Record the grant as a project award: note the funding type, the stated amount, the currency and the project dates exactly as published. A project total is money awarded for the work, not a personal annual income, so treat any automatic conversion of that figure into someone's earnings as unsupported and stop there. Do not estimate a salary or ask for private financial records.
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Start with the award, not the person
Open the public funding entry and copy its own labels: what kind of award it is, the amount shown, the currency and the period the money covers. These belong together as one record. Public funding metadata distinguishes several categories, including awards, contracts, grants and salary awards, and a total funded amount describes money awarded for the project within a stated currency and project dates. Reading those labels first keeps the number attached to the work rather than to a person. [ORCID: funding metadata]
Why a project total is not annual income
A grant amount may cover equipment, staff time, travel, materials or several years of activity, and a single total rarely maps onto one individual's yearly earnings. Even a salary award is a separate category from a general project grant, and its own terms still describe an award rather than a verified income statement. Because the unit of money differs from a personal income self-statement, converting project funding into an annual figure requires assumptions the source does not supply. [ORCID: funding metadata]
Flag AI conversions as unsupported
If an AI summary or generated profile turns a project amount into someone's personal earnings, mark that line as unsupported rather than repeating it. A defensible note keeps the original wording beside the inference and states the gap plainly: the source describes a project award, not income. Distinguish explicit public claims from AI guesses, and do not fill a gap with a calculated salary. [ORCID: funding metadata]
| observation | limit | next step |
|---|---|---|
| A public entry lists a grant with an amount, currency and project dates | Describes money awarded for a project, not personal pay | Record all four elements together and label it a project award |
| An AI summary states an annual earnings figure | Not present in the funding entry; derived rather than published | Flag the conversion as unsupported and keep the original amount visible |
| A partial award is linked to a larger scheme | The identifier may cover the whole award or only part of it | Note the relationship as ambiguous and avoid adding amounts together |
Watch for partial and overlapping awards
Grant identifiers can indicate either the award itself or a portion of a larger award, so two entries that look related may not be additive. Before writing any total, check whether the source presents one award, a sub-award or a component of a bigger project. If the relationship is unclear, record that precise ambiguity as the limit and leave the arithmetic alone. [ORCID: funding metadata]
Write a short, honest note
A reader aid is enough: list the source name and date checked, the funding type as stated, the amount and currency, the project period, and one line saying what the record does not show. Then add a sentence limiting use: the entry supports a statement about project funding only. Keep the note free of salary estimates and future earnings projections. Here is a hypothetical example of the format, not a real record: type, grant; amount and currency, as published; period, as published; limit, no conversion to personal income. If the source is absent, private, mismatched or ambiguous, write down that exact limit and stop the inference instead of looking for another route.
- Keep the original phrase describing the funding type next to any paraphrase
- Note the currency with the amount so the figure is not silently converted
- Add one line stating what the record cannot establish
Set the boundary for financial and employment use
Do not use a grant total in decisions about hiring, credit, housing, insurance or background checks, and do not ask anyone for tax returns, payslips or bank records to verify it. If someone publicly shares a funding page, treat that as a voluntary public artifact, not an invitation to review their finances. Observations, their limits and any practical decision stay in separate lines so the boundary is visible.
A couple more questions
Someone's public profile lists a large grant. Can I estimate their yearly income from it?
No. The grant is money awarded for a project within a stated currency and period, and it may cover costs beyond pay. Estimating personal income would require assumptions the record does not support, so record the grant as a project award and leave the income question open.
An AI tool summarized the grant as an annual salary figure. What should I do?
Flag it as unsupported. Keep the original funding type, amount, currency and dates beside the summary, note that the conversion was generated rather than published, and do not repeat the salary figure as if it were stated.
The funding entry is incomplete or the link is ambiguous. Should I keep digging?
Record the specific limit and stop. If the source is absent, private, mismatched or only partly shown, that absence is the finding; do not seek private records or another way to reach the same conclusion.
Sources & editorial notes
Official references checked on October 24, 2026. Checklists, comparison tables and example wording are DateClues editorial tools, not official tests or validated risk scores.
General information. No guide or tool can certify a person’s identity, intentions or safety. Read our editorial standards.