The development and maintenance of the Global Heat Flow Database and Portal have been made possible through generous funding from various research organizations and institutions. Key financial support has been provided by the German Research Foundation (DFG), alongside contributions from partner institutions and collaborative research projects.
We also acknowledge the valuable contributions from the scientific community, including data providers, reviewers, and volunteers, whose efforts help ensure the quality and expansion of this global dataset (see our partner network). Continued support enables us to enhance data accessibility, develop new tools, and maintain this resource for researchers worldwide.
How is this portal and the database financed?
World Heat Flow Database project (2022-2025)
The first development phase of the Heat Flow Data Research Infrastructure, running from April 2022 to June 2025, was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under grant number 491795283 (DFG GEPRIS portal project reference page). In addition to the third-party funding, GFZ contributed in-kind support to the project team during this phase.
International Heat Flow Commission (IHFC)
The Global Heat Flow Database (GHFDB)—the core service of the International Heat Flow Commission (IHFC) under IASPEI/IUGG—has been maintained as a voluntary, non-profit, and non-governmental scientific initiative since 1963. While IHFC occasionally receives funding or donations for workshops, conferences, and fellowship programs, it relies heavily on community support and voluntary contributions. More information to IHFC support is listed under www.ihfc-iugg.org/support-us.
Global Data Assessment & Coordination
The Global Heat Flow Database is continuously assessed and quality-controlled by an extensive international network of domain scientists. Through their work, numerous institutions across the world have made in-kind contributions to the assessment. Between March 2023 and December 2025, GFZ Potsdam received also funding from Project InnerSpace (www.projectinnerspace.org). This funding has strongly supported the coordination of international efforts for data assessment and quality control of the global heat-flow dataset.
