/researchers/getWithExternal', requestItem, { headers: this.headers });
+		return this.http.post<ExternalSourceItemModel[]>(environment.Server + 'researchers/getWithExternal', requestItem, { headers: this.headers });
 	}
 
 	public searchDMPOrganizations(like: string): Observable<ExternalSourceItemModel[]> {