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

HMAM aims to train a talented research Fellow through an interdisciplinary project focused on modelling the coupled healing multiphysics in asphalt materials (AMs) including the processes of chemical bonding, mechanical responses, environmental condition variations and microstructural morphology changes. The primary deliverables resulting from the HMAM include a better understanding of AMs’ healing mechanisms, an accurate performance prediction framework and evaluation protocol for healing-capable AMs, and an implementation of healing materials and technologies in sustainable road construction. Through the research, the Fellow will receive intensive technical training in multidisciplinary field of chemistry (Aston), material science (Aston), computational modelling (Aston, TUD), experimental characterization (UoN) and industrial applications (Nynas and AI). The Fellow will also receive inter-sectoral and professional skills training in project management, outreach, networking and intellectual property protection. The benefits brought by HMAM is represented by strengthening the EU industry leadership in healing material innovation and aiding the EU engineers in asphalt material selections, road structural design and techno-economic analysis. The implementation of healing-capable asphalt materials in road infrastructures will extend the road service life and ultimately reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and save natural resources like petroleum bitumen and mineral aggregates. Uniquely, the project will enable the Fellow to obtain interdisciplinary knowledge and inter-sectoral complementary skills by building a new and exciting research field, which will pave a solid foundation for the Fellow towards his career of being an independent expert researcher in the areas of infrastructure sustainability and construction materials at a top European university.

Mots clés : construction materials, road infrastructures, bitumen, asphalt, healing, multiphysics modelling

Participants :
- Aston University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet TEXTA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Halide perovskites exhibit many ideal properties for photovoltaics, as highlighted by the fact that lead halide solar cells (SCs) have now reached efficiencies >25%, a value close the theoretical limit of single-junction SCs. A strategy to overcome this limitation is to combine two SCs, e.g. two perovskites of different compositions, into a tandem device to reduce thermalization and incomplete absorption losses. To maximize power output, each sub-cell must generate a maximum photocurrent matching that of the other sub-cell. This can be achieved by a. careful optimization of the perovskites thicknesses, b. minimizing parasitic absorption in transport layers and electrodes, and c. depositing the SCs on textured substrates. Textures are employed by some SC technologies, e.g. silicon, to enhance absorption and reduce reflection losses. Still, the use of textures in perovskite-based devices has been extremely challenging. Record perovskite-based single-junction and tandem devices rely on solution-processing (spin-coating), complicating and often preventing the uniform coverage of textured surfaces, in addition to hindering their deployment on industry-relevant sizes. This proposal aims to tackle both challenges by producing 30% perovskite-perovskite tandems, where all the functional layers (incl. perovskites) are grown conformally on textured substrates with high uniformity. To track and improve the optoelectronic quality of the perovskites when developing new processing routes, a combination of three in-situ optical spectroscopies (Absorption, PL & Raman) will be implemented. The methods will offer direct insights into the (trans-)formation of perovskites and emergence of defects or unwanted phases. With the means to monitor the quality of the perovskites, the optoelectronic quality of narrow- and wide-bandgap perovskites will be improved through process and additive engineering to finally yield highly efficient textured perovskite-perovskite tandems.

Mots clés : halide perovskite, tandem solar cells, high performance, conformal growth

