Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet Dielec2DNanoLiquids (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are one of the most exciting fields of research which explores materials with novel properties and develops new technologies that promise to meet the needs of our society. As such, they are a recognized long-term priority in the European strategy for future technologies. 2D materials are attracting great interest because crystals behave differently once thinned down to a few atomic layers. With the further possibility of stacking them into heterostructures, they allow creating novel devices with new functionalities. This proposal will focus on the fabrication of novel 2D solid/liquid heterostructures in which molecular fluids are confined between 2D crystals, and on their study by means of scanning probe approaches. The final objective is the experimental characterization of the dielectric properties of 2D nanoconfined molecules, which are inherently related to the molecular structuring and dynamics, with strong impact on a variety of phenomena ranging from physics and materials science to chemistry and biology. These properties have remained unknown so far because dielectric measurement on such a small scale is a challenge. This is because of technical difficulties in engineering the confining systems and the lack of techniques with high enough sensitivity to probe them. Here we will overcome these two challenges by confining the liquids into 2D nanocavities and directly measuring their properties using a novel scanning dielectric microscopy approach that will allow for the first time in situ dielectric characterization. To this end, the project will include engineering novel 2D nanochannels with controlled size/geometry/layout suited to dielectric microscopy as well as the development of a novel, fully-customized scanning dielectric platform to probe 2D liquids, their reactions and phase transitions under controlled environmental conditions.

Mots clés : graphene, 2d materials, scanning probe microscopy, atomic force microscopy, dielectric polarization, nanofluids, electrostatic interactions, van der waals forces

Participants :
- University of Manchester (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet CHEM2D (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Two-dimensional (2D) materials consist of successive covalently bonded atomic layers sustained by weak van der Waals forces. The electronic and optoelectronic properties of these materials are extremely sensitive to the number of layers and to the interlayer distance. In the proposed project, we aim to synthesise transition-metal chalcogenide and chromium halide 2D nanomaterials with tailored transport and optoelectronic properties. The control of these properties will be achieved by two main strategies: (1) Tuning interlayer interactions through wet chemical and electrochemical intercalation routes: Guest species intercalated in the van der Waals gaps act as spacers increasing the interlayer distance and doping the material by conducting charge carriers into the adjacent conducting layer, which modify the electronic properties of the materials. Furthermore, this strategy enables the piling up of several layers while keeping their single layer behaviour and, therefore, dramatically enhancing the light absorption, which in turn, improves the optoelectronic properties. (2) The second strategy will consist on the modification of the monolayer crystal surface through functionalization, implementing covalent and physisorption methods. Finally, the new synthesized 2D materials will be integrated in heterostructures and devices (such as photodetectors or solar cells). This will be done by nanofabrication techniques, transferring a flake of the material onto suitable substrates. The electrical and optical properties of the devices will be studied in order to optimize their technological potential. The success of this project will make a substantial contribution to one of the EU main concerns on developing nanotechnologies and advanced materials.

Mots clés : 2 dimensional materials, intercalation synthesis, surface functionalization

Participants :
- Spanish National Research Council (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet UNOGAN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

UNOGAN aims at developing a fundamental approach for quantitative assessment of polarization-induced 2D carriers (and their type) or junctions at the interface(s) and focuses on unraveling chemical and electronic properties of critical regions, for e.g., recessed surfaces of the gate, which is expected to shed a deeper insight into one of the severe challenges GaN industry is facing. Though successfully applied in narrow-bandgap semiconductors like Si, this SPM based approach currently face challenges of highly resistive wide band gap (Al,Ga)N. In the project, not only identification of the key issues but major improvements and even key instrumental development of E-SPM is proposed for such a rigid system, from which a correlated-analysis of spatially resolved local potential, charge and resistance in combination with computational methodology could be developed. This approach will lead to major advancements in the improvement of III-nitride based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) program of IMEC. Over the years, the applicant has gained significant experience in the electrical study of III-nitride materials through scanning probe, defect sensitive spectroscopies and transmission electron microscopies. UNOGAN research will channel this knowledge towards new horizons at the forefront of materials science, building a strong collaboration network involving well-established European laboratories and companies which are leaders in the field. The new skills acquired during the two-year project will serve him to boost his research career, gain independence and place the host institution as an international reference in nanoscale device characterization.

