Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet AirSens (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In recent years, the need to enable location- and map-aware services in GPS-deprived environments has become increasingly important, especially after natural disasters events. At the same time, the possibility to form swarms of mini-robots is a very attractive solution for users’ mobiles positioning and for mapping of position-related physical quantities, not only for outdoor but also for indoor scenarios, e.g., assessing the status of buildings immediately after an earthquake. In this context, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a good choice thanks to their flexibility, reconfigurability and advantageous line-of-sight propagation conditions. Despite UAVs’ potentials for indoor positioning, scholars and professionals have mostly considered and used them only for enabling outdoor applications. In this perspective, AirSens aims at analyzing the potentialities of swarms of UAVs for high-accuracy tracking and sensing in indoor contexts, by addressing three novel objectives: (1) the assessment of the swarms’ localization performance, even in infrastructure-less scenarios, by deriving the fundamental limits and considering energy-efficient solutions; (2) the investigation of swarms’ mapping capabilities, enhanced by crowd-sensing mechanisms; (3) the design of an information-seeking control for navigation (i.e., where the swarm should navigate to provide reliable position estimates) and formation (i.e., which specific swarm geometry can maximize the positioning performance). These objectives will be pursued through an innovative combination of theoretical and experimental analyses, possible thanks to the synergy between the researcher and her supervisors, experts in the fields of advanced signal processing (USA) and radio-localization (Italy), which perfectly matches the project vision. AirSens will also enhance the researcher technical and managerial skills thanks to multidisciplinary and ad-hoc training activities.

Mots clés : radio localization, crowd mapping, wireless sensor networks, unmanned aerial vehicles

Participants :
- Research Foundation for the State University of New York (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Autres, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Bologna (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 164203.8 €
Projet SMD-SPH (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

In regenerative medicine, in vitro tissue engineering products (3D cell cultures) for in vivo therapy are critical for more accurate and more humane medical innovation. Tissue engineered scaffold-free 3D models that exhibit functional hallmarks of native tissues improve our search for biomarkers, drug testing/development and toxicology with more accurate models, while supporting the development of alternative methods to animal use in drug testing, as stated by the Directive (2010/63/EU) established the European Centre for the validation of alternative methods (ECVAM). To replace animal testing, it is important to develop microphysiological systems and ‘body-on-chip’ approaches that allow to account for organ-to-organ interactions in vitro, at a reasonable cost. Yet, most current bioreactors are expensive, designed for organ transplant (thus focused on a single organ) and poorly designed for miniaturization and scale-up. In SMD-SPH, we will develop a microphysiological systems with the following design requirement: a 3D cell culture model, with a continuous and controllable perfusion system for continuous contact with morphogens (growth factors) to obtain a functional native tissue and monitoring crucial parameters of cell physiology, compatible with scale-up manufacturing. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time in scientific literature that human adipose tissue-derived stem cells are used to build human white adipose tissue in a novel and scalable microphysiological system. This project meets the convergence of microfluidics and scaffold-free 3D culture models offering a reliable alternative for drug and toxicology assays, besides offer a scalable and reproductible system for future integration into a human-on-a-chip and high-troughput assays. Once an initial prototype is obtained, we will start dissemination to stakeholders and seek early adopters, cosmetic industries.

Mots clés : microfluidics, human adipose tissue derived stem cells, scaffold free tissue engineering, spheroids, organ on a chip

Participants :
- Eden tech (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 196707.84 €
Projet ABA-GrowthBalance (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In response to adverse environmental conditions, such as water scarcity, extreme temperatures or salinity plants trigger responses that promote stress tolerance and survival at the expense of growth. Despite the negative impact of stress on crop productivity how growth is modified by stress signalling pathways is largely unknown. One major component of the response to the most devastating stresses is ABA, a hormone that triggers cellular and whole-plant adaptive mechanisms via the activation of SnRK2 protein kinases. Another major player is the energy sensing SnRK1 protein kinase, which promotes plant stress tolerance and survival through the vast regulation of metabolism and gene expression. Preliminary results in the host lab have revealed deficient ABA responses in a partial SnRK1 loss-of-function mutant as well as the physical interaction between SnRK1 and the ABA-activated SnRK2 kinases, suggesting a functional connection between these two pathways. Furthermore, SnRK1 and SnRK2 have recently been implicated in the repression of a central growth regulator, the TOR (Target of Rapamycin) protein kinase. The aim of this proposal is to investigate the interaction between these two major stress-related kinases (SnRK1 and SnRK2) and to elucidate the mechanism(s) by which they modulate growth-promoting signalling pathways in response to ABA. To tackle the functional relevance of the SnRK1-SnRK2 connection, a combination of biochemical approaches, genetics, microscopy, cell-based assays and chemical genomics will be used. To identify growth regulators downstream of the SnRK axis, targeted analyses of TOR readouts will be employed in combination with unbiased analyses of SnRK1 interactors and substrates in ABA. Altogether this project will provide novel molecular insight on the trade-offs between stress tolerance and growth/yield that may potentially contribute to more successful crop improvement.

