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

Artificial intelligence is changing our lives. Artificial neural networks are present and entering various fields of modern technology such as medicine, engineering, education and many more. Even a small-scale theoretical understanding of why and how neural networks succeed in practice can have a considerable impact on the future development of such technologies.  In contrast, combinatorial optimization is a well-established discipline at the intersection of mathematics and computer science, dealing with classical algorithmic questions like the Shortest Path or Traveling Salesperson Problems. A powerful tool to study structural and algorithmic properties of combinatorial optimization problems is polyhedral geometry. For example, the geometric notion of extension complexity classifies how well a specific problem can be expressed and solved via an extremely successful general-purpose technique called linear programming.  Recent developments show that polyhedral theory can also be a powerful tool to achieve a better mathematical understanding of neural networks. The overall goal of this project is to significantly intensify the connection between neural networks and polyhedral theory, using the concept of extension complexity. This new symbiosis will advance both, the theoretical understanding of neural networks as well as the fundamental understanding of classical combinatorial optimization problems. On the side of neural networks, we expect to obtain new bounds on the required size and depth to solve a given problem, serving as an explanation of why large and deep neural networks are more successful in practice. Furthermore, we expect contributions to a more refined understanding of the computational complexity to train a neural network. On the side of combinatorial optimization, we expect that generalized notions of extension complexity inspired by neural networks lead to new structural and algorithmic insights to classical problems like the matching problem.

Mots clés : polyhedral geometry, neural networks, combinatorial optimization, extension complexity, computational complexity

Participants :
- Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175920.0 €
Projet Dual Tracer PET (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique that displays in vivo brain-wide metabolic processes. Prior to PET image acquisition, a tracer, labelled with a positron emitting isotope, is injected to the patient. This so-called radiotracer distributes over the body and accumulates in e.g. inflammatory tissue. To date, the acquisiton of a PET image is limited to one tracer, thereby only displaying one metabolic process in the brain. However, the acquisition of two separate PET images acquired with different tracer simultaneously would give novel and unique insights in the communication between e.g. neurotransmitter systems. These insights could be used for the development of new drugs for e.g Alzheimer patients and would increase the understanding of the healthy and diseased brain. The acquisition of 'dual tracer' PET images can be achieved by combining two radiotracers with different properties: The first 'standard' radiotracer emits two photons that are recorded by the PET system, while the second 'non-standard' tracer emits two photons and an additional gamma ray. By identifying the additional gamma ray, the photon detections of the two tracers can be separated and two PET images can be reconstructed. 'Dual tracer' PET image reconstruction yields challenges due to undesirable effect of photon detection. In this project, a machine learning algorithm will be trained to detect and correct for these effects. Moreover, the image acquired with the 'non-standard' tracer yields low image quality. A Convolutional Neural Network will be trained to denoise this PET image. In the proposed project, a reconstruction algorithm for dual tracer PET based on machine learning techniques and resulting in two separate PET images with high image quality will be developed and implemented. The proposed project will demonstrate if dual tracer PET imaging has future potential and will help to understand the highly interactive neuronal communication in the brain.

Mots clés : image reconstruction, positron emission tomography, dual tracer pet

Participants :
- Forschungszentrum Jülich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 189687.36 €
Projet RESIST (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Receptor ectodomain shedding (shedding) is a fundamental mechanism of the regulation of communication between mammalian cells. Shedding refers to the proteolytic cleavage of the extracellular portion of a membrane protein. This process can inactivate the function of a receptor, generate extracellular signalling molecules and trigger the generation of intracellular protein forms involved in signalling. Shedding is best understood in mammals, with hundreds of shedding events reported, but also occurs in other animals and fungi. A few cases of shedding have been observed in plants. Membrane receptor like kinases (RLKs) constitute the main players of cell-to-cell communication in plants, with many of them serving as key immune receptors. RLK shedding has been reported in two occasions, pointing to an important regulatory function. Despite the essential functions of shedding in animals, the biological significance of RLK shedding in plants, and the fact that plant cells harbour many more receptors than their animal counterparts, shedding has yet to be studied systematically in plants. By reanalysis of large scale extracellular proteome datasets, I found evidence of widespread RLK shedding events in plants. However, this analysis could not reveal exact cleavage sites that are important for follow up functional studies. Trough RESIST, I seek to develop this new field of ectodomain shedding in plant biology and study the mechanisms of regulation and the consequences of plant RLK shedding. To do so, I aim to establish a platform for experimental identification of shedding events in plants by adapting cutting edge methods recently developed in medical sciences for precise identification of processed membrane proteins and released ectodomains in Nicotiana benthamiana. I will use this platform to analyse the plant sheddome (the repertoire of shed proteins) and its dynamics upon defence activation and to identify interesting shedding events for functional characterization.

