Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet KN-TRANSFER (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The merging of binary neutron stars produces an explosive kilonova transient, recently confirmed by the first ever detection of a kilonova, AT2017gfo, coincident with a gravitational wave signal, GW170817. The wealth of observations provided by AT2017gfo offers the opportunity to probe the fundamental physics of binary neutron star mergers, including the incompletely known Equation of State of dense nuclear matter and rapid neutron capture nucleosynthesis (the r-process), which produces half of all elements heavier than iron in the Universe. With the detection of AT2017gfo and the new gravitational wave observing run of LIGO, VIRGO and KAGRA (O4) the demand for kilonova simulations has never been so great.  The aim of this research is to produce sophisticated, three-dimensional kilonova radiative transfer simulations from binary neutron star merger ejecta with detailed r-process calculations, allowing simulations to be directly compared to observations. I am uniquely placed to combine these complex simulations to self-consistently model kilonovae, enabling powerful constraints to be placed on the underlying physics through interpreting kilonova observations. I will carry out the first three-dimensional kilonova parameter space study based on realistic hydrodynamical neutron star merger simulations with a range of neutron star masses and Equations of State. The simulations will predict spectra using a state of the art line-by-line opacity treatment for millions of line transitions of r-process elements, which allows spectral features to be directly associated with the ions responsible for forming the features.  This multi-disciplinary approach will constrain and improve hydrodynamical neutron star merger modelling, kilonova radiative transfer simulations, the high density Equation of State and r-process nucleosynthesis, which are critical to move our knowledge of kilonovae and their role in producing heavy elements in the Universe beyond the state of the art.

Mots clés : kilonova, radiative transfer, spectral synthesis, binary neutron star mergers

Participants :
- Trinity College (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199694.4 €
Projet SEQUOIA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are composed of metal ions coordinated with organic ligands to form porous structures with high surface areas, making them suitable for a wide range of industrial applications. For instance, MOFs exhibit sensitivity to various molecules and gases due to their high surface area and tailored pores. As such, they can be employed in gas sensors for detecting volatile organic compounds, environmental pollutants, and toxic gases, enabling important applications in environmental monitoring and industrial safety. Despite the incredible success of MOFs as a sensing strategy and sequestration agent, only macroscopic quantities of segregated compounds can be effectively sensed. My project SEnsing with QUantum OrganometallIc frAmeworks (SEQUOIA) will pave the way to the exploitation of quantum sensing for the detection of traces of gases/pollutants in air and water by exploring the potential of MOFs decorated with molecular quantum sensors. Quantum sensing is an emerging area of quantum information science that enables the measurement of physical properties using quantum objects (qubits). Quantum sensors are far more precise than their classical counterpart, potentially allowing them to probe a vast range of physical properties, from magnetic fields to gravity, with unprecedented sensitivity. In particular, molecular qubits represent one of the latest frontiers of spin-based quantum sensors, where long spin coherence times are combined with chemical versatility and the possibility to tailor molecular structures in order to tune the sensor’s properties and tailor sensor-target interactions. SEQUOIA will bring together a diverse set of advanced simulation techniques such as quantum chemistry, machine learning and ab initio spin relaxation theory to deliver an unprecedented computational characterization of the properties of MOFs in realistic environments and thus provide a blueprint for the realization of this cutting-edge technology.

Mots clés : quantum chemistry, quantum sensing, spin phonon coupling

Participants :
- Trinity College (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 215534.4 €
Projet TheoPolis (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