Participants :
- Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 191149.44 €
Projet HeatWaveSS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Heatwaves are a current problem faced by society and are increasing in frequency and intensity under ongoing climate change. While many climate change studies exist, those investigating the consequences of heatwaves are scarce, especially in relation to reproduction. The extreme temperatures experienced during heatwaves are likely to have negative effects on many aspects of reproduction (including fertility, morphology and behaviour), thus for the persistence of populations and, ultimately, biodiversity. Therefore, studying how heatwaves affect reproduction is a key issue that should be addressed now. This project aims to study how heatwaves affect traits important for reproductive success, to understand the long term consequences of heatwaves on populations, and how parental exposure affects the fitness of offspring. Experimental guppy populations (P. reticulata) will be exposed to experimental heatwaves either during ontogeny or after attaining sexual maturity (reflecting the unpredictable nature of heatwaves). The consequences on morphology, fertility, and reproductive behaviour across two generations will be assessed. The sex ratio of the populations (the proportion of males to females ready to mate) will also be manipulated, since sex ratios fluctuate naturally and importantly affect mating decisions and reproductive investment, and thus effects of heatwaves may differ according to the sex ratio of the population. By investigating the effects of heatwaves at different levels, data from this project will offer unique insights into their effects on individuals and populations, thus contributing to our understanding of the consequences of climate change and the processes underlying responses to environmental changes. Through enhanced knowledge in the fields of behavioural ecology, reproductive biology, and evolutionary biology, the proposed project will contribute to the progress of the European scientific community, with potential applications in conservation.

Mots clés : heatwaves, reproduction, sexual selection, fertility, mate choice, sperm quality, reproductive success, trans generational fitness

Participants :
- University of Padua (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183473.28 €
Projet SolHyPro (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Hematite is a promising photoanode material for harvesting solar energy by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. It has a favorable bandgap energy (2.1 eV), good catalytic activity for water oxidation, low cost, is chemically stable in alkaline solutions and environmentally friendly. However, its water splitting efficiency is limited by electron-hole recombination length and it produces a below threshold photovoltage. The key to increasing the recombination length is supressing defects such as grain boundaries or surface roughness of the photoanode. The second issue is successfully resolved by coupling the photoelectrolytic cell to a photovoltaic cell, a so-called tandem cell with theoretically higher efficiency owing to optimal use of the solar spectrum. Both of these drawbacks are accounted for in this project. The aim of this project is to optimize the water photoelectrolysis performance of the photoelectrolysis-photovoltaic tandem-cell device by tailoring the microstructure of the thin film hematite photoanods, and up scaling from the laboratory scale to a prototype device. Fabrication of an efficient water-splitting cell is challenging as it consists of several thin film layers. Each of these layers impacts on the performance of the water-splitting tandem-cell. Up scaling from the lab scale to the prototype scale (10x10cm2) will be carried out in cooperation with PVComB in Germany. This poses entirely different challenges, creating the need for an adapted fabrication sequence and deposition conditions that ensure the adhesion of the ceramic and metal thin film layers. At the end of this project, I personally will have gained expertise in advanced microstructural analysis technique and also in the leadership role, which will enable me to take the next step in my carrier. And, we will have built a fully functional, fabrication-ready device for hydrogen production directly from solar energy. A great leap forward into a society based on renewable resources.

Mots clés : photoelectrolysis, photocatalysis, water splitting

Participants :
- Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (Israël) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 170509.2 €
Projet BRACE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Hemorrhagic fever viruses are serious human threats for which we don’t have adequate treatments available, which is painfully highlighted by the current Ebola virus outbreak in Western Africa. These viruses are obligatory intracellular parasites that make use of the host machinery at every phase of their infection cycle. Virus attachment and entry are the initial steps, which requires engagement of a viral glycoprotein with a cell surface receptor. This interaction then triggers internalization of the virus particle via a Trojan horse-like vesicular pathway, eventually resulting in the release of the viral genome into the cytoplasm of the target cell. We have recently shown that cell entry of at least some hemorrhagic fever viruses (i.e. Ebola virus and Lassa virus) is even more sophisticated, as it requires triggered-recognition of an intracellular receptor as an unexpected additional step. A precise understanding of how these major pathogens enter cells is required to reveal the mechanisms by which they cause disease. In this application, I will combine targeted engineering of viral systems with a genomics approach that enables crystal-clear, yeast-like genetics in human cells. Focusing on arenaviruses, these genome-wide surveys will reveal host factors indicative of virus entry tactics never observed before. I will use biochemistry, microscopy, and cell biological assays to examine in detail the virus-host interplay with these factors and will identify promising new antiviral targets for arenavirus family members that cause human disease. Overall, I foresee that this project will provide a much-needed window on the unique cell entry strategies of these lethal pathogens, which thus far revealed a surprising diversity in the biological host networks being hijacked to establish infection.