Mots clés : nicotiana benthamiana, ectodomain shedding, receptor like kinase, terminomics, plant

Participants :
- Forschungszentrum Jülich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 189687.36 €
Projet FluidBorder (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

FluidBorder investigates the complex history of Romanian-Bulgarian transboundary management of the lower Danube from the establishment of communist regimes until their collapse in 1989. The project is grounded in two key hypotheses: First, it challenges the assumption that ideological alignment within the Eastern Bloc led to uniform river management strategies. Instead, it argues that local political, economic, and environmental conditions shaped each country’s approach to the Danube in unique ways. Second, it suggests that while outwardly cooperative, the management of the Danube often masked underlying tensions and disputes that influenced the balance of power between ideological allies. FluidBorder will pursue three main objectives: 1) Paving the way for a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between communism and the environment, highlighting the numerous factors that shaped environmental conceptions and management strategies in Eastern Europe and the extent to which those factors differed across the region 2) To highlight how the management of natural resources impacted international relations within the Eastern Bloc, adding a new dimension to the international history of communism. 3) To provide a detailed historical account of the lower Danube’s role during the XX century second half, demonstrating how it shaped and was shaped by the evolving relationship between Romania and Bulgaria. Moreover, the project aims to inform contemporary discussions on managing shared natural resources and enhancing collaboration among the countries of the lower Danube’ region, offering lessons relevant to current and future European integration efforts. The river, a crucial geopolitical and economic corridor, remains indeed a key element for the European Union’s southeastern strategy and a vital trade route for Ukraine during the ongoing war.

Mots clés : romania, bulgaria, danube, cold war, communism, environment

Participants :
- Fondation nationale des sciences politiques (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 226420.56 €
Projet Lit-In-Soc (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

This interdisciplinary project, titled “Lit-In-Soc: Literature – Industry - Society between Colonialism and Globalisation: The Role of Literature and the Corporate Press in the Global Activities of the Baťa Concern,” examines the intersection of literature, industry, and society through the lens of Bata, the leading Czechoslovak company during its global expansion from the late 1920s to the 1960s. Positioned within the broader framework of modernity studies, literary history, sociology of literature, and cultural studies, this research explores how Baťa utilized literature and corporate media to promote its business model, influence cultural narratives, and construct the identity of the ”new industrial man“. The project aims to address three core research questions: the representation of global expansion in Bata’s literary conception, the functions of literature and media in foreign versus domestic contexts, and the engagement of the Bata exile community in the literary scene. Despite existing research on Bata’s economic, social, and architectural impact, there is a significant gap regarding its cultural and literary dimensions. This research seeks to fill that gap by analysing Bata’s corporate publications, travelogues, and the literary activities of its exile community. By situating Bata as a cultural and colonial agent, this project challenges the prevailing view of Czechoslovakia's relationship with colonialism and offers new insights into the role of modern corporations as cultural influencers in a globalizing world.

