Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet FAST (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Efforts are being made to develop bio-inspired optical neuro-synaptic networks to support “neuromorphic computing” for ultra-fast communication. The idea is to split the information of an optical signal using an “acousto-optic modulator” (synapse) into multiple signals. The signals are then communicated through multiple parallel channels similar to neurons and recombined at the receiver end by using another acousto-optic modulator. Such neuro-synaptic networks are targeted for less than 100 mW power budget and greater than 100 GHz communication bandwidths which are currently hindered by the performance of the piezoelectric transducer used in the acousto-optic modulators. It generates high-frequency acoustic waves inside the attached waveguide which act as dynamic optical gratings offering periodic modification of the refractive index of the medium through which the light is traveling. To solve this issue, the applicant proposes exploring optically birefringent ferroelectrics with strong elasto-optic coefficients as stand-alone acousto-optic modulators. The project aims for the development of a CMOS compatible 100 GHz-THz range ferroelectric acousto-optic modulator (FAOM) and it's integration in a self-learning neuro-synaptic network. The applicant will unite his expertise in materials engineering and photo-ferroelectrics with Katholieke Universiteit Leuven’s (KUL) and IBM’s knowledge of the integration and characterization of neuromorphic networks with the following objectives: 1. Growth of CMOS compatible strain-engineered BaTiO3 (BTO) heterostructures. 2. Fabrication and characterization of two CMOS integrated ferroelectric (BTO) acousto-optic modulator designs based on (2.1) photo-induced acoustic strain gradients by optical control of ferroelectric domains and (2.2) acoustic confinement. 3. Demonstration of FAOM-based self-learning optical convolution neuro-synaptic network.

Mots clés : ferroelectric thin films, strain engineering, oxide electronics, neuromorphic devices and systems, artificial intelligence

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 178320.0 €
Projet MONASPOWER (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Egypt during the Late Antique and Early Islamic periods (broadly the 5th to 8th centuries CE) was a multicultural and multilingual country. Greeks, Egyptians, and, later, Arabs populated the land, speaking Greek, Coptic (the last form of the indigenous Egyptian language), and Arabic. Before the Arabic conquest of 640-642 CE, Christianity was the predominant religion of Egypt, and continued to be so for a while after the conquest, until the 8th and 9th centuries when conversion became more widespread. Centuries of co-existence brought Greeks into contact with Egyptians and vice versa, yet the picture of Late Antique Egypt is a largely Greek one: Greek was the official language of the administration and the majority of Greek non-literary textual finds from this period are also in Greek. As a result, studies on life and especially the economy have focussed on the evidence written in Greek. This study does not seek to study the complex social, cultural, linguistic, and religious interactions at play in the country during this time. Instead, it will provide a new perspective on the economic landscape of Egypt. Monasteries had been a significant part of the Egyptian landscape since the beginnings of Christianity in the country. Life inside these institutions was recorded primarily in Coptic. Despite the importance of monasticism and the body of available Coptic texts, their position within the Egyptian administrative and economic framework has largely been ignored, with attention placed instead on the contemporary large Greek estates. The aim of this project is to study the economic position of Coptic monasteries during this timeframe on the basis of the neglected evidence from two sources: the monastery of Apa Thomas at Wadi Sarga and the corpus of non-literary Coptic texts in the collection of the University of Copenhagen.

Mots clés : egypt, coptic, ancient economy, papyrology, monasteries, late antiquity

