Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet METACURIO (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Curiosity is a basic biological drive that has a profound influence on our behaviour, choices and learning. Despite the vital role it plays in our daily lives, its functions, mechanisms and neural basis remain poorly understood. It has been proposed that the intensity of curiosity for certain information is tightly linked to the ability of that information to reduce uncertainty, thereby closing the gap between what is currently known and what is yet to be discovered. This project proposes that the ability to monitor one’s levels of knowledge and uncertainty (metacognition), is critical to the effective deployment of curiosity. The goal of this project is to unravel how metacognitive processing modulates curiosity. The relationship between metacognition and curiosity will first be systematically probed in a behavioural experiment that will investigate this relationship in both a learning and decision-making context. Computational modelling will further elucidate these relationships, and help to inform a theoretical model of curiosity as a metacognitive process. The cutting-edge decoded neurofeedback approach will then be used to selectively disrupt metacognition and curiosity in order to establish a causal relationship and determine the directionality of the effects. This project will be the first to combine experimental, neural and computational approaches to unravel the dynamics of the relationship between metacognition and curiosity. This integrative approach will result in a unified theoretical and mechanistic account of curiosity, which will provide a strong foundation for future research in this field. The findings will have far-reaching implications for diverse fields such as learning, decision-making, and robotics. A better understanding of curiosity and metacognition will also have important implications for the education sector, as both of these mechanisms have been implicated as important predictors of academic success.

Mots clés : cognitive neuroscience, decision making, learning

Participants :
- Radboud University Nijmegen (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 175572.48 €
Projet AI-FIE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Current EU policies mandate the gradual disengagement of the transport sector from fossil fuels. In order for such a transition to become a reality, hydrogen-derived carbon-neutral synthetic fuels produced using renewable energy sources (e-fuels), have overall less life-cycle CO2 footprint than their counterpart electric vehicles while they are suitable for use over the wide range of combustion engines. However, today’s fuel spray experimental methods are compromised by the long time needed for the characterisation of the effect of new fuel molecules; similarly, relevant predictive models that can address in detail the effect of the wide range of fuel chemical composition at time scales relevant to industry are not available. The main objective of the proposed MSCA fellowship is the development of a data-driven deep learning (DL) Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm able to predict the spatially and temporally resolved spray structure, as well as critical air / fuel mixture parameters for engine design. Training of the AI model will be based on the largest publicly available experimental database for fuel sprays of the Engine Combustion Network; this covers a wide range of injector configurations, air thermodynamic conditions and liquid fuels. The training matrix of the AI algorithm will be complemented by relevant computational fluid dynamics simulations for operating conditions and fuel composition for which experimentation is not possible. For this purpose, a state-of-the-art CFD model of the compressible Navier-Stokes and energy conservation equations employing elaborate real-fuel thermodynamic closures based on the PC-SAFT equation of state will be employed. The project innovative nature spans across diverse research aspects with emphasis on renewable alternatives of Diesel and gasoline. As such, it is expected to assist EU energy, marine, aviation and automotive industries to meet the goals imposed regarding the utilisation of renewable fuels.

Mots clés : e fuel, pc saft, fuel spray, nozzle flow

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 271732.8 €
- Sandia National Laboratories (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet RETRY (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Current European policy frameworks seek to foster societal development and individual advancement by getting more people educated, and for longer. At the same time, official programs encourage “learning mobility” as a way to support educational and professional opportunities. Yet, the adversities that underprivileged youths “on the move” are faced with as they strive to comply with these prescriptions clearly reveal the practical limitations of such powerful narrative construction: the issue of whether spatial mobility constitutes an asset or not for young people remains largely unexplored. Building on this, RETRY aims to develop a sophisticated understanding of the drivers of educational and post-educational marginality and inclusion in contemporary Europe. At this scope, it provides a theoretically informed, in-depth ethnographic, multi-sited and collaborative account of a phenomenon that has remains largely understudied so far: the movements into adulthood of underprivileged Roma and non-Roma European youths “affected by mobility”. The overall question of whether, and under what conditions, their trajectories disclose broader processes of social transformation or reproduce structural inequalities is addressed through the elaboration of a spatial and relational theory of resilience and resignation in youth. The theory aims to unveil the complex interplay of structural constraints and individual agency that shapes the multiple interactions between spatial, social, and biographical mobility. At this scope, RETRY addresses specific questions vis-à-vis the impact of welfare policies, community strategies, and personal ties on the transitions of young people striving to navigate towards their desirable futures in a changing and unstable environment.