Mots clés : gan power electronics, high electron mobility transistor, gan on si, traps, algan, gan mg, scanning probe microscopy, spreading resistance, kelvin probe, surface photovoltage, tunneling microscopy

Participants :
- IMEC (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 166320.0 €
Projet UNTWIST (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

UNTWIST aims at exploring new pathways to operationalize Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus concepts into practice. Despite the urgent need of adopting systemic thinking for the governance of water resource and interconnected sectors has been widely recognized and stressed by EU, several challenges for an effective mainstreaming of such frameworks into policy remain. These can be largely attributed to the lack of frameworks and tools able to effectively quantify interlinkages and feedbacks between nexus component and related ecosystems and to account for the effect of exogenous drivers of change (e.g. climate change). By combining ESs theories with complex system analysis, UNTWIST aims at contributing to fill these gaps demonstrating, through case studies applications, the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in developing integrated models supporting the quantification of critical interactions occurring in WEF nexus systems. Ecosystem Services (ESs) flows, being in the centre of the WEF relationships, will be used as common assessment endpoints to disentangle the nexus, thus contributing to reveal potential interdependencies between policy sectors and unlock opportunities for delivering integrated solutions addressing key challenges towards the achievement of interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research project, which will last 24 months, will be mainly conducted at the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) in Bilbao (Spain), under the supervision of Professor Ferdinando Villa, while a secondment period, will be performed at GECOsistema (Italy), an environmental consulting based in Rimini. UNTWIST results will be disseminated and the main findings will be communicated with tailored actions to a wide audience, including the academic community, policy makers, industries and the general public.

Mots clés : water management, water governance, nexus, ecosystem services, climate change, global change, artificial intelligence, socio ecosystems, complexity

Participants :
- Basque Centre for Climate Change (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 160932.48 €
Projet UVMWREACT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

UVMICROCAT uses an innovative catalytic mesh assisted by a combination of UV and microwave technology for fast and effective treatment of large volumes of wastewater for water re-use. The project proposes an environmentally-friendly, totally innovative method for the treatment of toxic and recalcitrant contaminants in wastewater by enhancing the rate of a novel heterogeneous catalytic treatment process using microwave energy and ultraviolet radiation. The modified PAN catalysts developed at DMU has eliminated the need for iron removal post treatment and has broadened the pH range of application, whilst enabling continuous flow processes favoured by industry. In recent years, several reports have demonstrated the use of microwave and ultraviolet radiation to promote the oxidative degradation of bio-refractory wastes due to their advantages of speeding up the reaction, high-efficiency with no pollution to the environment. Nevertheless the use of microwaves in catalysis and in the water and wastewater industry remains at laboratory scale and therefore requires further in depth research. The major challenges in the water/wastewater industries are centered on the poor penetration depth of microwaves. In the project, we propose to design a UV and microwave assisted reactor which overcomes this scale-up problem. The design of the scalable microwave reactor will not only add new knowledge to the sector but open up new areas of industrial application for microwaves.

Mots clés : microwaves, magnetron, heterogeneous oxidation catalysis, photo fenton s, reactor design, computer simulation of microwaves, wastewater, water re use