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200194.8 €
Projet POLY-WITTIG (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Elastomer materials (or rubbers) are hugely important and widely used as a result of their ability to be deformed yet return to their original size and shape upon removal of stress. Owing to these properties and their wide-ranging applicability, a significant body of research has been, and continues to be directed towards the discovery of new materials with specific properties for a wide array of application areas. The properties of elastomers are dependent on a number of factors such as chain length, topology, tacticity, pendant functionality, or cross-linking density. Specifically, the mechanical characteristics of natural elastomers, e.g., those based on polyisoprene, are known to be highly dependent upon the stereochemistry of the double bond in the isoprene unit. However, this concept is seldom exploited to modulate properties of synthetic elastomers despite the potential clear advantages to create materials in which the control over their mechanical properties can be decoupled from their functionality. This is primarily a consequence of the inherent challenges associated with metal-catalyzed stereocontrolled polymerisations. The POLY-WITTIG project proposes to utilize the highly practical Wittig reaction to modulate the stereochemistry of the π-bond in the elastomer backbone to inturn allow the modulation of materials properties to be controlled. Additionally, heteroatom-modified Wittig variants will be used to synthesize and analyze mechanical properties of elastomers with heteroatom–carbon π-bonds (e.g., N=C or P=C). Thus, the versatility of Wittig chemistry will provide the unprecedented opportunity to systematically study a library of isolobally substituted elastomers.

Mots clés : elastomers, stereochemistry, mechanical properties

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 120801.65 €
- University of Warwick (Royaume-Uni) — Partner, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 74653.15 €
Projet AUGMENTPENSION (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Economic Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Elderly poverty is a prominent problem, and financial well-being in elderly is often considered low. A common cause for elderly poverty is a lack of sufficient pension awareness and engagement, especially at a young age. Independent of the pension scheme in a particular country, pension funds and policymakers around the world struggle to increase the engagement of pension plan consumers that would affect a consumer's future financial well-being positively. An often-proposed intervention to overcome the present bias that leads to not engaging with pension communications is to stimulate the imagery of the future self in pension plan consumers. Yet, current pension communications fall behind expectations in stimulating imagery of the future self and thus fail to improve pension awareness and engagement. In light of recent evidence on a new technology coined Augmented Reality (AR), this project proposes an experimental approach to investigate the impact of AR on the imagery of the future self and the downstream effects on pension awareness and engagement. Building on a series of laboratory, online, and field experiments, I apply findings from recent AR research in consumer behavior to find evidence and theoretically explain the effects AR can have on pension awareness and engagement. Combining findings from laboratory studies with field-evidence from the world’s third largest pension provider (APG) will shine light on how to improve pension communication with AR to improve future financial well-being. The proposed results are societally relevant as they can help to promote pension engagement that results in future financial well-being. My strong background in experimental consumer behavior research with a focus on AR technology and consumer engagement, combined with my supervisor’s expertise in pension and financial well-being research, and the strong research and training environment at Maastricht University (UM) will guarantee a successful project completion.

Mots clés : consumer behavior, financial well being, pension awareness, pension engagement, augmented reality  ar

Participants :
- Maastricht University (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187572.48 €
Projet SPECTROCHEM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Electrocatalysis will play a central role in achieving the goal of a clean-energy cycle that goes from energy harvesting to storage and delivery. Challenges abound, but many efforts are taking place in the experimental and computational communities. We believe that in order to unravel the elementary steps of electrocatalytic reactions a unique and powerful drive will come from the development of computational techniques able to predict in-operando spectroscopic data. In fact, experimental spectroscopic techniques can offer exquisitely precise data, that nevertheless requires accurate, predictive computational models to be interpreted and translated into an atomistic mechanism. This proposal will be dedicated to the development of first-principles modelling of realistic electrochemical environments, and to the calculation of in-operando computational spectra. In particular, during this fellowship I will: (i) apply novel strategies to account for the presence of the solvent, the electrolyte and the electrode potential in quantum mechanical simulations; (ii) implement computational approaches that will enable the accurate prediction and interpretation of infrared- and X-ray-based spectroscopies; (iii) investigate the carbon dioxide reduction on model copper catalysts, advancing the current understanding of this relevant electrochemical process. This Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship will allow me to work in a group that is at the forefront of computational materials science and materials design, and in tight partnership with world class experimental efforts. This proposal entails numerous measures that will allow me to enlarge my collaboration network and develop new interdisciplinary skills, boosting in the process my career as independent researcher.

