Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet CA3RECURRENTPLASTIC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The CA3 subregion of the hippocampus is crucial for the formation of episodic memories on a short timescale, possibly due to synaptic plasticity in the recurrent connections between pyramidal cells. Previously, in vivo observations of these changes due to a learning event were elusive; however, in the current proposal we will use new methods to allow us to observe and manipulate the changes that occur in cells and synapses correlated with memory formation. To achieve this, we will combine optogenetic stimulation techniques with both intra- and extracellular in vivo electrophysiology to measure cellular properties, network dynamics, and both artificially- and naturally-induced synaptic plasticity. Additionally, we will restrict optogenetic expression to only those cells involved in the memory, allowing us to selectively identify and manipulate these cells. Stimulation of a subset of CA3 pyramidal cells while recording the intracellular trace from an individual CA3 pyramidal cell will provide the first insights into the nature of the recurrent network in vivo; incorporating stimulation protocols designed to induce synaptic plasticity will allow us to characterize different forms of plasticity in vivo. Adding stimulation of DG inputs to this protocol will allow us to measure the modulation of both activity and synaptic plasticity. Finally, we will test the effect of natural learning on the CA3 network, by recording extracellular activity in vivo, and taking measurements of cellular properties and synapse strength ex vivo. This project will allow us, for the first time, to link the single-synapse changes hypothesized to be crucial for memory with whole-animal learning.

Mots clés : hippocampus, synaptic plasticity, fear conditioning, in vivo, electrophysiology, in vitro, mice, optogenetics, episodic memory, patch clamp, dentate gyrus

Participants :
- Université de Bordeaux (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet CaMMEgy (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The CaMMEgy project aims at studying the adaptation processes of the Coptic Christian population after the Arab conquest of Egypt (642 CE) under an innovative angle. It will focus on discourse strategies set up by members of this community in order to claim and reinforce a favourable position in a social and territorial context that was gradually reorganized by Muslim rulers. The analysis will be based on data extracted from two largely understudied textual corpuses that are rarely mobilized together. The first corpus is the Coptic-Arabic historiography and is constituted by historical texts written in Arabic in a Coptic ecclesiastical milieu after it had been arabicized, from the 11th century onwards. The second corpus – papyrological sources – consists mainly of fiscal, legal and epistolary documents, mainly written in Arabic (but also Greek and Coptic). As products of daily interactions between the various members of the Medieval Egyptian society, they will allow to assess the historical reliability of data coming from the first corpus and to consequently highlight the abovementioned strategies. The research will be interdisciplinary and will combine the historical approach, led by Prof. Mathieu Tillier (the supervisor), with the perspectives of textual criticism, (socio)linguistics and literary analysis, provided by Dr. Perrine Pilette (the experienced researcher), at the Université Paris-Sorbonne. Next to peer-reviewed articles that will be uploaded on an open-access repository at the date of publication, one of the main outputs of the CaMMEgy project will be intended for the use of both the academic and general public: new geo-historical maps of Egypt and the Coptic territory – real or purported – will be drawn and uploaded on an open-access web platform.

Mots clés : islamic history, christian muslim relationships, religious identities, coptic arabic historiography, arabic papyrology, coptic studies, historical geography

Participants :
- Sorbonne Université (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet WoodTRACES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The Canary Islands were first settled approximately 2,000 years ago by Berber agropastoral groups from North Africa, remaining isolated in the archipelago until Europeans arrived in the 15th century CE. These populations had to adapt to the local raw material availability, which lacked metal ores, and thus developed volcanic lithic technologies and woodcraft in an insular environment. Yet, how did this adaptation process succeed despite the lack of metal ores? Which stone tools replaced metal tools in producing woodworking technologies across different islands? What were wooden artefacts used for? Considering the exceptional preservation of desiccated wooden artefacts from this region, WoodTRACES seeks to test the hypothesis that the study of woodworking technology can shed new light on the human adaptation process in response to the lack of metal tools and to the biogeographical differences between islands. Advancement of new knowledge regarding this unparalleled issue will provide meaningful data about human innovation/resilience in contexts of isolation and sudden reduction of technological optionality. WoodTRACES will undertake a novel interdisciplinary approach combining the broad archaeobotanical expertise of the candidate with a deep training in experimental archaeology, tool-mark and wear analyses, and cutting-edge methodologies (e.g. 3D scanner, SEM). Inter-sectoral transfer of knowledge, by collaborating with archaeological museums and archives, will be also attained. Training during this project will enable the candidate to meet future challenges in archaeobotanical heritage, endorsed by the H2020 Societal Challenge of ‘Europe in a Changing World – Inclusive, Innovative and Reflective Societies’. Following the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the UN, results of WoodTRACES will contribute to stimulating sustainable cultural tourism in the Canary Islands based on perishable archaeological heritage.

