diff --git a/geonode/base/api/fields.py b/geonode/base/api/fields.py
index 84283af29f4..30bee56b73b 100644
--- a/geonode/base/api/fields.py
+++ b/geonode/base/api/fields.py
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ def to_internal_value_single(self, data, serializer):
             funder = Funder.objects.get_or_create(**data)
         except TypeError:
             raise ParseError(detail="Could not convert related_identifier to internal object ...", code=400)
-        return funder
+        return funder[0]
 
 
 class ComplexDynamicRelationField(DynamicRelationField):
diff --git a/geonode/base/api/serializers.py b/geonode/base/api/serializers.py
index 0752aad8c8c..ec43c14d115 100644
--- a/geonode/base/api/serializers.py
+++ b/geonode/base/api/serializers.py
@@ -1015,14 +1015,6 @@ class Meta:
         fields = "__all__"
 
 
-class FundingReferenceSerializer(DynamicModelSerializer):
-    class Meta:
-        name = "fundingreferences"
-        model = FundingReference
-        count_type = "fundingreferences"
-        fields = "__all__"
-
-
 class RelatedProjectSerializer(DynamicModelSerializer):
     class Meta:
         name = "relatedprojects"
diff --git a/geonode/base/api/views.py b/geonode/base/api/views.py
index e268148032e..1541d8db12b 100644
--- a/geonode/base/api/views.py
+++ b/geonode/base/api/views.py
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@
     FullLicenseSerializer,
     RelationTypeSerializer,
     RelatedIdentifierTypeSerializer,
-    RelatedIdentifierSerializer,
     FundingReferenceSerializer,
+    RelatedIdentifierSerializer,
     RelatedProjectSerializer,
     RegionSerializer,
     ThesaurusKeywordSerializer,