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

How can we vividly remember so many episodes of our life that, by definition, only happened once? During wakefulness, the hippocampus – a brain structure critical for episodic memory – encodes ‘memory traces’ of our experience. During sleep, it “replays” the very same sequences of neurons that were originally activated during the awake episode. Such reactivations are essential for memory consolidation. Over the years, a growing body of studies have unveiled “on-site” reactivations within the hippocampus, sometimes with a neocortical or subcortical “partner” structure, but the overall activity in the brain during these events remains largely unknown. It is unclear whether brain regions replay memory traces all at once or separately. This is a major knowledge gap because numerous cortical and subcortical structures strongly influence memory. In this project, we propose a unique combination of recording and analysis techniques to reveal the whole-brain correlates of hippocampal replay. To achieve this, we will use functional ultrasound, a newly emerging technology which monitors subtle changes in cerebral blood flow over the whole brain at a resolution up to tens of milliseconds, in combination with high-density electrophysiology, the actual gold-standard to record neuronal activity. With the help of a dedicated behavioral task, we will first establish ‘brain maps’ associated with hippocampal replay and then learn how to decode a specific memory trace from these maps. In a second time, we will investigate how emotional valence affects these maps, and in particular how replay patterns are modified over the course of learning. This project has the potential to track across the brain an individual memory trace from its creation to storage, all along consolidation processes. This project will considerably enhance our understanding of memory networks and potentially provide new regions of interest for the study of neurodegenerative disorders.

Mots clés : memory, sleep, electrophysiology, neuroimaging, ripples, hippocampus

Participants :
- École supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 262385.28 €
- McGill University (Canada) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet PAERADOX (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

How did microbes evolve to use O2? How did O2-dependent pathways derive from or evolve under anoxic conditions? This central evolutionary mystery remains essentially unresolved. I contend that it is possible to identify the evolutionary history of modern aerobic pathways (APs), by discovering the vestiges of ancient anaerobic pathways (AnPs) that persist in modern microbes. Aerobic nitrifiers contain aerobic metabolisms, while few clues such as chlorite dismutase enzyme in Nitrospira, NO dismutase enzyme in Methylomirabilis, and electrochemical signals from aerobic nitrifiers support the notion that remnants of AnPs remain. Hence, I postulate that in nitrifiers currently considered strict aerobes, I can identify the vestiges and integral remains of the earliest APs: I will identify the AnPs of NH4+ oxidation that are driven by intracellular O2 production and respiration mediated by EET. By applying BES and batch incubations followed by isotopic and genomic experiments will evidence and characterize the novel AnPs in nitrifiers. Single cell genomics on FAC-sorted fluorescent-tagged cells followed by molecular phylogenetic analysis will provide a major contribution to unravelling the early evolution of aerobiosis and aerobic NH4+ oxidation, which is crucial as we seek the origins of life on Earth, and other planets. PAERADOX will provide me an interdisciplinary research training in the area of microbial physiology and genomics, molecular biology and computational evolution through international mobility (Harvard, MIT and DTU). Such a training-through-research platform will enhance my career development to a large extent. My return and reintegration to DTU will provide basis to transfer my interdisciplinary combination to European scientific community. I am confident that the international network, skills and knowledge that will be constructed during PAERADOX is an excellent investment for my future and for EU’s strength in the field of microbial evolution and ecology.

