Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet Platonic Materiality (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The tentative title of this project which is going to culminate in a monograph published with a reputable publisher is Materiality and Cosmology in Plato and the Platonic Tradition. My investigations will focus on Plato’s concepts of Necessity (anankē) and Space (chōra), the latter of which was traditionally identified with Platonic matter. The monograph will consist of two parts. In the first, I shall critically analyze the theories of matter expounded by Plutarch, Plotinus, and Proclus. Their perspectives are based on differing readings of Plato’s Necessity and Space, nevertheless heavily informed by Aristotle’s doctrine of hylē. The Platonists saw Platonic Space as identical with Aristotelian matter, while their interpretations of Necessity varied widely. The discussion developed in the first part is primarily meant to aid the reader in discerning what Plato really said, through the process of sifting out Aristotelian and other influences. In the second part, I shall turn to Plato’s view on materiality and its cosmological role, as presented in the Timaeus, but also elsewhere. In it, I shall demonstrate clearly and decisively the following points. a) If we were to designate something in the Timaeus as Plato's causa materialis, that something would be anankē, not chōra; nevertheless, such an attribution would be anachronistic, for Plato did not operate with a notion of matter, but with that of corporeality instead. b) Consequently, it is impossible for chōra, which is manifestly different from anankē, to play that role. That is, chōra cannot be something out of which, but only that in which the world has been fashioned. I shall also discuss some debated corollaries and conclude that i) Necessity proper arises only after the demiurgic intervention and is not present in the pre-cosmic chaos; ii) Necessity is identical with the Errant Cause; iii) Plato's Space is not sheer extension like Newton's, but a full-fledged entity and a plenum of perhaps undisclosed content.

Mots clés : plato, aristotle, plutarch, plotinus, proclus, matter, corporeality, space, necessity, cosmology, cosmogony

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199440.96 €
Projet SoftSERVE-NGL (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

To facilitate the resummation of non-global logarithms and thereby enhancing theoretical predictions for collider phenomenology, I propose a project to calculate NNLO (order alpha_s^2) soft functions for non-global observables in Soft-Collinear Effective Theory (SCET), using semi-numerical methods. The proposed framework consists of two steps: First, the universal structure of soft and collinear divergences in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) is analysed to isolate singularities in an observable-independent fashion, after which the remaining phase space integrations are performed numerically. The objectives of the project are the release of a public software package for use by phenomenologists, and the use of the universal divergence structure to relate different classes of observables and shed light on properties of QCD factorisation (with the equivalence of virtuality and rapidity anomalous dimensions as a concrete example).  The project is structured into six work packages: WP1: application to SCET-1 ("energy-type") observables without clustering effects, WP2: SCET-1 with clustering effects, WP3: SCET-2 ("transverse momentum-type") observables, WP4: development of a software package, and WP5: Exploitation, WP6: communication, dissemination, and training.  The project is inspired by previous efforts directed at the much simpler "global" observables. As non-global observables are less investigated yet ubiquitous in collider physics (e.g. jet observables), and resummation calculations for them are only regularly performed in the large Nc limit and at low logarithmic accuracy, a framework to calculate soft functions for wide swathes of observables can be of tremendous service to the community. The systematic separation of observable-dependent features from universal structures can also help shed light on fundamental properties of QCD factorisation, via e.g. an observable-independent analysis of Glauber modes and their impact on factorisation.

Mots clés : resummation, effective field theories, soft collinear effective theory, quantum chromodynamics, collider phenomenology, semi numerical calculations