Mots clés : arenavirus, haploid genetics, cell entry, protein receptors

Participants :
- Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 165598.8 €
Projet CoMiC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Here we propose a radically new way to control chemical reactions on the quantum level. The Experienced Researcher (ER) will combine his long-standing expertise on cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED) with the field of ultracold chemical reactions, in which the host is one of the leading pioneers. We want to drive a photo-chemical reaction (photoassociation) within an optical cavity and in this way gain control over the reaction (objective 1). For this, we use the control over spontaneous photon emission by an optical cavity, as has been done with single atoms. This paves the way towards novel fascinating effects like superradiant chemistry, where a chemical process is enhanced due to quantum statistics. Furthermore, the optical cavity will be used as an ultrasensitive molecule detector of a new quality by detecting them without disturbing their quantum state (objective 2). This novel interdisciplinary combination of physics and chemistry will open up a new research field, where the ER will demonstrate scientific innovation and independence.

Mots clés : cold chemistry, cavity quantum electrodynamics, ultracold atoms

Participants :
- University of Ulm (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 159460.8 €
Projet NanoRad (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Here, I propose the exploitation of hitherto unknown grossly warped cationic nanographenes and investigate their unique properties with a view to energy storage and luminescent devices. This Action combines aspects of odd-numbered ring (heptagonal) aromatic cations and open-shell aromatic systems, which are both underutilised in contemporary chemistry. The project will lend new fundamental insights into their self-assembly, optoelectronics, and redox chemistry, bringing them into the mainstream. Investigating these materials will also give insights into the roles of heptagonal defects in carbon nanomaterials, e.g., graphene. The primary objectives of this proposal are (1) to develop scalable synthetic routes to as yet unexplored open-shell warped nanographene ions containing tropylium cation (TP) cores, (2) to investigate and characterise their optical and electronic spin properties and (3) to carry out in depth DFT calculations.

Mots clés : polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, graphene, radicals, molecular materials

Participants :
- Durham University (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet AntibioPICs (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Here, we will develop new enzyme-degradable polymers for the preparation of polyion complex (PIC) particles based of antimicrobial molecules with low charge densities. The main goals are: 1. Synthesis of enzyme-responsive polymers, with a) enough charge density to facilitate PIC particle formation, and b) degradable by Pseudolysin, a protease secreted by opportunistic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa; 2. Preparation of Pseudolysin-Degradable PIC Particles, from these enzyme responsive polymers and 1) Polymyxin B (PolB), an antimicrobial peptide with only 5 cationic charges; or 2) FM® 1-43 Dye, a cationic membrane dye that stains gram-negative bacteria; 3. Characterisation of PIC particle stability and enzyme-degradation kinetics and selectivity, and 4. In-vitro evaluation of 1) the antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa of PolB-containing particles and 2) the ability of FM-containing particles to stain P. aeruginosa. Completion of these goals will allow us to demonstrate that: a) Polymers with high charge densities can be prepared based on short peptides; that b) stable PIC particles can be prepared from relevant small molecules; despite the challenges posed by their low charge density; that c) the stability and release profile of these biologically active molecules can be tuned as a function of polymer composition and particle formulation; and that d) PIC particles are promising vectors for the delivery of antimicrobial molecules. The main scientific challenge lies in the development of the proposed materials, but the molecules to be delivered have been selected because of their relevance to antimicrobial resistance, one of the research priorities of the European Commission. Each exemplar will contribute to address complementary problems: 1) the development of better methods to use currently available antibiotics (PolB) and 2) the early detection of pathogenic strains (FM).