Participants :
- De Montfort University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet CriLiN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Ultracold atomic gases have emerged as ideal quantum simulators, as they enable experimentalists to study the interplay between the properties of a quantum many-body system and the interactions between its constituents with unmatched accuracy. However, in spite of impressive progresses, an atomic quantum simulator of highly correlated fermionic matter, able to address both phenomena of exotic superfluidity and itinerant ferromagnetism, still awaits experimental demonstration. Such a system needs to be built from the ground-up by carefully harnessing the underlying few-body physics. In CriLiN I will develop and test a new kind of Atomic Quantum Simulator of unequal-mass spin-1/2 fermions with long-range, multi-body resonant interactions. In order to do so, I will exploit the still unexplored 6Li-53Cr Fermi-Fermi mixture which, thanks to its special mass ratio of M/m=8.8, exhibits unique few-body properties that strongly favour the many-body phases of our interest. Indeed, on the “molecular side” of an interspecies s-wave Feshbach resonance, the Cr-Li system supports a real (virtual) stable universal trimer (tetramer) state, while benefiting from quantum-interference induced suppression of three-body recombination processes. At the few-body level, this will allow for the first time to resonantly tune multi-body, long-range p-wave interactions. At the many-body level, this will allow both to investigate Stoner's model of itinerant ferromagnetism and to greatly enhance the possibility to attain elusive superfluid regimes or topologically non-trivial p-wave superfluids. In CriLiN I will: (i) realize a degenerate 6Li-53Cr Fermi-Fermi mixture and identify intra- and inter-species Feshbach resonances suitable for our simulator; (ii) unveil and characterize stable cluster states and exploit them to resonantly tune three- and four-body elastic interactions; (iii) demonstrate the suppression of inelastic pairing processes in repulsively interacting mixtures.

Mots clés : ultracold, mass imbalance, p wave, few body, interactions, ferromagnetism, superfluidity

Participants :
- National Research Council (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 183473.28 €
Projet GLIAMAC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Uncovering Enteric GLIA-MACrophage communication in the intestinal homeostasis and inflammation. The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a network of neurons and enteric glial cells (EGCs) organized in ganglia essential to control gastrointestinal physiology. Although EGCs have historically been described as supporting cells for enteric neurons, recent data from my previous work and from my host group demonstrated that enteric glia is “communicating” with innate immune cells via the secretion of immune-active molecules. Interestingly, alterations in the morphology and function of EGCs have been reported in patients affected by chronic intestinal inflammation such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Thus, I hypothesise that factors released by enteric GLIA may directly modulate MACrophage phenotype and function in the gut, making EGC a novel overlooked player in the pathophysiology of IBD. In the first part of GLIAMAC, the molecules and the molecular mechanisms involved in the enteric glia-macrophage crosstalk will be screened in vitro using co-culture experiments and assessed in vivo using novel EGC-specific mouse models of intestinal inflammation. Finally, I aim to translate our findings to the clinical setting using tissue samples from IBD patients. To this end, the immunomodulatory properties of EGCs isolated from healthy individuals and IBD patients will be compared using cellular, genomic and proteomic system-wide approaches. Identification of new molecules and pathways involved in enteric glia-immune cell crosstalk will represent a major breakthrough in elucidating the pathogenesis of intestinal immune-mediated diseases. Thus, GLIAMAC will potentially give rise to a new class of molecules to treat and favour remission in patients affected by IBD.

Mots clés : inflammatory bowel disease, mucosal immunity, enteric nervous system, macrophages, enteric glial cells

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160800.0 €
Projet MadridERN2016-2017 (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : European Researchers' Night
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Under the motto ‘Researchers, moving Europe forward. Meet them, join them!‘, European Researchers’ Night in Madrid, 2016-2017 underlines the importance of researchers’ work for the advancement in Europe, offering public at large, students, children and families the opportunity to meet them, talk to them, know the work they carry out and how they spend their free time. Showing their hobbies, their hopes and their enthusiasm for the work they accomplish. A strong and timely awareness campaign will be launched combining traditional communication vectors with on line ones ( social networks, website, blogs…) 72 appealing activities will be held in a playful and relaxing atmosphere in different venues of seven cities in the Region of Madrid covering varied neighbourhood where people with diverse interests and backgrounds live. Special attention will be paid to young people in order to encourage them to embark on scientific careers and also to foster the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit among them. All scientific disciplines will be represented along with other issues such as arts, sports, literature, cooking, etc. Gender balanced will be also taken into account as well as the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in order to foster the design of inclusive and sustainable research and innovation. The involvement of the societal actors and stakeholders is a guarantee of public engagement. Researchers benefited by European programmes and Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellows will join the activities, having a real presence in the Europeans’ corners, highlighting therefore the European dimension of the event. Common actions will be performed together with another European Researchers’ Night in Europe and in Spain and also if appropriate in the same Region.

