Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet BRISRES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The subglacial environment beneath the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets is one of the physically least well characterised environments on Earth. Ice sheet model simulations demonstrate high sensitivity to their basal sliding parameterisation which is governed by basal roughness, the thermal state of the bed, and lithology (presence or absence or deformable sediments). Compiling observations of the current state of the glacier bed is therefore crucial for the accuracy of ice sheet modelling and future predictions of sea level change. Radio-echo sounding (RES) is the only existing geophysical technique that has sufficient data coverage to enable ice-sheet-wide information to be obtained from the bed. In general, however, quantitative analysis of radar sounding data, and integration with electromagnetic and geostatistical approaches, lags significantly behind the data availability. In this fellowship I will develop an integrated framework for characterising the roughness of glacier beds; exploiting information from the electromagnetic scattering of the radar pulse and the statistics of the basal topography. This approach will enable an unprecedented characterisation of the scale dependence of basal roughness from the kilometre to the metre scale - the scale that is most relevant for basal sliding. Via a synthesis with ice sheet models I will challenge assumptions that are made regarding basal roughness and its relationship with other geophysical data fields, enabling new radar-derived constraints to be placed upon the bed of ice sheets. Subsidiary goals include: adapting electromagnetic scattering models for fractal surfaces to ice penetrating radar; identifying and mapping regions of deformable bed; and developing a framework for combining electromagnetic scattering information from different radar systems. This fellowship represents a unique opportunity to transfer knowledge and techniques from the US geophysical radar community to European glaciology.

Mots clés : greenland, antarctica, ice penetrating radar, computational electromagnetics, geostatistics, subglacial hydrology, subglacial lithology, ice sheet models

Participants :
- University of Bristol (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 251857.8 €
- Stanford University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet POLIS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The success of digital platforms such as Airbnb and the subsequent proliferation of short-term rentals in cities have caused many challenges for local authorities, especially regarding the regulation and mitigation of their social impacts. Current attempts to regulate short-term rentals assume that Airbnb and similar providers are part of the so-called ‘sharing economy’ in which hosts would occasionally share their homes with visitors. However, there is increased evidence that short-term rentals have become professionalised, and that individual and corporate investors have started to channel substantial investment into this market. In this regard, POLIS explores the links between short-term rentals and housing financialisation and, in doing so, will provide innovative understandings of the Airbnb-led restructuring of local housing markets. POLIS draws on the principles of evidence-based policy making with the aim of advancing policy innovation for the regulation of this emerging economic sector. In particular, POLIS will address three research objectives: it will (i) examine the professionalisation of the short-term rental market; (ii) investigate to what extent Airbnb channels financial investment into the housing market; (iii) elaborate alternative policy proposals for positive change. POLIS is a gender-sensitive project and has an intrinsic gender dimension in all phases of the research. The project will explore the cases of two European cities: Lisbon and Leipzig. It will provide comparative insights into a topic that has proved to be of significant political, economic and spatial relevance. Research objectives will be addressed using a mixed-method design that collects and analyses data from a variety of sources, especially in-depth interviews and critical policy analysis. With short-term rentals on the agendas of local authorities in different contexts, the POLIS project will produce high quality transferable outcomes for other EU cities and beyond.

Mots clés : housing financialisation, urban tourism, urban planning

Participants :
- University of Leeds (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet MOFdynamics (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The success of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is rooted in their structural flexibility enabling limitless possibilities for topology design and applicability. An exhaustive synthesis for potential candidate screening is however tedious and inefficient with regard to material consumption and human resources. Theoretical approaches have thus become indispensable for the simulation and prediction of electronic and structural properties. With the project ''MOFdynamics'', we will make a contribution to theoretical structure modeling which will complement experimental research on MOF design. Our proposed computational approach will enable to perform excited-state molecular dynamics simulations and to calculate X-ray absorption as well as fluorescence spectra for solid-state materials, in particular MOFs. Its innovative capacity and the anticipated impact originate from combining the essential ingredients for efficient structure modeling: The treatment of the porous solids is based on periodic boundary conditions. Density functional theory in combination with hybrid functionals is employed for the description of excited states representing the most adequate electronic-structure model. Large-scale applications are made feasible by exploiting advanced computational and technical procedures for high-performance computing. To this concern, the novel developments will be implemented in the CP2K program package and applied for efficient structural characterization and analysis of experimentally synthesized MOFs. ''MOFdynamics'' will advance computational tools for state-of-the-art research within the interdisciplinary field of quantum chemistry, solid-state physics and materials science. Its contributions will pave the way for a comprehensive theoretical treatment of recent progress in X-ray spectroscopy. Being implemented in a freely available software package, the proposed research represents a significant added value to the community and European excellence.

Mots clés : metal organic frameworks, density functional theory, excited states, periodic boundary conditions, x ray spectroscopy

Participants :
- University of Zurich (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187419.6 €
Projet ENGAGE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The successful regeneration of bone tissue to replace areas of bone loss in large defects remains a significant clinical challenge. Efforts have concentrated in the design of biomaterials using biomimetic strategies based on installing bioactivity at their surface using proteins from the extracellular matrix (ECM). Some of these ECM proteins contain domains capable of binding growth factors (GFs). This is the case of the Heparin Binding II (HBII) domain of fibronectin, which has the capacity to bind Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs). Among them, BMP-2 is known to be a potent osteoinductive molecule. However, the lack of specificity of HBII for BMP-2 limits its application. ENGAGE project aims to identify the hotspot sequences involved HBII-BMP-2 interaction and develop de novo proteins with high affinity to BMP-2 to further exploit them in hydrogel biomaterials for enhancing bone regeneration. To this end, HBII-BMP-2 will be co-crystallized to identify the sequences involved in the interaction. Based on these sequences, de novo mini-binders will be designed using Rosetta computational methodologies and optimized to have high-affinity to BMP-2. The osteoinductive capacity of the selected molecules will be analyzed and the optimal candidates will be used to functionalize hydrogel substrates. In this way, ENGAGE will open the possibility to obtain hydrogels able to sequester specific GFs from the extracellular fluids, avoiding the use of exogenous growth factors and their undesired side effects. The candidate will be trained in new computational and lab skills for protein design under the supervision of a world leader in de novo protein design. These methodologies will be transferred to the Spanish research community for developing novel proteins for biomedical applications. In addition, the obtained skills in paper and project writing, management and leadership will have a strong impact in his competitiveness and the possibility to become an independent scientist.

Mots clés : protein design, protein engineering, growth factors, bone regeneration, biofunctionalization, mesenchymal stem cell differentiation

Participants :
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175099.2 €
- University of Washington (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet SYNC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The sun activity is decreasing since 1996 and a grand solar minimum is expected to occur from 2020 to 2070. The magnitude of solar forcing on the current climate is still uncertain. This project aims to test the existence of quasic-periodic decadal to centennial natural climate variability modulated by grand solar minima during the Late Holocene, which resulted in abrupt climate changes in Europe on time-scale of a few years and has the potential to trigger comparable changes in the future. Describing the timing and the abruptness of the climate response to shifts in the solar activity requires very accurate climate reconstructions and dating, in particular where absolute ages are hampered by the presence of 14C plateaux. This research project will focus on the precise comparison of Late Holocene palaeoclimate records from annually resolved (varved) archives across Europe, with the core goal of estimating the velocity of the climate response to grand solar minima and possible seasonal effects. The project’s novelty lies in the synchronization of very accurate varve chronologies from two European lakes, Diss Mere (England) and Meerfelder Maar (Germany), using tephra layers as synchronous markers. Tephrochronology and varve counting will thus be integrated as a multidisciplinary dating method to minimize the uncertainty derived from individual chronologies (varve counting error). Tephra (volcanic ash) from explosive eruption and atmospheric cosmogenic isotopes s are deposited over large areas synchronously and are reliably correlated to known eruptions. Varved sediments provide accurate chronologies and also store climatic signals at seasonal resolution. The interdisciplinary perspective adopted by this study is designed to tackle gaps in our knowledge of the solar-climate phasing and to provide the most precise proxy data to the climate modelling community. The facilities of Royal Holloway, University of London supports the innovate methodological approach.