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183600.96 €
Projet GALYKOS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The standard paradigm of the build-up of spiral galaxies recognises a two-phase scenario that comprises a quasi-monolithic formation of the bulge early-on, followed by the gradual assembly of the disk. However, recent observational evidence strongly suggests joint formation and perpetual co-evolution of both structures. Elucidating this process in its full complexity is of key astrophysical relevance and only possible through accurate characterisation of the main stellar components (bulge, disk and bar). These are primarily studied via photometric decomposition techniques, conventionally by extrapolating the exponential profile of the disk up to the galactic centre. Though hardly ever questioned, this is a strong assumption with broad and far-reaching implications, which could effectively be violated, particularly if the disk evolves in tandem with the bulge. Our latest work, Breda et al. (2020b), provided, for the first time, indirect observational evidence for a central down-bending of the disk, reinforcing theoretical predictions. This project, GALYKOS, will pioneer an unprecedented exploration of the central region of spiral galaxies through the combination of two techniques, i.e., spatially resolved spectral synthesis and kinematical Schwarzschild orbital decomposition of optical and K-band integral field spectroscopy data. This innovative methodology will permit to quantitatively constrain the true structure of the disk within the galactic centre and explore its dependence on the physical properties of spirals, revolutionizing photometric decomposition studies. Apart from opening new routes for the exploration of the assembly history of galaxies, this action will prompt for conceptual changes in our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. Finally, it will rectify well-established galaxy scaling relations such as super-massive black hole vs. bulge and yield crucial insight into the nature of bulgeless galaxies, a remaining challenge for the ΛCDM model.

Mots clés : galaxy structure galaxy dynamics integral field spectroscopy spectral synthesis galactic archaeology

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199440.96 €
Projet MS-LAB (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Manuscript (MS) magazines were handwritten magazines that were created for private consumption by groups of people whose contributions to the magazine made up its contents. Though research on manuscript magazines is scarce, and archival examples are scattered, they were an important part of self-made cultures circa 1860-1920. A rise in literacy, and Golden Ages of journalism, periodical literature and children's literature contributed to their popularity. Though they were often started in the domestic space, and spoke to highly localised concerns, they were circulated and had a wide readership, much like social media of today. This project, ‘MS-LAB: Manuscript Lives Across the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1860-1920’ will interrogate the place of MS magazines in family life and the development of literary cultivation across the four nations of the United Kingdom during the period in question. Through new archival research conducted in the four nations, and the design of a new methodology for comprehending the form and content of MS magazines, this project will produce new knowledge on this underexamined facet of shared cultural heritage. A dedicated web project hosting digitised surrogates of these manuscripts will share findings on these manuscripts with a wide public audience. During a non-academic placement with the Department of Archives and Manuscripts Collections in the National Library of Scotland, the researcher will share insights with colleagues working in the heritage industry who are typically the custodians of these unique manuscripts. The project's outcomes will pave the way for further work on this unique form in mainland Europe, as the web project and multimodal methodology can be applied to MS magazines found across other European collections.

Mots clés : manuscripts, periodical studies, digital humanities, children s literature

Participants :
- Université de Stirling (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 292891.41 €
- National Library of Scotland (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet Zn-MFreeRFB (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Efficient energy storage is crucial for integrating renewable energy sources and ensuring climate security. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) offer a scalable solution but are currently hindered by high costs and limited ion exchange membranes. To address these limitations, biphasic membrane-free redox flow batteries (RFBs) have received significant attention. However, it is important to note that this membrane-free technology is still in its early research stages and presents several challenges such as self-discharge, low Coulombic efficiency, and reduced state of charge. To address this, hybrid Zn-based biphasic membrane-free RFBs have emerged as a potential solution. These systems utilize a metal-based anolyte (Zn metal anode) that remains separate from the catholyte, thereby mitigating self-discharge and enhancing coulombic efficiency. However, existing hybrid Zn-based membrane-free RFBs predominantly use aqueous electrolytes for the Zn metal anode. This approach presents several issues, including dendrite formation, undesired side reactions such as hydrogen and oxygen evolution, a restricted voltage window, and surface passivation problems. To overcome these challenges, this research proposes the development of a hybrid Zn-based membrane-free RFB utilizing a nonaqueous biphasic electrolyte system. By employing a eutectic solvent for the Zn metal anode and a nonaqueous solvent for the redox-active cathode materials, this approach aims to reduce dendrite formation, eliminate unwanted side reactions, and extend the electrochemical stability window. This innovative system promises to enhance both efficiency and energy density, addressing the limitations of both aqueous and nonaqueous systems. Conducted at IMDEA Energy under the guidance of Dr. Rebeca Marcilla, the project will focus on developing advanced electrolytes, fabricating the biphasic system, designing high-voltage batteries, and evaluating performance.