Mots clés : youth transitions, roma, mobility, social capital, social protection, social mobility, superdiversity, welfare regimes, audio visual methods, collaborative ethnography

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 337400.64 €
Projet HealinguFE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Current knowledge of fracture healing is based on experimental animal studies of diaphyseal bone, despite 20% of fractures occurring in the metaphysis of the distal forearm. Moreover, current fracture healing assessment tools lack the resolution to identify and isolate the initial fracture site in cases involving a crushing fracture. The objectives of this project are to (1) develop a micro-finite element (μFE) model for fracture site identification, (2) develop an in silico model for human bone fracture healing capable of tracking local microstructural changes, and (3) test the predictive power of the in silico model using clinical data. μFE models will be generated from high-resolution peripheral computed tomography (HRpQCT) data of the distal radius from wrist fracture patients. The μFE models will be generated from HRpQCT data collected at the early stages of fracture healing and compared to remodelling maps in order to determine if μFE models can be used to isolate the site of the initial fracture. Adaptations will be made to an existing in silico model based on the findings of the μFE analysis. The resulting in silico model will be applied to clinical HRpQCT data to predict endpoint microstructural changes as well as patterns in fracture healing and remodelling. The predictive power of this in silico model will be determined by comparing the simulation results to observed behavior in vivo. The proposed project merges recent advances in bone mechanobiology, μFE simulations, and medical imaging to develop novel image analysis and registration methods as well as a tool for predicting if, when, and where fracture healing will occur. The proposed work will provide insights into the local behavior of trabecular bone fracture healing and help the fellow achieve professional maturity. Further, the in silico model has the potential to change the landscape of fracture healing research, particularly in areas of preclinical testing and personalized medicine.

Mots clés : fracture site identification, bone healing, mechanobiology, micro finite element analysis, in silico modeling

Participants :
- Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 191149.44 €
Projet Predictive Robots (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Current robot technologies are still not enough autonomous and adaptive to safely and intuitively interact with people. Nowadays, artificial systems mostly rely on pre-engineered models of the world and of their embodiment. Defining such models a-priori can be very challenging and may result in robots lacking the capability to react to situations that are not foreseen by their designers. The forthcoming societal needs and economic opportunities for robotics require smarter, more adaptive and self-aware artificial systems. This project addresses this challenge by developing new methods: (1) for the autonomous acquisition of models of the robot’s body inspired on infant development, where online deep learning techniques are integrated within curiosity-driven exploration strategies for high-dimensional task spaces; (2) for the enhancement of robots’ perceptual skills based on predictive processes, such as visual input enhancement through the attenuation of expected perceptions of self-body movements; (3) for studying possibilities of an artificial Self and of providing subjective experiences to robots. The core of the proposed research lays on predictive models learned through exploration behaviours typical of infants’ development. Predictive robots will be capable of anticipating sensory consequences of intended actions. This research has a broad range of applications - such as low-cost improvement of current sensing technologies - and can advance the understanding of brain processes behind particular phenomena - such as the sense of object permanence, memory, self-awareness and sense of agency - beside providing insights for their implementation into artificial systems. The research project will be conducted on humanoid robots and marine drones at the BioRobotics Institute of the Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento Sant'Anna in Pisa, Italy.