Mots clés : ba a phenomenon, literature and industry, modernity, sociology of literature, colonialism and postcolonial studies, globalization, cultural studies, corporate press

Participants :
- Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200400.0 €
Projet RGVWE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Economic Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Virtual forms of interaction at work are gradually replacing the traditional in-person work style across many knowledge-intensive industries, and this change could signal the beginning of a lasting shift in how work is conducted. Despite obvious benefits, this emerging trend also raises an array of complex challenges, namely related to inclusiveness and participation in virtual work environment. Understanding the complexities of inclusive interactions in these digital environments, and what new challenges may arise, is a crucial issue. As a first step, this proposed research program seeks to focus on female participation and engagement on virtual work settings. In doing so, it aims to investigate: how interactions from and towards women are different compared to their male peers in virtual work environments; What are the drivers of (potential) differences? And finally, how digital platform architecture and design opportunities could be exploited to alleviate the barriers to female participation and interaction in these emerging work settings? To address these questions, a large-scale randomized vignette (survey) experiment with actual professional respondents is proposed. The results of the proposed experiment can enhance our understanding from the new virtual form of work and could generate implications for companies on how to arrange and design their virtual work environments.

Mots clés : virtual work environment, gender, platform member engagement, vignette experiment

Participants :
- École supérieure des sciences économiques et commerciales (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195914.88 €
Projet DevEthAC (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The research projet ‘Developing Ethical Abstention Contextualism’ (DevEthAC) deals with the ethics of electoral abstention, i.e. the ethics of voluntary non-voting in political elections by enfranchised citizens. The project specifically addresses an existing view in electoral ethics that it calls ethical abstention contextualism, and that is to the effect that abstention is ethically permitted in some circumstances, but not in others. Looking to elaborate and bolster this particular view, DevEthAC examines how ethical abstention contextualism should evaluate the forms of electoral abstention that are most characteristic in practice, e.g. abstention by young citizens, abstention by poor citizens, abstention in non-proportional election systems, etc. DevEthAC further seeks to flesh out the ethical bottom-line responsibilities that ethical abstention contextualism should ascribe to individual citizens when different circumstances coincide in one and the same election, causing abstention to seem both pro tanto permissible and pro tanto prohibited. And DevEthAC thirdly aims to clarify what ethical abstention contextualism implies for how electoral systems should receive and register abstentions. Notably, DevEthAC aims to understand how abstention contextualism assesses electoral systems that simply count and report abstentions, and how it evaluates electoral models in which abstentions are instead rendered politically consequential, e.g. through the use of quorum rules or other institutional devices. By pursuing these three research objectives, DevEthAC strives to elaborate and strengthen a philosophical position that enjoys prominence in the electoral ethics research debate, but remains undertheorized nonetheless. Additionally, the project aims to further the general public’s ability to normatively asses current patterns of electoral abstention and its ability to gauge how democratic electoral systems might respond to those patterns.

Mots clés : electoral abstention, turnout gap, ethics of voting, electoral institutions

Participants :
- Fondation nationale des sciences politiques (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 211754.88 €
Projet MorphoPace (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Animal development relies on the timely succession of different differentiation, in which cells acquire a certain identity and function, and morphogenetic, in which cells are placed in the part of the animal body, steps. These conserved steps follow a highly stereotypical timing among animals of the same species, but, remarkably, it varies significantly across species. For example, gastrulation, the first morphogenetic movement shaping the embryo, takes 2.5x longer in medaka (Oryzias latipes) than zebrafish (Danio rerio) in the same conditions. Although these differences are well known, it remains unclear how time is kept during development. Recent work has shown that molecular differences between species define the pace of differentiation. It is unclear, however, how these scale up to set the pace of morphogenesis, a collective process that happens across embryos, and set by active cell movements and resisting tissue material properties. With this project, I aim to understand these pace morphogenesis, by comparing gastrulation in two fish species: zebrafish and medaka. Since the latter species remains undescribed, I will first characterize mesendoderm internalization, the opening act of gastrulation. I will map single-cell properties and tissue-scale features, and use a theoretical physics model to make predictions about timing differences between species. Secondly, I will define whether pace is intrinsic to the cells, or set by the native environment, by transplanting cells between embryos of different species, and using zebrafish-medaka hybrids. Finally, I will manipulate the pace of internalization by modulating both intrinsic forces and the tissue state. Altogether, this project will build a way to understand morphogenesis by comparing different fish species, which have broad implications in biology, physics and evolution by uncovering how embryos time development across teleost fish, the largest and most diverse class of vertebrates in the planet.