Mots clés : palaeobotany, experimental archaeology, woodworking, wooden artefacts, tool mark and use wear analysis, canary islands, prehispanic, human adaptation

Participants :
- University of Basel (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 203149.44 €
Projet ENGAGE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : European Researchers' Night
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The ENGAGE proposal aims at organising a European Researchers' Night (ERN) in Nicosia, Cyprus on the 24th of September 2021. The theme of the event, the green and digital age, focusses on the transition towards a green world led by the European Union (EU) through the European Green Deal, in a new decade where the digital transition is well under way and more prominent than ever before as addressed in the European Digital Strategy. Having coordinated the organisation of the ERN events in Cyprus since 2006, the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF), will seek to build on the experience accumulated over the years and established collaboration with local Research and Innovation (R&I) stakeholders from the academia, the public sector, industry as well as other actors in civil society to make the event a success. The proposal's main objective is to mobilise and actively engage researchers in a quest to increase awareness of research and innovation activities by bringing them closer to the wider public. ENGAGE will additionally seek to raise the public's awareness regarding the latest R&I achievements in Cyprus and the EU, creating an understanding of the benefits and impact of researchers' work on citizens' daily life, whilst at the same time reducing stereotypes about researchers and encouraging young people to embark on research careers. The target audience for the event is the public at large, attracting people regardless of their age, gender or scientific background, with a special focus on families, pupils and students. Activities will bring together the public and researchers from all sectors and disciplines, and include side events such as a European Corner Roadshow in the main cities of Cyprus and a main event with hands-on experiments and demonstrations, games, live science communication competitions and quizzes as well as screenings of science documentaries, a Stand-up Science Comedy Live Show and a digital concert to conclude festivities.

Mots clés : european researchers  night, science communication, research careers, science for all

Participants :
- Research Promotion Foundation (Chypre) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Autres, subvention : 100000.0 €
Projet Language Use (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The ER (Jessica Keiser) is an early career researcher. The focus of her research to this point has been the philosophy of language, specifically metasemantics. The research goal of the project is to develop an account of the nature of language and language use (explained below) which reduces these phenomena to facts about the actions and mental states of language users. This project builds on the ER’s existing research expertise, but with the support of the host institution (University of Leeds) and the supervisor (Professor Robert Williams), the project will broaden the purview of her research by integrating it with empirical research in linguistics and evolutionary psychology, as well as core areas of philosophy such as metaphysics and the philosophy of mind. It will advance her career at a crucial early stage by making a mark with a large scale project which offers offering novel and viable solutions to recalcitrant problems, and position her at the cutting edge of contemporary discussion. The project has two main objectives: (1) to provide a novel metasemantic proposal, i.e., an account of what makes it the case that a community of speakers share a given language and (2) to provide a novel ontology of linguistic entities such as languages and expressions. The metasemantic proposal claims that populations speak the languages they do in virtue of conventions of locutionary action (using an utterance to direct attention). This proposal departs from the traditional conception of language as grounded in illocutionary action (using an utterance to elicit a propositional attitude), and overcomes problems concerning indeterminacy and nonliteral speech that were problematic for traditional accounts. The metaphysical proposal uses the tools and framework from metasemantic account to provide an ontology of the linguistic entities it is committed to. It moves away from standard approaches by using communicative actions (rather than the products of those actions e.g., sound