Mots clés : microbial physiology, anaerobic metabolic pathways, aerobic nitrifiers, nitrification genes, computational evolution, molecular phylogenetics, no dismutase, extracellular electron transfer

Participants :
- Harvard University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Technical University of Denmark (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 278227.8 €
Projet EMStaD YEMEN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

How do early modern states organize effective rule in difficult conditions? EMStaD YEMEN focuses on a country that due to its geographical, religious and social complexities is now considered a failed state – Yemen. The project analyzes how this state achieved stability in the early modern period in the conditions that were similar to those hampering its contemporary development. Scholarship on early modern Islamic history usually focuses on the great Islamic empires, like the Ottoman Empire, while the regions conquered by them, notably the Arab lands, are often viewed through the lens of ‘decline’. EMStaD YEMEN challenges this approach by bringing attention to Yemen as a unique case of an Arab state gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire. Combining understudied Ottoman Turkish and Classical Arabic manuscript sources with the method of comparative study of empires, the project focuses on the influence of the period of Ottoman rule (1535-1638) on the development of the state in Yemen. The project first identifies the innovations in administrative practices, document production, and public ceremonies that were introduced by the Ottoman administration. It then traces the afterlives of these developments during the post-Ottoman period of Yemen’s history. The goal of the project is twofold: (1) to explain how, despite the divisions that supposedly turned modern Yemen into a failed state, a stable political system existed in the region during in the early modern period; and (2) to bring Yemen into the broader context of early modern state transformations in Eurasia. The results of the project will be disseminated through publications for specialists and through an exhibition and blog posts for the general public. The longstanding tradition of Middle Eastern studies, regional expertise and wide variety of ongoing collaborative projects on the comparative study of empires make Leiden University and its Institute for Area Studies the ideal setting for this project.

Mots clés : middle eastern studies, states and empires, early modern history

Participants :
- Leiden University (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175572.48 €
Projet NeuroMath (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

How do humans learn and manipulate mathematical concepts? In previous research, I have shown that (1) advanced mathematical reflection on concepts encoded for many years does not recruit the brain circuits for language; (2) non-verbal acquisition of geometrical rules call upon a language of thought that is independent of natural spoken language. However, the question remains to understand whether advanced mathematical acquisition in schools, where knowledge is taught verbally, also dispenses with the human ability for language. Building on the expertise I have acquired in functional MRI testing of math experts, with the help of my supervisors, the present project proposes to track the evolution of children and adults' brain activity during learning. To this end, we will expose participants to typical classroom lessons with math-related content. Using fMRI, coupled with traditional general linear model and original inter-subject correlation analyses, we particularly aim to investigate whether (1) similar learning neural mechanisms are at work in adulthood and childhood; (2) language plays a role in mathematical acquisition; (3) understanding dropout correlates with a specific neural marker. A first experiment will aim to identify brain activation that changes with learning of math versus general semantic concepts in adults. It will be conducted in Italy, under the supervision of Pr. Piazza who is a leading expert in the field of math cognition, and mainly uses fMRI to study the plastic changes occurring in the brain during learning in particular of symbols (words, numbers, and math symbols). A second experiment will probe whether the neural patterns observed during adult learning of math laws also apply to children's learning of math laws such as commutativity. It will be conducted in the US, under the supervision of Pr. Spelke who is renowned for her work on the infants’ development especially of math “core knowledge”.

Mots clés : mathematical cognition, conceptual learning, functional mri

Participants :
- University of Trento (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 246844.32 €
- Harvard University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet PFoGMH (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

How do our views on war affect the way we write history? The study of Ancient Greek warfare – and the strong moral judgments that have always been part of it – remains heavily influenced by the pioneering works of Prussian and Imperial German scholars, whose outlook was profoundly nationalist and militarist. The views of these scholars on Greek strategies, tactics and rules of engagement are still perpetuated in modern scholarship. New ideas have only started to gain ground in the last decade. Recent historiographical studies suggest that experts in the field are unaware of its founders’ legacy; the early scholars of Greek warfare have never been studied in their own right. The proposed research is a detailed look at the major German handbooks that appeared between 1852 and 1931 to form the foundation of the academic study of Greek warfare. It will place these works in their intellectual context by examining the life and intellectual environment of their authors. It will analyse the way these scholars’ backgrounds affected their view of history. Finally, it will trace the afterlife of their views as they were transformed from a didactic tool in the instruction of Prussian officers to an ideological weapon in the hands of American neoconservatives. This project will use the development of scholarly interpretations of ancient military methods as a reflection on changing modern attitudes to war. How do our perspectives and those of our predecessors affect our research? The professional militarism of the German scholars shaped their perception of Greek warfare as restricted and primitive; later generations, who found war more abhorrent, adapted these conclusions into an idealised image of the past, giving ideological and political power to the Germans’ harsh and unjustified conclusions.