After the 1973 War, a protest arose in Israel against the return of territories occupied in 1967 to the Arab States. Groups of faithful asked for the re-establishment of ancient Israel borders as narrated in the Bible, giving birth to the religious-fundamentalist and ultra-rightist extra-parliamentary movement of Gush Emunim, meaning “the bloc of the faithful.” It formally operated between 1974, when it was recognized as an ideological group within the National Religious Party, and 1985, when the involvement of some members in the Jewish Underground terrorist group led to its dissolution as an organization. Although Gush Emunim was officially an organization for only a decade, its political actions and ideology have significantly influenced the events unfolding in the occupied territories from 1967 to the present. The project “Theology and Politics in Gush Emunim: Using the Bible to Reshape the Land” (TheoPolis) aims to offer a comprehensive and innovative investigation of how Gush Emunim used narratives, histories, characters, names, and geographical indications from the Bible and the Maccabees traditions to constitute a theological framework for implementing political actions. Through a careful analysis of discourse in the form of speeches, rabbinic teachings, and pamphlets from the group and its leaders, along with coverage in Israel newspapers, TheoPolis will explore how Gush Emunim selected and interpreted specific sections of the Bible and the Maccabees Books to carry on its political goals and will actively contribute to an urgent international and European need, which is the understanding of religious fundamentalism and sectarianism in Israel and the West Bank, besides the spread of messianic ideologies, since they profoundly influence the equilibrium of the world politics. Through a close investigation of primary and secondary sources, the project will shed light on radical ideologies that still today hinder the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Mots clés : hebrew bible, settlements history, gush emunim, religious fundamentalism, israel, west bank, israel palestine conflict, ideological interpretation, theology and politics, far right government

Participants :
- Université de Lancaster (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 260347.92 €
Projet WomenACT-REPinHOST (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Democracy and citizens’ political engagement have been long-lasting policy goals of the European Union’s standards and values. The European Commission has established a new push for democracy as one of its priorities for 2019-2024, intending to foster democratic governance and civic participation. However, these objectives are challenging in light of transnational repression and the lack of policy tools for migrant protection in host societies across Western democracies, the primary recipients of human rights defenders. The E.U. has overlooked the rapid change in more vibrant forms of migrant political activism and how authoritarian governments control their diasporas abroad. There is a knowledge gap in understanding transnational repression’s gendered effects on receiving countries’ political environment. WomenACT-REPinHOST advances global discussions on migrants’ rights by analysing Latin American women activists’ practices of resistance to transnational authoritarian rule. It also discusses how they could be best supported by international organisations and host countries’ democratic institutions. The proposed action aims at enhancing three career objectives: acquiring scientific and transferable skills in Gender Studies and Psychosocial Research (short-term); securing a permanent academic position in the E.U. (mid-term) and; developing an independent career path as a gender consultant in human rights international organisations (long-term). These objectives will be accomplished through an individually tailored research and career development plan. The methodology includes a literature review and fieldwork research based on in-depth interviews, online non-participant observation and focus groups with LAC female activists and organisations in the U.S. and Spain. It also focuses on dissemination strategies to target scholars, practitioners and wide audiences with deliverables such as peer-reviewed articles, conferences, podcasts, and policy briefs.

Mots clés : transnational repression, political participation, authoritarianism

Participants :
- Institut universitaire de Lisbonne (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172618.56 €
Projet TUC (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

As nations in the developed world strive to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to counteract the effects of climate change, transitioning from more carbon intensive cities to greener modes of housing and transportation will become paramount challenges for governments throughout the 21st century. The United States, who produces about 11 percent of CO2 while accounting for just two percent of the world’s population, presents a particular challenge. Infrastructure costs in the United States are astronomically higher than in comparable developed nations in Europe or Asia. Further, housing construction—especially dense urban housing and its accompanying low carbon profile—is nearly impossible to build in almost all major American metro areas due to restrictive land use policies, an abundance of veto points exploited by engage local interest groups and America’s strong federalist institutions that give deference to local governments when deciding land use policy. This project seeks to understand how interest groups in the United States capture local housing and land use policymaking and why a similar phenomenon hasn’t evolved in many European Union nations. Studying local interest groups in a comparative setting will better illuminate how weaknesses in political institutions engender this behavior and lead to differing outcomes between the two regions. Identifying these institutional deficiencies will also aid reforms in the United States crucial for modernizing that democracy and aiding the global fight against climate change. This project will also deepen understanding of how interest groups form and evolve, what motivates the transition from individual financial motivation to the formation of an interest group and how these groups capture local political institutions.