Mots clés : metasemantics, convention, ontology of language, attention, meaning

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

The EUROLIFE project will develop and test an advanced microscopic method for establishing human fertility rates in Europe over the period of the postulated Neolithic Demographic Transition (NDT) c. 7000-4000 BC. Dental histological evidence taken from radiocarbon dated archaeological assemblages will be used to accurately estimate variation in female fertility rates across the NDT and clarify the precise origins, shape, and structure of the associated rapid European population growth. This work will simultaneously provide paleodemographic profiles for the archaeological samples studied, allowing reconstruction of ageing profiles and other life history events with a direct histological analytical method. For the first time an explanatory hypothesis for the NDT that predicts increased female fertility will be rigorously tested at both local and regional European scales with direct evidence from individuals’ life histories. This project will improve the Tooth Cementum Annulation (TCA) method to identify numbers of pregnancy/fertility events and to distinguish them from other life-history events. A clinical study on a large data set of human teeth (n. 200) with documented life-history information will enable rigorous archaeological protocols to be constructed. These protocols will be used to estimate fertility rates, life-history parameters, and aging profiles in a chronologically linked series of extant Mesolithic/Neolithic European skeletal collections in Europe. As multiple radiocarbon dates already exist for the proposed ancient samples and archaeological contexts, extant dates will be used to create preliminary Bayesian time-series models. In summary, the EUROLIFE project will develop and test a highly innovative analytical technique to establish fertility rates, life history events and ageing profiles within the context of their larger populations through time. It will also provide a robust clinically supported protocol for future demographic research.

Mots clés : human life histories, human fertility, dental anthropology, tca method, paleodemography, prehistory, ageing profiles, bayesian oxcal radiocarbon modelling

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet REVA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The Earth is constantly subjected to cosmic radiation, the intensity of which, at the level of the upper atmosphere and the Earth's surface, depends on the strength of the magnetic field (MF) surrounding our planet. Over geological timescales, there have been periods of collapse of the magnetic dipole moment, and therefore of the MF, which can be associated with changes in the polarity of the dipole or with simple geomagnetic excursions (GE). GE events (typically lasting ~1ka to ~10ka) generate an increase in cosmic bombardment in the upper atmosphere and, ultimately, through chemical effects the destruction/thinning of the ozone layer. During these periods UV radiation can penetrate deeper into the atmosphere, while it is otherwise absorbed by the ozone layer. Yet, the reality of such a UV "window” has never been attested by natural observations, which if present during GE events in the future would have significant environmental and above all human consequences. This is plausibly foreseen in a short term as the intensity of Earth’s MF has decreased (~20%) over the past 150 years and with an accelerated rate in the last decades (> ~10 times the normal). The aim of this project is, therefore, to test the reality of a UV window during the Mono Lake-Laschamps (~ -40 ka) GE event, which by its magnitude, its globality and the possible implications for human evolution (being contemporaneous with the disappearance of the Neanderthals), is an example of a remarkable case study. Here, by measuring stable isotopic composition of sulfur (S) at high resolution (<200 years) in ice cores taken in Antarctica, we will leverage peculiar aspects of atmospheric chemistry of the S-33 isotope. In the absence of ozone, the interaction between SO2 and UV radiation, through photochemical processes, generates mass-independent (Δ) signatures. We propose to trace a possible UV "window" by analyzing the evolution of the observed ΔS-33 anomaly and model the extent of depletion of ozone layer.

Mots clés : sulfate, ozone, photochemistry, mass independent isotopic fractionation  mif, antarctica, ice core