Mots clés : abiotic stress, sugar signaling, snrk1, abscisic acid  aba, snrk2, growth balance, target of rapamycin  tor

Participants :
- Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 159815.04 €
Projet DESIGN-EID (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Doctoral Networks - Industrial Doctorates
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

In semiconductor technology and applications today, we are increasingly observing a shift from the pure silicon CMOS technology towards hybridisation of function in terms of bringing in sensors, power, memory and photonics functionality on the same chip. In particular, there is a great interest in the heterogeneous and monolithic integration of III-V materials and other complex semiconductors, such as III-Nitrides and SiC on Si substrate. However, the direct growth of III-V materials on silicon inevitably will lead to crystal defects that significantly decreases performance of novel devices. To overcome this main technological challenge and to make this new technology financially viable, the most cost-effective and time-effective approach is to combine experimental and simulation work, which indeed is the main aim on this project – DESING-EID. This will be achieved by addressing the following objectives. The first objective of DESIGN-EID is to train three young ESRs who will bridge the gap between predictive simulations, experimental materials and device development by developing simulation tools for prediction of crystal growth as a function of process conditions. Secondly, completely eliminating defects in compound semiconductors is likely not achievable, therefore a simulation framework providing an accurate evaluation of their impact on device performance will be essential for designing devices and materials minimizing their impact. Furthermore, semiconductor defects in semiconductors may be exploited for their unique electronic properties if their presence and properties are controlled. For example, vacancies might be used to implement Qu-bits, whereas extended defects, such as dislocations, can provide unique transport properties. Hence, the last objective of the DESIGN-EID project focuses on experimental control and accurate simulation of the impact of defects on electronic and photonic device performance.

Mots clés : material growth, iii v materials, semiconductors, device modelling, material simulations, electronics, optoelectronics

Participants :
- University of Glasgow (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 336858.4 €
- Synopsys denmark aps (Danemark) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 198348.0 €
- IBM Research - Zurich (Suisse) — Partner, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 343782.56 €
Projet BosQuanTran (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In solid state systems transport experiments are among the most important probes to investigate the properties of different phases of matter. A number of intriguing observations have been reported where the interaction between the charge carriers plays a significant role. One of the most prominent examples currently explored in the laboratories are high-Tc superconductors and fractional-quantum-Hall insulators. Quantum-mechanical systems whose properties are governed by the interaction between its constituents are computationally difficult to handle. In most cases numerical results can only be obtained for small systems or in reduced dimensions. One possibility to overcome these limitations is to perform analog quantum simulations with ultracold atoms. The basic idea behind these experiments is to built artificial model systems using the bottom-up approach: Bosonic and fermionic atoms are cooled to ultra-low temperatures to reach quantum degeneracy. Subsequently the atoms are confined in engineered magnetic and optical potentials realizing closed quantum systems that are, to a good approximation, decoupled from their environment. This approach has the advantage that the system parameters such as interactions, dimensionality, geometry or the amount of disorder can be controlled externally and even varied dynamically. The rapid progress in this research area makes them promising candidates to provide stimulating input on current condensed matter problems. It initiated a whole new field known as atomtronics, which aims at designing electronic-like circuits with potentially interesting applications. Recently developed techniques allow for an engineering of tailored trapping geometries and high-resolution imaging, which provides new insight in the study of quantum transport. In combination with the recent success in realizing artificial magnetic fields, these techniques open the door to future studies of topological transport phenomena.