Mots clés : biphasic eutectic electrolytes membrane free redox flow battery zn metal

Participants :
- Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 209914.56 €
Projet TFF2IBDrug (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, which affect approximately 1.3 and 2 million people in Europe and North America, respectively, with a growing number of incidences in Asia as well. Currently, existing therapies only alleviate the symptoms and suppress the inflammation, but don’t promote gut repair. The development of novel therapies is limited by a lack of understanding of the underlying processes of gut healing and repair. Although trefoil family factors (TFF) are major players in gut epithelium restitution and repair, very little is known about their molecular mechanisms and interaction partners. In this project, I will attempt to close this knowledge gap and will focus on trefoil family factor 2 (TFF2). The proposed project aims to identify TFF2 interaction partners (i), study their structure-activity relationships (ii) and produce TFF2-based peptidomimetics (iii). I will use chemical synthesis coupled with structure elucidation to design and produce TFF2 photoactivatable probes for the identification of TFF2 interaction partners. Then structure-activity relationship studies of TFF2 and identified partners will be carried out to define structural determinants of binding and activity. Based on this knowledge I will design novel TFF2-based peptidomimetics and study their stability, binding to TFF2 targets, and effect on epithelial restitution. The proposed project will deliver fundamental insights into molecular mechanisms of gut healing and yield a set of novel peptidomimetics, which could serve as leads for further development of therapies for IBD and GI conditions.

Mots clés : inflammatory bowel diseases, trefoil family factors, peptidomimetics, nmr spectroscopy, target identification, photoactivatable cross linking

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199440.96 €
Projet TOOTHROW (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Our understanding of human evolution depends on reliable taxonomic identification of fossils and an understanding of their phylogenetic relationships. Teeth are a key source of evidence: they are well-preserved in the fossil record and their morphology is under strong genetic control. State-of-the-art methods involve 3D morphological analysis of internal dental structures, but due to statistical challenges and fossils frequently missing teeth, these analyses focus on each tooth position individually. This means that important aspects of variation across the tooth row are not captured, and as a result, key issues in hominin systematics remain unresolved.  TOOTHROW will overcome these limitations by developing a novel methodological framework to analyse the morphology of the entire tooth row in a single analysis, even in incomplete specimens. I will use cutting-edge geometric morphometrics and multivariate statistics to estimate the morphology of teeth missing from fossil specimens, providing a powerful reconstruction tool. Morphological analysis of the complete dental arcade will be developed and tested on large extant hominoid samples, before being applied to two fossil hominins: Homo habilis and Homo naledi. Both species are central to our understanding of human evolution, yet the relationship between them and other hominins remains unresolved.  The R-based analytical toolkit developed by TOOTHROW will advance applications of geometric morphometrics to include multiple skeletal elements, with applications in fields such as palaeontology, vertebrate morphology and forensics. The University of Vienna, home to a leading competence centre in morphometrics, and embedded in large networks of anthropological and evolutionary research, is the ideal host for this project. Results will be disseminated to a broad range of audiences through scientific conferences, publications in high-impact open access journals, an open-source R toolkit and outreach activities.

Mots clés : palaeoanthropology, tooth morphology, hominin taxonomy, geometric morphometrics