Mots clés : adaptive robots, intelligent behaviours, internal models, predictive models, sensorimotor predictions, exploration, self awareness, artificial self, sensory enhancement, humanoid robots, marine drones

Participants :
- Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183473.28 €
Projet ShakespeareIndia (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Current work on Shakespeare and India has largely ignored the cinematic idiom. Working with acknowledged expert in global Shakespeare, Professor Mark Thornton Burnett (MTB) of Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), experienced researcher, Dr Rosa María García Periago (RMGP), will undertake a fellowship that comprehensively examines for the first time the role of Shakespeare in Indian cinemas, with a focus on regionalism, diversity, locality and gender. Rather than simply engaging with ‘Bollywood’, the fellowship will direct attention to the variety of expressions of Shakespeare in different Indian film industries, languages and diasporic contexts, the majority of which have been critically neglected. Academic outputs include a project website with database, a journal article, and a co-edited volume. Integrally important to the fellowship’s recovery mission is the centrality of women not only as subjects of representation but also as filmmakers and creative practitioners. Bringing together critical and practice-based enquiries, the fellowship includes two secondments with relevant arts organizations. These practice-led elements complement a sustained intercultural engagement programme, including public-facing lectures, a workshop/film festival and an exhibition, of benefit to QUB, the city of Belfast and beyond. The fellowship, then, will produce original research while generating local and international impact and supporting the career development and mobility of the experienced researcher.

Mots clés : shakespeare, india, cinema

Participants :
- Queen's University Belfast (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet SIGNAL-LANDSCAPE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Currently, migration is posing a global challenge for the formation of societies and States, being a key factor of the feminisation of the phenomenon. When the migration process is undertaken under situations of vulnerability, it can be linked to structures that generate violence, exploitation, disappearance, and/or human trafficking. The routes that go from Central America to the USA by land present examples of these structures. The SIGNAL-LANDSCAPE project aims to: 1) Build a creative and transnational cartography that reflects the points of damage, as well as the care and resistance of the migratory route. 2) Design methods and tools that facilitate the processes of construction of the life story while avoiding re-victimisation. 3) Breaking the silencing to which the stories of migrant women are subjected, thus generating narrative results. 4) Produce academic knowledge, that will reach certain spaces for the design of policies and social networks. The Researcher will carry out a multi-sited ethnography: origin (Honduras), the route (Mexico-Guatemala), and destination (USA). In these spaces, she will work with women, through local organisations, to build creative narratives that will allow the designing of: 1) the physical landscapes that reflect the damage and care that women have experienced along the route; and 2) the geographical and social landscapes of their experiences. The researcher has doctoral experience with Nigerian migrant women, who are often linked to human trafficking, and she has developed a methodology proposal to take into account the silencing. Furthermore, the trajectory of both supervisors in the field, the Host Centres, and the support of the two Chairs: 1) UNESCO-Gender, Wellbeing and Culture of Peace, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA and 2) Jean Monnet-Immigration and Borders of European, University of Cádiz, Spain, will be a fundamental contribution to the proper development of the project and the positive future of the Researcher

Mots clés : silences, creative narratives, violence, care, migrant woman

Participants :
- University of Wisconsin System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Cádiz (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183757.44 €
Projet HSS-Wind (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Currently, offshore wind structures are constructed using normal strength steel members with yield strength of around 355 MPa. Larger section sizes are required to resist the higher load levels encountered in progressively deeper waters. This substantially increases cost, complicates logistics, generates installation difficulties, and causes greater environmental impacts. HSS material has the twin advantages of reducing the self-weight of structures and accruing associated cost savings. The installation costs typically represent up to 20% of the capital expenditure of an offshore wind farm. There is a need for more compact and lighter structures that can be easily sited on the seabed by standard installation vessels with lower crane capacity. Furthermore, the use of HSS provides increased structural resilience against strong cyclic loading in deep water environments, and reduces welding time due to reduced wall thickness. The benefit of HSS in static loading capacity is obvious, due to its increased strength. But there is a concern on deformation capacity for HSS connection, due to its lower ductility than normal-strength steel. In addition, the fatigue strength of HSS, especially at welded connections, remains an open question. HSS-WIND will investigate the application of HSS in offshore wind tubular platforms. The tubular joint is a common structural element in offshore wind platforms, and severe cyclic load, induced by wave and wind in the harsh offshore environment, may lead to fatigue fracture and failure at the vicinity of the welds. Reliable estimation of fatigue behaviour and resistance of HSS welded tubular connections constitutes an engineering challenge, essential for the platform structural integrity. HSS-WIND provides the basis of constructing offshore wind platforms using advanced HSS material, thus facilitating further harvest of renewable energy in deeper waters.