Mots clés : ultracold quantum gases, low dimensional systems, transport, arbitrary shaped potentials, atomtronics, topology

Participants :
- Collège de France (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 185076.0 €
Projet LOWCOST-PBI-HTPEMFC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In spite of the promising prospects as future green energy conversion device, low temperature-proton exchange membrane fuel cells (LT-PEMFCs) based in perfluorosulfonic acid membrane have achieved a penetration in the energy market rather low, being cost and durability the main barriers to the worldwide commercialization. As an alternative, high temperature- (HT-) PEMFCs based in phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazole membranes are gaining much of attention due to the benefits over the LT-PEMFCs (e.g. no need of auxiliary humidification system, much higher CO and sulfur tolerance, very suitable for cogeneration in combined heat and power systems, easier thermal management, etc.). However, the main drawback is the high Pt content of the electrodes that, according to the state-of-the-art, is greater than 0.5 mgPt cm-2 (2-5 times higher than LT-PEMFCs state-of-the-art). This project aims to develop a novel configuration of the HT-PEMFC electrode that enable the achievement of low cost ultra-low Pt loading electrodes (≤ 0.1 mgPt cm-2) with competitive power output and durability. A paradigm shift is proposed in the structure and composiition of the catalytic layer of the HT-PEMFC electrode as no ionomer or binder is incorporated, only the catalyst and the electrolyte (phosphoric acid) are present. The absence of Pt site-blockers, as the binder or the ionomer polymers, significantly enhance the electrochemical surface area at ultra-low Pt loadings enabling a reasonable performace output. Results of this project have a strong potential to be transferred to the electrode production in the emerging industry of HT-PEMFCs. The project involves a number of analytic techniques and specific equipment that ensures the transfer of knowledge and the training to the experienced researcher while the candidate will bring his expertise in LT-PEMFCs as a positive feedback to the HT-PEMFCs research field.

Mots clés : high temperature pemfc, pbi based pemfc, phosphoric acid doped pbi based ht pemfc pemfc, ultra low pt loading electrodes

Participants :
- Technical University of Denmark (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212194.8 €
Projet SAIFIA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Mathematics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In spite of their central role in modern set theory, strong axioms of infinity (or large cardinal axioms) are still surrounded by an aura of vagueness, a lack of generality and many open conceptual questions. After the study of large cardinals has evolved for over eighty years, recent results suggest that it now makes sense to develop a general theory of strong axioms of infinity in which all known large cardinals are seen as milestones in a hierarchy of mathematical principles derived from some much more general considerations about the reflective properties of the set-theoretic universe. The development of such a theory would lead to a breakthrough in our understanding of large cardinals and their role in mathematics, and provide strong justifications for their acceptance as true mathematical statements. In this project, we want to work towards this breakthrough with the help of novel combinations of concepts and techniques from different areas of set theory. We will develop general frameworks for strong axioms of infinity that incorporate all types of large cardinals studied so far. The work of the proposed supervisor on structural reflection properties and recent pioneering results in combinatorial set theory will serve as the starting points for this work. Moreover, motivated by the strong influence of large cardinals on the theory of definable sets of real numbers, we will study the impact of these axioms on definability at higher cardinalities. This task is closely related to one of the most important developments in modern set theory, Hugh Woodin’s programme of constructing a canonical inner model containing a supercompact cardinal. Finally, strong axioms of infinity have recently been used with great success to answer questions in other branches of mathematics, like category theory or homotopy theory. These results opened up a wide area of possible applications of set-theoretic results that we also want to explore in our project.

Mots clés : large cardinal axioms, principles of structural reflection, combinatorial set theory, definability, applications of set theory