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183600.96 €
Projet PhytoParasite (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Marine ecosystems are dependent on complex ecological networks. One such network is the "microbial loop" which defines global oceans by influencing carbon cycling through the fixation and release of carbon by microorganisms. Although carbon fixation is well understood, factors beyond predation that impact cell death and carbon release remain understudied . Microbial marine parasites can greatly impact carbon release by driving the collapse of massive algal blooms and impacting phytoplankton population sizes. However, our understanding of the mechanisms governing these host-parasite interactions are limited, largely due to a lack of tractable model systems. The PhytoParasite project will address this issue by developing an emerging host–parasite model system comprised of the bloom–forming diatom, Coscinodiscus radiatus, and the zoosporic parasite, Pirsonia diadema, with the goal of answering fundamental questions about the ecological implications, molecular mechanisms, and evolution of phytoplankton parasites. To this end, I will (1) investigate the ecological implications of these parasites by using live–cell fluorescence microscopy to understand the effects of environmental factors on infection dynamics, (2) identify genes involved in parasitism and host responses by performing single–cell RNA sequencing during infection progression, and (3) uncover the mechanisms underlying the parasitic interaction and its evolutionary history using functional experiments and comparative genomics. This work will reveal the ecological implications and genetic underpinning of this important interaction, help develop a framework for understanding the evolution of eukaryotic parasitism, and importantly provide a new model system for understanding microbial interactions in our rapidly changing oceans.

Mots clés : microbial interactions, protists, marine microbiology, parasitism, symbiosis, single cell transcriptomics

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199440.96 €
Projet MiLoDa (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Migration is increasingly recognised in research and policy as an autonomous adaptation strategy that can help climate-affected households to diversify their livelihoods. However, in the absence of supportive policies and legal frameworks, migration in the context of climate change can also result in loss and damage (L&D) for migrants and their families or households, which can undermine the success of migration as adaptation. Yet, L&D experienced through migration are yet to be fully and explicitly elaborated. The overall goal of the project, therefore, is to develop and validate, through empirical research in Bangladesh, a novel conceptual framing of migration-related L&D (MLD). Working with translocal households (consisting of migrants in places of destination and their families in places of origin) in Bangladesh, I will (i) identify context-specific socially differentiated MLD, (ii) examine the links between MLD and trade-offs in wellbeing, equity and sustainability across translocal households and their implications for limits to migration as climate adaptation, and (iii) co-produce contextually relevant solutions for addressing MLD. This novel conceptualisation of MLD underpinned by research evidence will advance scholarship and feed into policy debates on migration and L&D, act as a guide for assessments of limits to migration as adaptation, and support the development of appropriate measures that respond to migration-related economic and non-economic L&D. In Bangladesh, participation in the qualitative and deliberative research and co-produced context-specific responses to MLD will empower affected groups to access L&D funding and to advocate for their meaningful engagement in discussions about addressing L&D.

Mots clés : loss and damage, climate change adaptation, qualitative methods, bangladesh

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 230184.72 €
Projet TransFoRM (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The fossil record offers invaluable insights into the history of life on Earth, including species' responses to past climate changes, serving as a vital resource in addressing the contemporary biodiversity crisis. However, the fossil record is subject to multiple environmental, geological, and anthropogenic biases, which, if unaccounted for, may lead to misleading interpretations. Despite an increasing awareness of these biases among researchers, our ability to mitigate fossil record biases in analyses and account for the uncertainty produced remains limited. TransFoRM therefore seeks to develop a coherent framework to address inherent biases of the fossil record systematically. Specifically, I will (i) identify general biases of the fossil record through a systematic literature review; (ii) identify instances where researchers overlook biases in the fossil record through a statistical assessment of surveys (a many-analysts approach), (iii) develop a structural causal model that incorporates the data-generating process of the fossil record, to account for known biases and confounders; and (iv) strengthen the connections between paleontological research and conservation practice by equipping researchers with the tools, awareness, and knowledge necessary to navigate and communicate the complexities of the fossil record effectively. The transdisciplinary nature of the project and planned dissemination activities will lead to knowledge that is highly transferable into various fields. The outcomes will provide a comprehensive framework to alleviate biases in the fossil record, facilitating the propagation of fossil information to the contemporary ecological crises. TransFoRM is particularly timely, as confounder- and bias-corrected frameworks exist, with clear guidelines for their application to observational data in ecology, but are not yet integrated in paleontological research, prompting recent calls for their adoption.

Mots clés : fossil record, bias, structural causal inference, extinction, climate change, confounder

Participants :
- Université de Vienne (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 230184.72 €