Mots clés : developmental biology, morphogenesis, tissue mechanics

Participants :
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 214344.72 €
Projet QED4X (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Exclusive semi-leptonic B decays provide an important laboratory for measuring fundamental parameters of the Standard Model (SM), or to search for yet unknown particles and interactions. Various tensions between experimental measurements and SM predictions have been guiding the theoretical efforts over the past years.  To draw reliable conclusions from the anticipated experimental high-precision data for such decays in the coming years, requires a rigorous study of sub-leading corrections that have been neglected so far. With the proposed action, the researcher aims to investigate the impact of so-called structure-dependent electromagnetic corrections to kinematic distributions in semi-leptonic B decays, using modern Effective Field Theory and factorization methods. A systematic study of QED corrections along these lines is a relatively new field of research, and in certain cases revealed surprising enhancement mechanisms not captured in a pointlike-meson description. An analysis of these effects in semi-leptonic transitions at the differential level is ambitious, and phenomenologically interesting. Photon couplings between the charged leptons and the meson constituents might lead to enhanced effects in rates or angular distributions. Uncertainties from novel hadronic parameters must be added to ‘clean’ ratios with reduced hadronic uncertainties.  Conceptually, factorization is achieved using of Soft-Collinear Effective Theory and Heavy-Quark Effective Theory. The analysis of these decay amplitudes require modern sub-leading power techniques to deal with technical difficulties such as endpoint singularities.  The action is subdivided into four work-packages (WP): Factorization theorems for charged and neutral-current semi-leptonic transitions are derived in WP1 and WP2, respectively. Novel concepts regarding the treatment of endpoint-singularities are developed in WP3, and WP4 aims at a collinear-photon inclusive 'jet-like' treatment of electronic channels.

Mots clés : effective field theories, factorization, flavour physics, qed corrections, precision predictions, phenomenology of b decays

Participants :
- Organisation européenne pour la recherche nucléaire (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 226629.12 €
Projet DNACopyComp (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The phosphate chemistry of nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) is at the heart of crucial biological processes including the cell’s energy storage, signalling and copying genetic information. Computational modelling valuably expands the spatiotemporal resolution of experimental structural biology, providing a key contribution to the synergistic understanding of such complex processes. However, our preliminary results on phosphatase reactions shed light on the qualitative inaccuracy of the state-of-the-art methodology capable of free energy bio-simulations.  Thus, the candidate will be trained to extend the host’s uniquely accurate and efficient electronic structure approaches to the scale of enzyme simulations, producing thermodynamic properties comparable to experiments. The candidate brings complementary computational biochemistry experience and reaction mechanistic knowledge to this collaboration, demonstrated in his successful computational-experimental phosphate catalytic enzyme studies. Our concerted developments will combine methods from the forefront of quantum chemistry, high-performance computing, rare event molecular dynamics, and biochemical modelling into a widely applicable open-access protocol, with a predictive power currently limited to main-group homogeneous catalysis modelling.  The reliability of the reaction mechanisms predicted by the developed method will be validated against kinetic experiments on wild-type and mutant Ras GTPases, connected to ca. one third of the cancer cell lines. Then, we will utilise the established protocol to understand the (regular and faulty) binding and incorporation of deoxy-NTPs and nucleoside analogue drugs during mitochondrial DNA polymerisation to a yet unknown atomistic detail. These results will provide a foundation for a comprehensive kinetic model for DNA polymerase fidelity and for the future rational optimisation of more selective and less toxic antiretrovirals.

Mots clés : computational modelling of enzyme catalysis

Participants :
- Université polytechnique et économique de Budapest (Hongrie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 182743.92 €