Participants :
- University of Barcelona (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet SUSTINNO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In the 21st century,researchers, policy makers and practitioners are confronted with formidable environmental and societal mega problems. Sustainability innovations that address these issues are gaining stature in research and policy. The development of innovative and context-adapted solutions is a complex issue; how to develop sustainable solutions that adequately address local and global needs is the critical challenge of our times. The aim of the project is to investigate opportunities and barriers for more sustainable development processes in the global economy. This will be realized through a novel approach that integrates the Global Production Network (GPN) approach with concepts of innovation studies focusing on sustainability innovations. Conceptually, both of these research fields investigate how global environmental and socio-economic challenges can be addressed. However, their mutual engagement is hindered by different research paradigms, terminologies and concepts. By themselves the two research strands remain limited in explaining how sustainable solutions can be created, implemented and diffused in the global economy. My proposed project is located at the interface of these approaches. The overall research question asks how sustainability innovations can be developed and implemented within GPNs in order to address complex socio-ecological challenges, and facilitate better working conditions in the global economy. The objectives of this interdisciplinary project are: 1 To develop an integrated conceptual framework of sustainability innovations in GPNs. 2. To gain empirical insights on sustainability innovations in GPNs from a Global South perspective. 3. To derive and disseminate recommendations for policy makers and practitioners on how to address complex socio- ecological challenges. 4. To further my academic career by enhancing my skills and networks with the goal of securing a permanent academic position within the next five years.

Mots clés : sustainability, innovation, upgrading, global production networks, global value chains, south africa

Participants :
- University of Manchester (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 203200.2 €
- University of Cape Town (Afrique du Sud) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet MCEC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Cofund Doctoral programme
Statut du projet : SIGNED

In the Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC), teams of chemists, physicists and engineers from the universities of Utrecht, Eindhoven and Twente join forces in an ambitious research and training programme to address one of society’s Grand Challenges: sustainable energy conversion. Marie Curie funding allows MCEC to extend its PhD programme internationally with 16 positions for Early-Stage Researchers and to strengthen its multidisciplinary training programme in accordance with the EU principles of innovative doctoral training. MCEC’s objectives are: • Develop radically improved, sustainable catalytic energy conversion processes, for efficiently converting renewable feedstocks, such as biomass, municipal waste and solar energy, into fuels and chemical building blocks; • Establish a training programme that integrates the chemistry, physics and engineering aspects of energy conversion and jump-starts the career of young researchers by giving them the skills and competences needed to effectively operate in multidisciplinary teams; • Recruit the best researchers world-wide for an innovative programme of training-through-research in Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion with high quality supervision, a unique multidisciplinary training programme, transferable skills training and meaningful interaction with international and industrial partners, leading to a joint PhD degree; • Establish the MCEC PhD programme as a benchmark for effective multidisciplinary training among the three core partners and their partners ensuring continuation of the programme after the initial funding phase. In two open calls MCEC will attract the most talented researchers and select the best candidates through a fair, transparent, merit-based and impartial selection procedure. MCEC will deliver a cohort of research professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to address the energy challenge in all sectors: academia, industry and governance.

Mots clés : energy conversion, catalysis, chemical reactor engineering, physics of fluids, soft condensed matter, nano  and microfluidics, multiscale modeling and theory

Participants :
- Utrecht University (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 1674240.0 €
Projet DendritesInVivo (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Integration of synaptic input by single neurons is fundamental to computation in the brain. The output of every cell within a network is shaped by the elaborate morphology of its dendritic tree, and a suite of biophysical mechanisms that confer nonlinear processing capabilities. Over past decades, a remarkable synergy between theory and experiment has elucidated key strategies by which single-cell processing could thus enhance the neural code. However, a critical gap in current understanding remains: which operations from the vast dendritic repertoire are actually employed in vivo? One major obstacle to addressing this problem is that the statistics of in vivo input patterns are largely unknown. Thus, it is unclear how salient information is presented to the dendrites of a neuron, and by extension, what mechanisms are used for its transduction to action potential output at the axon. I aim to answer these questions by combining my expertise with that of the host lab to formulate theoretical predictions and then validate them with in vivo experiments. Specifically, I will construct a computational model of a cortical neuron that learns to discriminate synaptic input patterns, and use it to discover the optimal scheme for encoding and decoding information. I will thus predict the spatiotemporal patterns of synaptic input to stimulus-tuned neurons, and the biophysical mechanisms through which this information can be extracted. I will then test these predictions in primary visual cortex of awake behaving mice through two-photon dual-colour imaging of presynaptic glutamate release and postsynaptic calcium dynamics. By relating the algorithmic and biological function of neurons in the living brain, I anticipate this project will yield important insights into general principles of neural computation.

Mots clés : dendrites, neural computation

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €