Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet FE-RUS-Blast (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Osteoporosis has become a major public threat with high costs to the health system. As an important issue of research on osteoporosis, tissue elasticity, i.e. the whole set of the anisotropic stiffness constants on millimeter scale, that directly decides the bone resistance and fracture risk, is still poorly assessed by prevailing biomechanical methods. The state-of-art approach to determine bone elasticity is the ultrasonic pulse method by measuring acoustic velocities along various directions of a specimen with a major drawback of sample size limitation, typically larger than 5 mm. However, studies on bone metabolism greatly relies on small animals, e.g. rabbit, rat, and mouse, with cortical thicknesses close or smaller than 1 mm. Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) has been well established to measure the anisotropic elasticity of small metallic samples. However, it was known to be not suited to high-damping materials like bone, due to complicated extraction of resonant frequencies from overlapping resonant peaks. We aim to develop a new RUS method for the accurate elasticity determination of small animal bones (femora and tibiae). New strategies of a non-linear optimization and Bayesian formulation of the inverse problem, recently proposed by the host lab, will be used to overcome the material limitation of bone attenuation. Moreover, the novel combination of the finite element (FE) method and RUS will be used to relax the regularly-shaped sample restriction for the practical application. The applicant will perform an extensive methodology development, including theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, signal processing, and inversion scheme. The new technology will be validated by measuring elastic maturation of cortical bone in rabbit model. The originality comes from the multidisciplinary combination of innovative technologies towards the bone elasticity determination in response to current technical deficiency of small animal bone quality evaluation.

Mots clés : resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, cortical bone, anisotropic elasticity, maturation

Participants :
- Sorbonne Université (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet FlexCT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Our ability to achieve breakthroughs in manufacturing is dependent on our capacity to measure the features that define these breakthroughs. In other words, we can manufacture only as well as we can measure. Recent trends indicate that the future of mass production is in additive manufacturing (AM). X-ray computed tomography (CT) is the optimal solution for quantitative inspection of AM products as it is currently the only technology that can perform non-destructive measurements of both internal and external features. However, the reliability of CT measurements is not yet established and the application of CT for product inspection is limited to qualitative tasks. FlexCT is a multi-disciplinary research project that answers the imminent need to bring CT to measurement maturity to keep the pace with the improvements and wider adoption of AM. The fields of dimensional metrology, software engineering, and manufacturing are combined to produce an effective and open solution for the decisive adoption of CT to inspection of AM and other high-value products. The candidate’s research experience is overwhelmingly in the field of dimensional metrology. Materialise and UAntwerp’s Vision Lab are selected strategically to ensure the successful execution of the project and to provide the candidate with exposure and training in new disciplines and work environments. Materialise is one of the world’s leading companies in AM technology and is proposed as the host institution for this project. The candidate’s exposure to and feedback from a manufacturer will allow the proposed solution to be optimized for the needs of the end-user. The secondment and collaboration with UAntwerp’s Vision Lab provides knowledge and support for tomographic reconstruction algorithms and software engineering. Dedicated training in additive manufacturing, software engineering, and leadership skills will help the candidate achieve his career goal of becoming an independent principal research scientist.

Mots clés : x ray computed tomography, dimensional metrology, software engineering, additive manufacturing

Participants :
- Materialise (Belgium) (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 160800.0 €
Projet ROBOT Sensing (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Our project ROBOT Sensing aims to overcome the barriers of reliable nanofabrication of bio-nano hybrid metasurface by using a safe, low-cost, straightforward, scalable method with self-assembly of DNA origami and plasmonic nanomaterials. DNA origami technique enables generation of complex plasmonic structures in micrometre-scale and serves as templates for the accurate arrangement of various nanoscale components. Unlike conventional metasurface construction building directly on the surface, multiple reconfigurable "plasmonic switch-recognition elements" pairs couple with lattice backbone arrays in a site-specific manner and form a well-defined reconfigurable metasurface for its practical use in nanobiosensing. During capturing a single target molecule, the plasmonic switch alters its conformation to causes change in scattering signal at polarised plasmon, resulting in dark-field scattering spectral shift under polarised light illumination, to be detected by spectroscopy or microscopic camera. Barcode pattern images generated from multiple scattering signals change in an array of switches in our metasurface supports rapid high-throughput sensing. This project creates new useful information for fundamental research on the effectiveness of the reconfigurable feature in the bio-nano hybrid metasurface in biosensing. It also matches the needs in the EU Horizon 2020 work programme on Nanotechnologies, EU One Health Action, and EU Coronavirus Response, where the evaluated biosensing ability of the nanobiosensor prototype that achieves high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy could be translated into point-of-care multiple disease screening in disease control and surveillance. The applicant will develop complementary skills, reach professional growth and maturity through highly qualified training and activities, and contribute to the knowledge-based society, where both academic and non-academic sectors will benefit from the result dissemination and two-way communication.

Mots clés : dna nanotechnology, reconfigurable plasmonic switch, dna origami lattice, bio nano hybrid metasurface, point of care biosensing

Participants :
- Aalto University (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 202680.96 €
Projet MMSA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Over the last few decades the field of artificial molecular motors/switches has evolved into a cornerstone of chemical research. Molecular motors are now widely expected to play a leading role in the nanotechnological revolution of the 21st century as they are central to the transition from static to responsive/adaptive materials and molecular devices. Feringa's unidirectional rotary motors are unique in their potential to perform continuous work and are recognized as having a multitude of possible applications. However, necessary use of UV light as well as poorly understood behavior of surface bound rotary motors has so far hampered their development. The research outlined in this proposal is aimed at overcoming these limitations by exploring two-photon absorption pathways as well as upconverting nanoparticles to drive molecular rotation with near-infrared light. Secondly, scanning tunneling microscopy will be used to gain insight into the rotational behavior of surface bound rotary motors on the basis of individual molecules as well as their organisation into self-assembled monolayers. This knowledge will subsequently be applied to showcase three distinct, exemplary applications: Firstly, individually addressing the states making up the rotational cycle of motors incorporated into self-assembled monolayers will be studied for its potential use in molecular information storage. Secondly, the coordinated rotation of surface bound motors will be harnessed in order to achieve transport of microscale objects. Lastly, the influence of the dynamic behavior of a motor functionalized surface on stem cell adhesion will be explored. MMSA is therefore an interdisciplinary project at the interface of chemistry, surface science, nanorobotics and cell biology, placing it at the forefront of science.

Mots clés : rotary molecular motors, two photon absorption, upconverting nanoparticles, self assembled monolayers, scanning tunneling microscopy, control of stem cell adhesion

Participants :
- University of Groningen (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 165598.8 €
Projet WIRED (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Over the last years, women have made a significant progress in academia and science across all Europe. Yet, their representation across scientific fields and ranks remains uneven, as they are still under-represented in some STEM disciplines (science technology engineering and mathematics) and in senior positions. The WIRED project – Women In Research and higher EDucation – aims at investigating gender inequalities in academia by focusing on the reasons why and the mechanisms through which women are at disadvantage in the career progression and/or they drop-out from the academic labour market. It will undertake this challenge by means of an innovative, comparative, inter-disciplinary, multi-model and multi-level research. WIRED draws its originality from its unique data, which are the result of the combination of observational longitudinal micro-data on the Swiss and Italian academic populations with experimental data on gender discrimination in the selection processes. The observational field will be based on different administrative and web-based data sources, including the micro data on academics held by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, where the fieldwork will be undertaken. The experimental research is based on a vignette survey which will be submitted to a sample of professors in targeted Italian and Swiss Universities, chosen on the base of the results of the first part of the research. The combination of these two methods within a comparative approach will provide an extremely rich and comprehensive understanding of gender differences in academic career trajectories allowing to simultaneously shed light on the micro, meso and macro levels of explanation. Face to the scarcity of comparative and longitudinal insights, WIRED will represent a tremendous step forward in the debate on women in academia and science.

Mots clés : gender inequalities, gender and academia, women in the stem, longitudinal data, experimental methods

Participants :
- University of Lausanne (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 191149.44 €
Projet PhotoPolyCarb (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Over the past years, aliphatic polycarbonates (APCs) have gained prominence in the biomedical field in reason of their features allied to their in vivo bioresorbability. Unlike polyesters, the degradation products of APCs are acid free, which prevents tissue inflammation and drug denaturation upon their use as implants and drug vehicles, making them a potential material in the medical field. Simultaneously, the 3D printing of biomaterials has recently advanced the development of tailor-made implants, which can improve the patients’ health and quality of life. However, the translative impact of 3D printing to clinical use is still beset with limitations, including the brittle nature of the properties of materials that are available, the crosslinking chemistries that hinder translation into cell-laden biomaterials and toxicity of residual monomers and additives. PhotoPolyCarb aims to overcome these limitations by combining functional photoreactive polycarbonates from different topographies with stereolithography (SLA), thus avoiding the use of toxic monomers and photoinitiators during the printing process. In a transfer of knowledge, PhotoPolyCarb will bring together the expertise of the researchers in areas such as chemical engineering reactions (from the applicant), polymer chemistry (from the host) and bioengineering (from the secondment). The fellowship will permit the applicant to work with world-renowned research groups in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering, allowing her to develop skills in an interdisciplinary environment and consolidate her career. The dissemination of research results will target the professional audience as well the public through outreach activities.

Mots clés : bottlebrush polycarbonates, benzophenones, 3d printing, biocompatibility, tissue engineering

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet PALECOEVOL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

PALECOEVOL is a highly multidisciplinary study combining population genomics with paleoecology, and is firmly embedded in the theoretical framework of evolutionary ecology. This transformative research is based on the direct observation of evolution in the past 2000 years in the highly endangered Arctic environment. By recording population genomic parameters before and after environmental shifts, a pioneering dataset unprecedented in genomic detail will be supplied and rigorously combined with historic environmental data. The overarching goal is to study, across millennia, the genomic responses of the ecological and genomic model organism Daphnia, an aquatic keystone herbivore, to repeated shifts in temperature and related environmental parameters, and to lay the foundation for establishing a novel model system to study the effects of environmental change at the population level. This and future work will transform our current understanding of the magnitude and the constraints of population adaptation to the rapid environmental changes our planet is now facing. The overall impact of this fellowship results from cross-fertilizing the gained ecological and genomic expertise with training the prospective fellow in its application towards environmental regulation and policymaking that will qualify her to provide leadership for academics and legislators alike.

Mots clés : climate change, environmental change, daphnia pulex, genomic model, evolution, adaptation, population genomics, paleolimnology, paleogenomics, resurrection ecology, arctic

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet PASIFIC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Cofund Postdoctoral programme
Statut du projet : SIGNED

PASIFIC is a new Fellowship Programme, which will offer 50 prestigious two-year postdoctoral fellowships for incoming mobility. The Programme foresees the publication of two calls over the 60 months of its duration. It will provide excellent researchers from all over the world with research and complementary skills as well as transferable skills training of highest international standards that will help them to advance their scientific careers within a chosen sector, across academia, industry or a public sector. Each fellow will be hosted at one of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS), which is the largest and most important Polish research organisation research institutes. The PASIFIC programme will be based on individual-driven mobility. The applicants will have freedom to choose their research area, supervisor, and secondment organisation, best suited to their individual research and career development. The programme is addressed to experienced researchers (PhD holders or researchers with at least 4 years of comparable experience). Applicants must comply with the MSCA mobility rules. The fellowships offer attractive conditions and provide participating researchers with access to the facilities and resources of the network of PAS institutes. Successful candidates will be provided with all the necessities for developing their project in the vibrant and dynamic environment of PAS, allowing them to take the next step in building their research profile and plot the best course for their future career. Fellows will be offered a living and mobility allowance 4125 EUR monthly , a family allowance (300 EUR monthly). Additionally, a host institution will benefit from hosting the researchers and will receive a maximum budget of 60 000 EUR for research costs directly linked with the fellow’s work plan and indirect costs set as 20% direct costs of the project.

Mots clés : research excellence, academy of sciences, fellowships, all thematic areas

Participants :
- Polish Academy of Sciences (Pologne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 3678000.0 €
Projet PATH (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

PATH is an exploration of heritage, viewed as an active process where the past is remade in the present. Even in the 21st century, archaeological projects impose research questions and methods onto rural landscapes while offering little to those communities who inhabit them. These communities, however, have their own interests, histories and needs, particularly when they face economic and social pressures like depopulation and a changing resource base. As in many such rural communities, the voices of the inhabitants of Nikitari, on the edge of the Adelphi State Forest in Cyprus, are absent from the national heritage, in spite of a nearby World Heritage site and a recent major archaeological project in the area. Why? PATH seeks to answer this question through focusing on the archaeology and heritage of Nikitari’s pathways. PATH builds on the Fellow’s research with indigenous communities in British Columbia, Canada, that used community-based participatory research (CBPR) methods to document the heritage value of a 19th century wagon road. This was part of a larger community initiative to reconnect people to their land and identity. PATH’s innovation lies in its ability to transfer and adapt these methods to a new Mediterranean context to ask: what are the dynamics of heritage formation in Cyprus? Can giving voice to local heritage empower community members? PATH’s legacy will extend to other rural settlements in Cyprus and Europe facing challenges of depopulation and under-development. The Fellow will bring to the host organization a unique combination of extensive archaeological fieldwork experience in Cyprus and community-based research with a First Nations group in Canada. One of the greatest benefits of this fellowship will be mobilizing this expertise to develop a world-class knowledge base and advanced techniques for designing and facilitating CBPR projects on local heritage that can be applied across Europe.

Mots clés : landscape archaeology, community based participatory research, intangible cultural heritage, path, forest exploitation, collective memory, identity, oral history, cyprus

Participants :
- University of Glasgow (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet PHOTALLICA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

PHOTALLICA aims to develop a general approach towards the 1,2-dicarbofunctionalization of unactivated alkenes to afford highly functionalized carbon skeletons. The outlined strategy is based on a 3-component cross-coupling reaction in which the reactivity of the coupling partners is governed by merging a photoredox and a transition-metal catalytic cycle. The specific objectives of this action are to give access to 1,2-arylalkyl, 1,2-dialkyl and 1,2-diaryl substitution patterns starting from unactivated alkenes, radical precursors, and electrophiles or nucleophiles as the coupling partners, as well as to study the mechanism of the developed transformations. The products are vicinal substituted alkyl chains, which are prevalent motifs in biologically active compounds. The action aligns with H2020 societal challenges that seek to improve resource efficiency and the use of raw materials as –as opposed to the state-of-the-art strategies– it avoids the use of pre-functionalized alkenes by using feedstock olefins, instead. The background in transition-metal catalyzed transformations of the candidate (Eloísa Serrano, ES), together with the expertise of the host (Prof. Frank Glorius, FG, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany) on the development dual photoredox strategies, make an ideal combination to realize PHOTALLICA. The developed transformations will have an impact on the way α-olefins, which are produced on multi-ton scale by the chemical industry, are functionalized by providing a more efficient disconnection approach towards vicinal substituted alkyl scaffolds. By developing the action in a dynamic and renowned research group, the candidate will acquire new skills in project management, mentoring, leadership and communication.

Mots clés : dicarbofunctionalization, unactivated alkenes, radical chemistry

Participants :
- University of Münster (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 162806.4 €