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 196707.84 €
Projet NoLiMit (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The Earth’s mantle transition zone (TZ) is a complex region exhibiting mineralogical phase changes as revealed by sharp increases of seismic wave-speed near 410 and 660 km depth. The TZ is a key region for understanding how efficient is mantle convection to recycle chemical heterogeneities. Attempts to isolate the effects of temperature and composition on elastic properties have faced several issues. First, due to the imperfect seismic data coverage, the scales of thermal and chemical heterogeneities remain poorly constrained. Second, seismic and mineral-physics data suffer from large uncertainties, and the relation between seismic observables and in situ thermo-chemical parameters remains questionable. To overcome these limitations, this project will use a partitioning (multi-scale) approach to isolate the effects of mantle temperature and composition from comprehensive seismic databases. Using a Bayesian probabilistic framework, the experienced researcher (ER) will simulate the multi-scale physical properties of the TZ, confront the results with high-pressure mineral physics experiments and with predictions from mantle convective mixing models. The interdisciplinary approach of this project relies on using state-of-the-art numerical methods and high performance computing to answer fundamental questions in Earth Sciences. The uniqueness of the approach arises from quantifying in a probabilistic sense how conceptual mantle-mixing models fit seismic data. The skills developed during this project will re-enforce the competitiveness of both institutions to build seismic models, and to study the Earth’s deep interior. The expected researcher outcome is the re-enforcement of his research network; the benefit of a new environment to efficiently prepare articles and professorship applications; and through appropriate training, the capability of developing a research group. Continued international collaboration will be of enduring value for research and student formation.

Mots clés : seismic imaging, inverse methods, bayesian inference, high pressure mineral physics

Participants :
- Australian National University (Australie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université Claude Bernard - Lyon 1 (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 270918.0 €
Projet Rn7SKmod (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The Epitranscriptome is the assembly of over 170 chemical RNA modifications that play fundamental roles in the majority of cellular processes. RNA modifying enzymes and proper control of neuronal cell fate are essential for brain development and dysfunction in any of these processes results in severe neurodevelopmental disorders. To date, the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as key regulators of sophisticated molecular pathways is becoming increasingly clear. A key regulatory ncRNA that modulates the transcriptional output of RNA polymerase II is Rn7sk. Other abundant ncRNAs, like transfer RNAs and ribosomal RNAs, are highly modified; yet the modifications occurring in Rn7sk are largely unknown. In this proposal, I aim to investigate the Rn7sk RNA modification status and the impact of these modifications on neuronal cell fate and brain development. To accomplish this, I will; i) Characterize Rn7sk RNA modifications using a highly sensitive RNA mass spectrometry approach and evaluate the impact of selected modifications in recruiting protein binding partners using stable isotope labelling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) based mass spectrometry; ii) Determine the biological function of selected Rn7sk modifications during neuronal differentiation using genetically manipulated embryonic cell lines; iii) Investigate the role of Rn7sk during brain development using genome-wide sequencing technologies and a forebrain-specific Rn7sk knock-out mouse model. Results stemming from this project will reveal several novel aspects about how neuronal fate is controlled by tiny RNA modifications. My ultimate ambition is to establish my own laboratory and become an independent research leader in the field of Epitranscriptomics. This proposal, with the support from the experienced Prof Frye and the excellent host institute, DKFZ, is key for me to reach my goal.

Mots clés : epitranscriptomics, non coding rna, regulatory rna, gene regulation

Participants :
- German Cancer Research Center (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 162806.4 €
Projet 0E-BUILDINGS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The European Union (EU) has proposed themselves ambitious goals to considerably reduce greenhouse emissions and move to an energy-neutral built environment in 2050. To achieve this, it is planned to ensure that new buildings have to be nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEB) as well as the gradual retrofitting of the existing ones to be nZEB. Passive strategies like the use of phase change materials (PCMs) included in the building structure is a promising technology to achieve nZEB designs. However, its effectiveness is difficult to guarantee because of the complex thermal behavior of buildings. Within this context, building performance simulation (BPS) is vital to evaluate building physics in an integrated manner, including all the heat and mass transfer phenomena because of the local climate as well as their relation to users’ behavior and the operation of equipment installed in the building. The 0E-BUILDINGS (Open-Access Platform for Zero-Energy Buildings) project proposes a new multi-objective computational platform to evaluate and optimize PCM-based building components aiming to design new nZEB or to retrofit the existing ones to be nZEB. Through its simulation-based optimization approach, this platform offers a reliable optimal design of PCMs, in terms of thermo-physical properties, quantities, and locations, in order to guarantee their effectiveness.

Mots clés : phase change material, nearly zero energy building, building performance simulation, building multi objective optimization, open access platform, architectural passive strategies

Participants :
- Technical University of Darmstadt (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 174806.4 €