Mots clés : tephrochronology, varved sediments, late holocene and solar climate phasing

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet SHAPINGENERATIONS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

The sustainability of the welfare state in which the state plays a key role in the promotion of solidarity, integration and wellbeing of its citizens may be compromised due to the current economic crisis and unprecent demographic changes. The combination of these pressures with new family forms, pose significant challenges to individuals, families and societies and place solidarity and adjustment between generations as a priority in European states, arguably more important today than in earlier decades, as people live longer and share more years with younger generations. The aim of this proposal is to investigate how the social context, from macro-societal to micro-interpersonal, affects intergenerational solidarity and important indicators of adjustment between generations in two economically and culturally distinct countries: Portugal and UK. The project seeks to examine: national (e.g., policies), regional (e.g. economic circumstances), family (e.g. transfers up and down family lineages) and individual-level relationships (e.g., wellbeing). Mixed-methods will be used to facilitate an integrated approach from macrosocietal to individual variables and enable empirical-base and sound policy making. A synthesis of the findings will focus on the levels of context that can be powerful in shaping inequalities in intergenerational solidarity, well-being and social integration and on the implications for programmes and policies. The strong theory-driven nature of the project, the candidate profile, the international mobility and working in a world-renowned centre of excellence with the support from a dynamic multidisciplinary team representing a wide range of substantive, methodological and policy expertise, are key factors for the project’s impact and candidate career development, skills acquisition and diversification. The project and the candidate career will also benefit from the input and initiatives funded by ongoing topic-related projects (e.g., Cost ActionIS1311)

Mots clés : solidarity between generations, social integration, health and well being, demographic and economic pressures, translational and interdisciplinary research

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet PHOTALA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The sustainable future of humankind will be possible through energy use optimization, enabled by billions of Internet of things (IoT) devices. In this proposal, I will design an innovative device architecture for energy-autonomous IoT devices, namely Photocapacitor for Ambient Light (PHOTALA), which will be specifically adapted to indoor-light harvesting. The PHOTALA is constituted of 1) a hybrid photovoltaic joined to 2) an electrical double-layer supercapacitor (EDLC) based on the family of polyviologens. Ambient-light offers universally available energy, normally ranging from 100 to 500 lux, which is sufficient to supply the low power densities needed by IoTs. Photovoltaic devices can harvest this energy and use it to design near-perpetual smart IoTs. Hybrid solar cells (HSCs), such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC), and perovskite (PSC) solar cells, are a family of emerging photovoltaics with promising properties. DSCs have demonstrated to be one of the best technologies for ambient-light harvesting, outperforming silicon and thin-film technologies. DSCs can be tailored to match the spectra of indoor lightning, and operate at high voltages under low light using copper-based redox mediators. The polyviologen supercapacitor will store intermittent energy with fast charge–discharge steps, high specific power and long-life cycles, successfully providing energy during dark periods. This fellowship will enable a ground-breaking path in the design of self-powered wireless electronic devices, and will enable the researcher to bring together previous knowledge and expertise to the host institution and obtain new knowledge in the field of coordination chemistry, nanotechnology and computer science together with other transferable skills.

Mots clés : ambient light photovoltaics powering autonomous and smart iot devices