Mots clés : first principles simulations, computational electrochemistry, density functional theory, carbon dioxide reduction, in operando spectroscopies

Participants :
- Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175419.6 €
Projet DIGIPHASE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Electron microscopy is a key technique for imaging and analysis of materials. Although aberration correction has made atomic resolution possible at low accelerating voltages, beam damage remains a critical limitation for many types of materials. The imaging modes currently in use today are inefficient in terms of the number of transmitted electrons detected and the way in which these are used to derive information. Current detectors integrate over details in the angular distribution of scattered intensities, and make use of only a limited range of scattering angles. In the case of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), a wealth of information is contained in the distribution of electron scattering as a function of the illuminating probe position. The proposed work will make use of pixelated detectors to record this four-dimensional data set and develop methods to intelligently utilize the information it contains. This research project has become possible through recent advances in the sensitivity and speed of pixelated detectors, and offers a new path to maximize the information gained per fast electron. Maximum efficiency phase contrast imaging in STEM recovers the full amplitude and phase components of the specimen, with minimum dose, and maximum signal to noise ratio, and maximum contrast that does not require aberrations. In materials science for example it will enable imaging of charge transfer at point defects and interfaces while simultaneous Z-contrast imaging provides interpretability and chemical sensitivity. Similarly, such high sensitivity phase detection will allow the direct imaging of local electric and magnetic fields at the highest possible spatial resolutions, providing many new opportunities for understanding electronic, spintronic and magnetic materials at the heart of today’s technological advances. In biology, maximum efficiency phase contrast imaging may open the door to the ultimate low dose molecular- and bio-imaging.


Participants :
- University of Vienna (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 166156.8 €
Projet QFluctTrans (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Electronic components are shrinking and finally reaching the scale of single molecules; promising novel applications to sensors, photovoltaics, heating and electronics. As these components get smaller, important and new physical phenomena impose limitations on how these devices can operate. Quantum mechanics and non-equilibrium thermodynamical fluctuations dominate, challenging all the conventional engineering tools accepted in electronics. The objective of this proposal is to use the novel tools from quantum non-equilibrium thermodynamics to understand the effects of fluctuations in transport in such devices. Average quantities that were good to characterize and control devices in the classical scale become inadequate, as the fluctuations of single trajectories of particles become very large. Although much work has been done to understand quantum thermodynamics, many questions are open regarding its impact on transport on molecular devices. The objective we propose will be addressed by research focused on overcoming the following challenges: (i) Understand the effect of quantum coherence as a thermodynamic potential in molecular devices. (ii) Apply the Open Quantum Systems TD-DFT functional to model transport in molecular devices (iii) Develop a consistent method to characterize transport devices with large quantum fluctuations Each of these rely on existing theoretical techniques, but they have not been used together for the proposed purpose before.


Participants :
- University of the Basque Country (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet GDYNRR (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Eletrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) has rencetly emerged as a sustainable alternative for ammonia production. However, the metal-based electrocatalysts for NRR suffer from low efficienciess due to the competing hydrogen evolution reaction. Heteroatoms doped carbon based metal-free catalysts feature weak integration with hydrogen, making them potential candidates for NRR. The NRR activity depends closely on the the form of doped atoms. The pyridinic N atoms and BC3 structure are demonstrated as the most active sites for ammonia synthesis. However, for widely researched carbon materials, it is difficult to selectively dope a sufficient amount of site-specific pyridinic N or BC3 atoms. As a lamellar carbon allotrope, graphdiyne (GDY), constituted by sp- and sp2- carbon atoms, is a great breakthrough. The high energy of sp-hybridization of acetylenic linkages enables the arbitrary angle rotation of π/π* perpendicular to the axis, endowing it a possibility to point towards N2. Another important feature of GDY is that it can be synthesized in solution via bottom-up method. A controllable heteroatoms doping method using a monomer design strategy, provides an ideal solution to achieve the site-specific doping. However, the attempt to design site-specific pyridinic N or BC3 atoms doped GDYs for electrocatalytic NRR has never been reported. The objective of this project is to selectively dope the site-specific pyridinic N and BC3 atoms into GDY to achieve the high performance and selectivity towards NRR. The influence of the pyridinic N and BC3 structure on the properties of GDY will be studied. Afterwards, the prepared site-specific heteroatoms doped GDYs will be used as electrocatalysts for NRR. Owing to the exact doping structure, the catalytic mechanisms for NRR will be recognized. At last, the optimal heteroatoms doped GDY electrode will be integrated in a functional N2 reduction device to demonstrate the overall N2 reduction in practical conditions.