Mots clés : steel structure, renewable energy, tubular connection

Participants :
- University of Edinburgh (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet NOPHOS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Currently, we face a global antibiotic resistance crisis aggravated by the slow development of more effective and anti-resistance promoting therapeutical solutions. Protein phosphorylation (PP) has recently emerged as one of the major post-translational modification in bacteria, involved in the regulation of multiple physiological processes. In this MSCA individual fellowship application we aim to bridge the current gap in the field for prokaryotes by unravelling the unknown regulatory role of PP on proteins involved in nitrosative stress (NS) detoxification in the model bacterium E.coli. We propose to examine for the first time both global protein modifications (e.g. phosphoproteomics) under nitrogen species stress, as well as characterize PP in individual proteins involved in NS response. We will construct a network model that reflect the phosphoproteomic changes upon NS in E.coli, that may pave the way for the design of new bacterial targets. Understanding how bacteria respond to the chemical weapons of the human innate system is fundamental to develop efficient therapies. We will pioneer research on the mechanism and the regulation of nitric oxide detoxification proteins already identified as phosphorylated, by analyzing how this modification influences their stability and activity in vitro and in vivo. This project opens up new research paths on bacterial detoxification systems and signalling in general, addressing for the first time the role of PP in these processes. The proposal brings together transversal and scientific skills that will enable the researcher to lead the development of this emerging field and position herself as an expert in the area, and aims at establishing the importance of PP in NO microbial response, a novelty in this field.

Mots clés : bacterial protein phosphorylation, nitrosative stress, flavodiiron, nitric oxide, reactive nitrogen species, iron sulfur proteins, transcriptional regulation

Participants :
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 147815.04 €
Projet Cynthetica (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Cyanobacteria are versatile photosynthetic organisms that have attracted interest as a sustainable biotechnological host chassis. The toolkit for these organisms is growing fast, however, limitations such as low productivities are still a major drawback for this emerging technology. Cynthetica will address the issue of recombinant product yields and develop two separate tools that can be universally applied for product synthesis in cyanobacteria. WP1 incorporates the development of an ‘anchor tool’ to increase stability and the interaction of membrane-bound recombinant enzymes, such as cytochrome P450s, in cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes via membrane anchor engineering. This will lead to improved metabolic fluxes through the pathway and, thus, higher product yields. In WP2 a ‘capsule tool’ will be developed. Cyanobacterial strains with proteinaceous shells, so-called microcompartments, will be generated to encapsulate biosynthetic pathways for improved product yields. In WP3 the Cynthetica tools will be tested at scale for their applicability in an industrial setting during a secondment with the partner organisation AGROT. The intersectoral knowledge transfer between UCPH, AGROT and the fellow will allow for timely progression of the project, delivering cutting edge science and allowing the fellow to grow not only her scientific skill set but also reach maturity as an academic researcher. Thanks to the state-of-the art equipment and expertise available at UCPH and AGROT the project will have most favourable conditions to be a success. The Horizon 2020 framework highlights the need to develop a sustainable biotechnology sector in Europe. Cynthetica will position itself at the forefront of this emerging field by delivering innovative synthetic biology tools for establishing cyanobacteria as a powerful photosynthetic production platform.

Mots clés : cyanobacteria, sustainable biotechnology, pathway engineering, membrane anchor, cytochrome p450, linker peptides, microcompartment, encapsulation, dhurrin, pilot scale

Participants :
- University of Copenhagen (Danemark) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 200194.8 €