Mots clés : housing, land use policy, urban studies, local government, political institutions, public policy

Participants :
- École de commerce de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 230774.4 €
Projet MPBNF (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Microplastic contamination has emerged as a global concern and the MPs contamination in aquatic systems has been studied widely in recent years. However, the impact of MPs on the terrestrial ecosystem, especially farmland soils, and their impact on crop growth remains largely unknown. A significant knowledge gap is the impact of MPs on biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), which is a key process in legume plants to acquire nitrogen fertilizer from nature. Impairment of this process will lead to reduced yield or increased chemical fertilizer input and disruption in the nitrogen cycling process. However, the effects of MPs on BNF in agriculture, particularly in a major crop food such as soybean, and its impact on crop yield, are nearly unknown. The precise quantification of microplastics in soil-plant systems is presently hampered due to the different types, shapes, and sizes of microplastics in the real environment. MPBNF is well placed to address this knowledge gap by labeling bio and non-bio-MPs with different sizes and shapes using rare earth elements, which allows us to trace the uptake of MPs in plants. Additionally, the potential pathways of impacts caused by MPs on the biological responses of BNF and soybean plants will be investigated in detail.

Mots clés : microplastic pollution, labeling, quantification, transport and uptake, biological effect

Participants :
- Université de Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 276187.92 €
Projet INFORMALITY (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Although informality has long been considered a barrier to economic development, as more emerging market economies achieve growth even while remaining stubbornly informal, this assumption has become a subject of debate. Recent management scholarship has highlighted the supporting roles that informality plays in economies and the opportunities it provides for marginalized populations. Yet, because of the phenomenological and ahistorical nature of this work, the processes by which informality is produced, how it evolves over time, and how it influences macroeconomic change remain undertheorized. In this project, I attempt to address these lacunae through a novel historical approach and the analysis of unconventional sources collected from Chinese flea markets. Specifically, I apply the tools and frameworks of microhistory to analyze thousands of decommissioned case files of entrepreneurial actors who were prosecuted by Chinese state agencies in the 1970s and 1980s. Through this analysis I aim to: 1) Map the structure of informal networks of state and non-state actors and theorize the mechanisms by which they enabled the creative recombination of capital, labor, and knowledge; 2) Discover and categorize the collusive practices by which these actors pursued entrepreneurial opportunities, circumvented institutional constraints, and mitigated risk; 3) Reveal the entrepreneurial role of local administrators and theorize how their actions reshaped the context in which informal entrepreneurship operated. Through the fulfillment of these objectives, the project seeks to revise existing theories of informality by calling attention to how formal/informal boundaries were contextually and historically contingent and by revealing the bottom-up processes through which informal entrepreneurship drives change. The project also aims to generate societal and economic impact by developing applied business insights that will inform new entrepreneurial educational initiatives.

Mots clés : institutional change informal entrepreneurship

Participants :
- École de commerce de Copenhague (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 230774.4 €
Projet PHOTO-BIO-ENG (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

PHOTO-BIO-ENG aims to develop entirely new strategies for the stereoselective synthesis of complex chiral molecules. We will achieve this by combining biocatalysis and photocatalysis to generate photoenzymes for visible-light-driven radical processes. Utilizing directed evolution and high-throughput experimentation, we will create highly efficient and stereoselective photoenzymes capable of catalyzing transformations that are currently inaccessible to small-molecule catalysts and unachievable via ground-state thermal pathways. Our approach will use enzymes as green catalysts and visible light as a renewable energy source, with environmentally benign reaction conditions (ambient temperatures, aqueous solvents). By merging photochemical methodology with enzyme catalysis, we aim to demonstrate novel chemical transformations that produce chiral products with multiple stereocenters and excellent stereocontrol. This project will establish a highly effective and sustainable synthetic methodology, contributing to the advancement of green chemistry practices.  Collaboration with Johnson & Johnson will facilitate the development of photoenzymatic processes to yield chiral molecules with biologically relevant scaffolds. PHOTO-BIO-ENG combines the fellow’s experience in enzymatic catalysis and directed evolution with the host’s expertise in photo-triggered asymmetric radical processes. The interdisciplinary nature of the project will significantly enhance the fellow's expertise, providing comprehensive training and positioning them strongly for future career advancements.