Participants :
- Leiden University (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 177598.8 €
Projet MARDIV (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

How do putatively universalistic norms with global reach relate to politics of diversity and pluralism within national societies? By assessing the legal regulation of marriage and the family, ‘Marriage and Cultural Diversity in the German Empire’ (MARDIV) will advance significantly our understanding of the global diffusion of legal and social norms. The tension between global norms and cultural specificity has come to a head during the first decade of the 21st century. Not only has the presence of Muslim immigrants raised the profile of debates over the diversity of personal status law throughout Europe. The legalisation of same-sex marriage in many European countries has also pointed to a seachange in public views about the family and the role of the state in preserving it. How do legal transplants operate in family law? Can we discern particular patterns of diffusion in specific historical circumstances? And, how do 19th- and early 20th-century developments in family law remain relevant today? MARDIV addresses these questions by scrutinizing the historical roots of recent debates. 19th- and early 20th-century Germany offers a particularly relevant case study because it was a laboratory of both modernity and cultural diversity in which questions of global reach, national identity, regional particularity and local traditions came into especially sharp relief. MARDIV suggests that an understanding of Germany’s past experiences can enable us to better analyse Europe’s present. To this end, the project employs an innovative interdisciplinary methodology linking history and sociology and a novel theoretical framework. The main empirical aims are twofold: to shed light on the historical roots of contemporary European debates about the family, and to reflect on broader processes of the global diffusion of legal and social norms. The primary aim is the PI’s advanced training in historical sociology and project management so she can reach a position of research leadership.

Mots clés : religious and cultural diversity, migration, marriage, family, germany, empire, human rights, international norms, modern history, historical sociology, globalization, gender, europe

Participants :
- University of Göttingen (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet BICSA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Human and climate induced desertification has been a major issue for livelihoods and food security in drylands. In this context, the Sahel has been subject to various controversial studies. Earth Observation (EO) studies show a positive trend in vegetation greenness over the last decades, which has been interpreted as an increase in biomass and contradicts prevailing narratives of widespread degradation. However, new scientific outcome suggests a massive loss in biodiversity, which again contradicts the beneficial effects of the greening theory. These apparent oppositions result from little investment that has been made in studying long-term ground data. Thus, the overall purpose of this project is to assess the opposing trends of biomass increase and species decline in the Sahel. By combining a range of long-term in-situ field data records (1980s-today) with EO time series and Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite imagery, an improved understanding on the role of trees, herbs and species on the greening Sahel will be achieved. Trends will be translated in ecosystem services and beneficial effects on livelihoods. Knowing the underlying biophysical mechanisms of the Sahel greening will resolve contradictions regarding the greening/desertification paradigms and thus be basis for future studies. Furthermore, the scientific understanding of linkages between ground and satellite data and their applicability across scales will be improved. New monitoring methods of biophysical variables address challenges in land management and food security. To achieve this, I will be trained in cutting edge skills (EO time series; object based mapping; field monitoring of vegetation productivity/biodiversity; socializing pixels; ecological services). My major mobility activity will be to bring together technically advanced EO studies from the European host and field campaigns from African scientists enforcing a research network to advance our understanding of the re-greening phenomenon.