Mots clés : enzyme responsive, pic particles, antimicrobial delivery

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet UCLnProt (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Herein, we propose to design de novo (“from scratch”) the first upconverting metalloprotein. This will be achieved by exploiting a new class of lanthanide coiled coils (LCC), to generate bimetallic derivatives. These will, for the first time, combine the attractive photophysical properties of Ln complexes, with de novo designed coiled coil scaffolds capable of selectively binding different Ln ions at well-defined and tuneable distances. This programme of work will provide a new strategy for unlocking the full potential of science at the interface of biology and inorganic chemistry, by combining previously unexplored ligands with traditional inorganic complexes, for applications beyond those offered by biology, such as upconversion. The complementary expertise of Dr Borghesani (bioinorganic chemistry and spectroscopy) and the supervisor Dr Peacock (metallopeptide design) offer the unique combination to realise the full potential of multimetallic LCCs, and will, in conjunction with two planned short secondments, provide Dr Borghesani with new and cutting-edge research training.

Mots clés : peptide design, lanthanides, up conversion

Participants :
- University of Birmingham (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet GoH (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Mathematics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Higgs bundles play a fundamental role in the current panorama of mathematics and theoretical physics through their many connections. Amongst the latter is the link with the geometric Langlands programme, a suitable generalization of the relation between a curve and its Picard variety, which moreover admits a natural quantum field theoretical interpretation. According to this, any G- local system on a curve yields a perverse sheaf on the moduli stack of G*-bundles (where G* is the Langlands dual to G). A simpler (abelianised) version of the geometric Langlands programme has been proven for Higgs bundles by Donagi and Pantev. A programme initiated by these two scientists aims at inducing the full Langlands correspondence from its abelianised version. Building on the work of the researcher and the hosts, we will fill in the gaps of this program and provide alternative tools broadening the current state of the art also beyond this action. In doing so, we will study central elements of the geometry of Higgs bundles from a new perspective. More precisely, we will give a way to understand the Bialynicki-Birula stratification via algebraic techniques, and, related to that, carefully study the irreducible components of the nilpotent cone, applying also the theory of SU(p,q)-Higgs bundles. Finally, we will explore the case of positive characteristic, with the aim to shed light on the Hecke eigenproperty in this setting.

Mots clés : moduli spaces, higgs bundles, geometric langlands programme, nilpotent cone, bialynicki birula, stratification

Participants :
- Université Côte d'Azur (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 196707.84 €
Projet DiFuSeEm (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

High drop-out rates at university level indicate that students are not able to find what they expected at the university. It is a problem in many European countries. Reports from European Commission and universities, mentioned that relating the courses in their programs to e.g. the disciplinary future selves (DFSs) of the students is one of the solutions by enhancing students’ learning and affective states (e.g. motivation and interest). The DFS is defined as a future identity that one wants to establish by choosing a certain study program. Introductory physics courses in many undergraduate programs such as pharmaceutical sciences, are among the courses perceived as difficult and sometimes irrelevant. There were few attempts to relate physics courses to pharmacy majors. However, there was no study to reveal the effects of these attempts. Though there were attempts to relate introductory physics courses to life-science students which concluded that it is possible to influence participation in a course and students’ perceptions about the link between physics and biology. In order to explore the effects of the DFS-related physics instruction on pharmacy students’ achievement in physics and affective characteristics related to physics, a quasi-experimental research with control group will be conducted. The focus of the physics course is on Electromagnetism. Activities and materials related to electricity content will be developed to design the DFS-related instruction by reviewing the literature thoroughly, and conducting interviews with the course instructors, teaching assistants, pharmacy majors, and pharmaceutical sciences faculty members. The effectiveness of the instruction will be assessed with physics achievement test and the Affective Characteristics Questionnaire (both as pre-test & post-test). During the implementation, experimental and control groups will be observed. After the implementation, post-interviews will be conducted to validate the results.

Mots clés : physics education, science education, electricity, electromagnetism, disciplinary future self, affective, characteristics, interest in physics, motivation in physics

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 208040.0 €