Mots clés : graphdiyne, carbon materials, electrocatalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, green chemistry

Participants :
- Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 191149.44 €
Projet 3Dcis (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Embryonic development requires precise spatio-temporal gene expression generating numerous cell types that build the animal body plan. Cell-fate specification and patterning are driven by developmental genes that are often expressed in complex and conserved fashion. Gene expression is precisely modulated by gene regulatory networks (GRNs) constructed through the integration of signalling pathways acting at cis-regulatory elements (CREs). While signalling pathways and GRNs are evolutionary constrained, CREs are poorly conserved at the sequence level, posing the question which cis-regulatory mechanisms facilitate coordinated and conserved gene expression patterns during animal development and evolution. CREs and their target genes are spatially restricted into conserved 3D chromatin structures suggesting a possible link between the less conserved CREs and highly conserved gene expression patterns. In this proposal, I aim to identify CREs that differentially respond to signalling cascades. Novel approaches, such as HiChIP and capture Hi-C, will be applied to decipher the chromatin structure of the associated CREs and their target genes. The application of this approach in two distantly related vertebrate model organisms will allow me to gain insight into genome-wide evolutionary conserved nodes of GRNs controlled by these pathways. Furthermore, detailed analysis of chromatin structures induced by activation or inhibition of signaling cascades will further contribute to understanding of co-dependency and complementarity of genome architecture, cis-regulatory information, and signalling pathways. 3Dcis research will shed light on the mechanisms driving conserved gene expression patterns and common body structures, but also the constraints that different animal lineages have faced during their evolutionary path. Finally, the results will make ground breaking advances in our understanding of how cis-regulatory information and structure of our genome translate into function

Mots clés : evodevo, regulatoy landscapes, vertebrate evolution, genome architecture, cis regulatory elements

Participants :
- Spanish National Research Council (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet EQUISOBRAIN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Emerging as a functional social being is more challenging than it appears, for both human and non-human social animals. Being fully functional does not only require to be capable of displaying the species-typical social behaviours, but also to display a certain degree of flexibility within their expression (i.e. social competences). Not many attempts have been made to draw the general pattern of social ontogeny, and even fewer about its neurobiological basis. Yet, social competences are crucial on many grounds (e.g. future social interactions, but also quality of life and ultimately chance of survival) and socialisation can be easily disrupted. This is especially true for domestic species that depend on human management, which is known to be often challenging. It suggests that many domestic animals might actually be prevented from developing normally and therefore to fully acquire social competences. With this project, I will test the influence of disruption during the socialisation phase of juveniles on the development of their social competences and the related neural substrates. To do this, I will conduct an ambitious longitudinal study combining behavioural and cognitive approach (to assess social competences) and non-invasive neuroimaging approach (using MRI and rs-fMRI techniques). I will compare young horses living in group and experiencing an optimal (N=10) vs. disrupted socialisation (N=10), the additional disruption being an imposed separation from their mother at pre-puberty age. I predict that social competences should emerge in both cases, thanks to other social partners, but at a higher level in case of optimal social environment. I also expect to find a positive relation between high social competences and the neuroanatomy and basal connectivity of specific brain areas (e.g. hippocampus, amygdala and neocortex). I will also test the presence of additional benefits associated with elevated social competences in terms of animal welfare.

Mots clés : ethology, neuroimaging, social, domestic species, applied ethology, neuroethology

Participants :
- Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 196707.84 €