Mots clés : sahel, earth observation, biodiversity, degradation

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200194.8 €
Projet learNoise (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Human behavior is inherently variable. Even when faced with the same exact choice options, we often take different actions. The causes for this inconsistency are unknown, but economic and cognitive theories assume this is due to noise that is injected when making a decision. However, I have recently demonstrated that noise might not just arise during the decision process, but that the learning process itself (i.e update of internal representations based on feedback) is subject to substantial and meaningful noise. Concretely, I have shown that noise during learning accounts for the majority of what is traditionally reported as ‘decision noise’. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this learning noise remains unknown. In this fellowship, I will examine the contributions of the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) system to this learning noise. NA has previously been associated with decision noise and here I will test whether activity in the LC is the driving factor behind learning noise. I will use a cutting-edge real-time fMRI framework that allows to causally test whether ongoing LC activity directly influences learning noise. Moreover, I will examine whether this learning noise is relevant to impulsivity, which has previously been implicated in decision noise. This fellowship has the potential to overthrown the traditional view on behavioral variability in decision making and will provide a novel neurobiological, computational and psychiatric grounding for understanding why humans are consistently inconsistent.

Mots clés : behavioral variability, locus coeruleus, learning imprecision, computational modeling, real time fmri, computational psychiatry

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet SPIKE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Economic Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Human beings accumulate two types of capital: human –knowing what- and social –knowing who. In this project, I aim to understand how these types of capital affect the organization of firms and economies, with the goal of providing insights into the determinants of productivity and governance. This multidisciplinary project, composed of three sections, will provide insights to businesses and policy makers to enhance growth in the knowledge economy. In the first section, I use data from the US lobbying industry to deepen our understanding of social capital and its dynamics. Using the relational contracting literature as a theoretical framework, I will quantify the importance of lobbyist-client relationships by exploiting exogenous switches to the lobbyist’s social capital. The section aims to inform the policy debate on how to reduce political corruption and improve the quality of regulation in advocacy services. In the second section, I study the effects of human capital differences emerging from specialization across fields. I present a theoretical model where employees might face tasks they cannot solve. The firm has to optimally design a rule to help them choose between passing these problems to managers in their division or to employees in other divisions. I test the theory using Mexican consulting firms’ data, which contain detailed information on frequency and types of interactions for all workers. The section aims to guide firms on how structure their divisions to increase productivity and operational efficiency. In a similar vein, the third section explores the effects of specialization across clients. Using data from a Colombian security services firm, I will use client-fixed effects estimations to study whether client-specific skills are more important than other skills for the performance of security guards. The goal is to provide guidance to increase the efficiency of the work load as well as the optimal allocation from workers to clients.

Mots clés : organizational economics, knowledge, skills, contracts, communication

Participants :
- Pompeu Fabra University (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet COV RESTRIC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Human coronaviruses (CoVs) are distributed worldwide and cause a significant percentage of all common colds. Most of these viruses presumably emerged through zoonotic transmission, have adapted to the human host, and are now known to cause mild upper respiratory tract infections. However, the more recent zoonotic transmission of the highly pathogenic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have demonstrated the potential of coronaviruses to also cause highly severe human diseases and are associated with a high mortality. The precise mechanisms that allow coronaviruses to jump across species barriers are only poorly understood. "COV RESTRIC" aims to unravel species barriers of coronavirus infections and to uncover basic host cell mechanisms preventing a transmission across different species. We hypothesize that conserved restriction factors exist between different species which limit viral replication and which need to be overcome via viral evasion and adaptation strategies in order to establish a zoonotic infection. These may include the lack or genetic incompatibility of essential viral replication co-factors as well as the presence of antiviral restriction mechanisms. We will use two complementary genetic screening approaches to identify unknown coronavirus restriction factors. Once we have identified possible candidates, we will analyze them for their cross-conservation employing coronaviruses from different species, such as human, bat and camel virus isolates, as well as the respective primary cell culture material originating from the authentic host. This approach will help to rigorously define species barriers to viral transmission which should promote future development of preventive and therapeutic strategies to combat emerging RNA virus infections in humans.

Mots clés : coronavirus, species barriers, interferon stimulated genes, viral restriction, cross species transmission

Participants :
- Federal Department of Home Affairs (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 187419.6 €