Mots clés : biocatalysis asymmetric catalysis iminium ions radical chemistry organocatalysis photochemistry protein engineering

Participants :
- Université de Bologne (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 193643.28 €
Projet EUSTAR (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The EUSTAR project critically examines the implementation of the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence, identifying significant gaps in current policy frameworks, particularly regarding regional contributions and stakeholder integration across Europe. Despite the EU’s recognition of space as a vital domain intersecting multiple policy areas, the strategy has not been thoroughly analyzed from an interdisciplinary social sciences perspective. EUSTAR addresses this gap by focusing on three key areas: the need for a comprehensive assessment of the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence and its objectives in anticipation of the Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034); the overlooked role of Regions as pivotal subnational actors in European space policy; and the limited scholarly attention paid to European space policy. Utilizing an interdisciplinary methodology that incorporates qualitative and quantitative research, scenario planning, foresight methodologies, and extensive stakeholder consultations, EUSTAR develops nuanced policy recommendations aimed at optimizing strategic alignment, enhancing regional engagement, and fostering cross-sectoral innovation. The project also emphasises inclusivity by integrating gender and diversity considerations into its analysis, thereby addressing systemic inequalities within the space sector. The expected outcomes include the advancement of theoretical frameworks for understanding European space policy, practical recommendations for resource allocation within the Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034), and the creation of an open-access toolkit for stakeholders. By bridging academic and policy-oriented approaches, EUSTAR will contribute to a more integrated and effective implementation of the EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence, enhancing the EU's strategic autonomy, economic growth, and resilience in the critical domain of space.

Mots clés : space policy, aerospace, safety and security, regions, space technology

Participants :
- Université de Bologne (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 193643.28 €
Projet NewGenActive (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The development of non-equilibrium statistical physics has provided a powerful tool to understand and describe the collective dynamics of a wide range of chemical, biological and social systems. In this framework, active matter has raised as one of the most significant topics in this domain, mainly addressing the features of many-body dynamics with self-propelled units such as bacteria colonies, bird flocks and pedestrians walks. Based on the observation of collective motion like size synchronization and wave propagation in epithelial tissues, we will introduce a new class of active matter models to understand the microscopic physical mechanisms underlying these dynamics. Motivated by the physical complexity of biological units, we will extend the concept of activity to the ability of the individual particle to change an internal degree of freedom, related to its size or to an energetic landscape, and we will explore the non-equilibrium phase transitions and collective behavior originating from this property. Our research project consists of three main objectives: (i) we will first extensively investigate the phase diagram of actively deforming particles, and compare it to the experimental observations to capture the essential mechanisms of phase transitions and wave propagation; (ii) we will then explore the interplay between phase synchronization and microscopic energy landscapes to understand the minimal ingredients for liquid-liquid phase separation, where two fluids spontaneously separate from a mixed phase; (iii) we will finally study the energetics of these models, quantifying the energy gain/cost of each phase and studying how phase transitions can be optimized. The exploration of these models represents a potential breakthrough in the physics of soft matter, clarifying the microscopic ingredients at the basis of several chemical and biological dynamics and introducing a fertile ground for the emergence of new physics.

Mots clés : non equilibrium statistical physics active matter soft matter living systems biophysics stochastic thermodynamics energetics lattice models dense systems

Participants :
- Université du Luxembourg (Luxembourg) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175920.0 €