Participants :
- Newcastle University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet MitoTROJAN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The symbiosis between the mitochondrion and the ancestor of the eukaryotic cell allowed cellular complexity. Due to its archeobacterial origin, mitochondria has been posited as a potential source of molecules that can elicit cellular responses to pathogens. Among other key functions, mitochondria generates most of the energy required by cells. Alterations in components of the mitochondrial energy-generating machinery lead to primary mitochondrial disease (MD), a group of highly invalidating human conditions with no effective treatment. High-energy-requiring cells, such as neurons, are especially affected in MD. However, not all neuronal populations are equally affected and the molecular determinants of this susceptibility are currently unknown. Recently, Quintana´s lab uncovered that GABAergic neurons in the Globus Pallidus (GPe) of a mouse model of Leigh syndrome (LS) are particularly sensitive to MD leading to fatal encephalopathy, recapitulating the human pathology. In addition, unpublished results of the host group showed that this neuronal population develop a robust cellular antiviral-like response elicited by mitochondrial double-stranded RNA (mtdsRNA). Nevertheless, the contribution of mtdsRNA release in the MD progression has never been defined. Thus, the main goal of MitoTROJAN is to identify the effect of mtdsRNA-induced neuropathology in the context of mitochondrial dysfunction with the overarching goal of providing novel targets for the treatment of MD. By combining mouse genetics with cutting-edge molecular biology and multi-omics approach, I will carry out a multidisciplinary strategy to i) parse the molecular mechanisms of mtdsRNA-induced neuropathology and ii) characterise the antiviral response-induced protein shutdown in affected neurons. Overall results will provide new insight on an uncharacterized mechanism of mitochondria-mediated neurodegeneration and will help to identify novel therapeutic targets for MD and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Mots clés : gabaergic neurons, mitochondria, mitochondrial disorders, mitochondrial double stranded rna, antiviral response, neurodegeneration

Participants :
- Autonomous University of Barcelona (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet TERAULTRA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The terahertz (THz) frequency range in the electromagnetic spectrum lacks a compact semiconductor source of ultra-short pulses, suitable for applications including ultrafast spectroscopy, atmospheric science and stable THz frequency comb generation. Although the quantum cascade laser (QCL) is a promising compact semiconductor THz source, its success in creating ultra-short pulses is limited due to the inherent fast gain recovery time. There have been demonstrations of short pulse (>1 ps) generation from THz QCLs based on active modelocking, although the stability of the pulses is limited. Crucially, there has been no demonstration of passive modelocking of QCLs to date, which in principle can create pulses much shorter than 1 ps. The goals of the proposed TERAULTRA research are to break through this technological challenge, and create THz ultra-short pulses of <1 ps from QCLs using self-induced transparency (SIT) effects. Recently, it has been proposed that QCLs are the ideal tool to realize SIT mediated modelocking owing to their relatively long inter-subband coherence times, and, importantly, the possibility of interleaving gain and absorbing media with engineered dipole moments. While the gain medium produces gain, the absorbing medium absorbs the resonant light, suppressing the growth of the continuous waves, thereby creating short pulses. We will design THz QCLs with coupled gain and absorbing media that can initiate modelocking using SIT effects, for the first time. By simulating the gain recovery and dephasing times, dipole moments, and gain and absorption parameters, the stability of the modelocked pulses will be determined and understood theoretically. We will then demonstrate experimentally the first modelocked laser exploiting the SIT effect, based on a THz QCL with interleaved gain and absorbing media in the growth direction as well as based on independently-controlled two-section waveguide cavities, leading to pulse widths <1 ps.

Mots clés : terahertz, quantum cascade laser, modelocking, ultra short pulse, self induced transparency

Participants :
- University of Leeds (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet 3D-AM-TERA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum finds application in different areas such as security checks, biology, detection of drugs and explosives, imaging and astronomy. The state-of-the-art THz detectors lack high sensitivity, fast operation, and portability. The proposed work will explore the possibility of significantly advancing the THz radiation detection process by using 2D MXene materials combining advanced developments in two frontier research areas, 3D printing of 2D materials with dedicated investigation on their ultrafast far-field and near-field THz spectroscopic properties. MXenes are nanometer thick conductive sheets and their interaction with the THz radiation can be strengthened by arranging them into a 3D pattern. To address the concept of novel devices made of MXene sheets with enhanced light-matter interaction, I propose to develop 3D printing technology able to create a sample interaction area with specifically arranged 2D sheets in 3D structures exhibiting complex percolation pathways, where all the atoms will be exposed to the THz light. This will allow maximum photon absorption in the entire photoactive assembly and thereby maximum photocurrent generation. The project will answer questions of key intrinsic parameters of layered MXenes (attached functional groups, doping, defects) and of the role of the 3D structuring for optimizing the THz response and, ultimately, to what extent the 3D printing of 2D MXenes can fill the THz gap in the development of novel devices.

Mots clés : mxene, terahertz spectroscopy, 3d printing, photophysics

Participants :
- Czech Academy of Sciences (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 156980.64 €