Mots clés : european researchers  night, researcher, society, public recognition, public engagement, research job, schools, citizens, entrepreuners, students

Participants :
- Fundación Madrimasd Para el Conocimiento (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Autres, subvention : 200000.0 €
Projet IRONLAKE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Under the pressure of human-induced climate change, it is essential to better understand the past natural climate variability. A broader global coverage of high-resolution palaeoclimatic proxy (indicator) data is urgently needed to improve climate projections and adaptation strategies to changing climate and environmental stress. Laminated lake sediments provide invaluable palaeoclimatic information with up to seasonal resolution. The IRONLAKE project aims to develop the innovative methodology of stable iron isotope measurements of laminated lake sediments as a novel proxy for past changes in temperature and wind. Only recently, first studies have hinted that variations in stable iron isotopes of marine and lake sediments reflect changing redox conditions in oceans and lakes, possibly linked to variations in past wind and/or temperature. This project aims to test the hypothesis of a redox-climate-relationship mirrored in iron isotopes. The project will be carried out on existing sediment cores from Lago Fagnano (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) exhibiting characteristic iron-rich laminae that are most suitable for the approach. In a multidisciplinary perspective, a combination of ultrahigh-resolution micro-facies analysis by thin section microscopy and micro-X-ray-fluorescence elemental scanning will be applied to fully understand the general sedimentological and geochemical processes and, specifically, possible seasonal/climatic variations influencing the formation and deposition of iron-bearing minerals in the lake. The gained knowledge will then be linked with mineral-selective iron isotope measurements to infer the sensitivity of stable iron isotopes to capture climatic variations. The interdisciplinary perspective of this project is designed to advance the innovative field of iron isotope geochemistry and to provide a novel wind/temperature proxy to the palaeoclimate and climate modelling communities .

Mots clés : limnogeology, sedimentology, isotope geochemistry in lakes, redox conditions in lakes, high resolution micro facies and  xrf analyses, temperature wind redox link

Participants :
- University of Geneva (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175419.6 €
Projet WetSlide (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Understanding Earth’s climate system is a major aim of the H2020 work programme. The chemical weathering of silicate and carbonate minerals is a key component of Earth’s climate system by exchanging large volumes of carbon between atmospheric and geologic reservoirs. Commonly, weathering models focus on the steady production, chemical alteration, and erosion of regolith and soil. However, the majority of fresh, weatherable sediment on Earth’s surface is produced in active mountain ranges where unsteady bedrock landsliding is the dominant erosion process. There, existing weathering models do not apply. The lack of data and models for chemical weathering in bedrock landslide deposits presents a major knowledge gap that limits our predictions of weathering dynamics and, ultimately, our understanding of Earth’s climate system. The goal of WetSlide is to quantify the impact of landslide erosion on chemical weathering fluxes from mountain ranges with three research objectives: 1) Assess millennial-scale variations of weathering rates in landslide deposits with a unique dataset of landslide-seepage-water chemistry from New Zealand; 2) Quantify erosion timescales of landslide deposits by measuring and compiling deposit volumes of dated landslides; 3) Develop and calibrate a model for weathering in landslides based on data from 1-2. This model will be combined with a regolith weathering model to estimate landscape-scale weathering fluxes. By providing the first quantitative study of weathering in landslide deposits, WetSlide has the potential to re-define the impact of mountain belt uplift on the inorganic carbon cycle and to drive a step-change in the understanding of global chemical weathering dynamics. Moreover, interdisciplinary training by experts at two world-leading research institutions will shape a competitive young researcher with a rare combination of skills who can effectively contribute to EU research excellence in integrative natural sciences.

Mots clés : silicate and carbonate weathering, inorganic carbon cycle, landslides, active tectonics

Participants :
- Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 162806.4 €