Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet FRIES (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Molecular hydrogen has already been demonstrated to be a viable source of clean fuel that is carbon-free, with water as the only byproduct when combusted. However, traditional methods of hydrogen production such as steam reforming are energy intensive and not viable as a mechanism for addressing demand on a global scale. Recent studies have demonstrated the occurrence of substantial amounts of molecular hydrogen produced naturally by fluid-rock interactions such as serpentinization, at a depth of few kms to several tens of kms in the Earth's subsurface and if these reserves were to be exploited, they would alleviate at least a substantial fraction of the demand for carbon-free fuel globally. Through the proposed research, we aim to integrate petrographic and microstructural observations from a suite of representative rocks from the Isle of Skye Volcanic Complex and the Shetland Ophiolites in the United Kingdom, with reactive transport and microstructural models to determine if fluid-rock interactions that produce hydrogen in the subsurface can be engineered to occur at near-surface conditions. Additionally, rocks which produce hydrogen are compositionally similar to rocks that have been used to sequester carbon dioxide and our proposed research aims to conduct an in-depth investigation into the potential coupling of these processes, to determine if hydrogen production and carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere can be engineered to run concurrently. Finally, we aim to assess any potential risks associated with hydrogen production from water-rock reactions, as these induce profound transformations in the physical properties (such as volume) of rocks, which may have the potential to generate natural disasters such as earthquakes. The results from our proposed project would have extremely important implications for the much-needed energy transition and demonstrate the viability of ongoing geological processes for generating carbon-free sources of fuel.

Mots clés : natural hydrogen, fluid rock interactions, microstructure, induced seismicity, carbon dioxide sequestration

Participants :
- Université de Liverpool (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 276187.92 €
Projet INTSURFACE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Noise control is an integral part of acoustics engineering and a concern for modern society. For example, the EU Action Plan: 'Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water, and Soil' aims to reduce the share of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 30%. However, wave control is normally constrained by the physical and geometrical properties of the materials. The recent concept of active metasurfaces made from acoustic metamaterials is opening new horizons for sound control applications, as the properties of these metasurfaces can be modified to achieve the desired acoustic behaviour and can be tailored to specific applications. A metasurface that could adapt itself both in space and time, i.e., spatiotemporal modulation, based on the wavefield could open new possibilities for controlling sound in real time. However, implementing this type of metasurface still presents significant challenges due to experimental difficulties and control algorithm limitations. This project addresses these challenges by proposing an acoustic metasurface composed of individual electroacoustic absorbers that can be controlled with a pressure-current-based control system. Therefore, INTSURFACE research aims to develop a real-time adaptive metasurface with spatiotemporal modulation capabilities. During this project, the theoretical and numerical frameworks to evaluate metasurfaces will be expanded to include space-time dependent properties and allow for the prediction of their acoustic behaviour in practical scenarios. Then, to control the metasurface, the research will develop a machine learning control framework that can adapt the individual elements of the metasurface to implement a desired spatiotemporal configuration. Finally, a proof-of-concept acoustic metasurface will be built and tested in several practical applications, including non-reciprocal multiple frequency propagation, multi-rainbow trapping, and cloaking by sound cancelation.

Mots clés : active noise control acoustic metasurfaces metamaterials impedance control electroacoustic absorbers machine learning

Participants :
- Université de Franche-Comté (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 242260.56 €
Projet COLED (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

In the early 20th-century European colonialism became more socially oriented and reflective of the rise of the welfare state. Yet, the better funded and larger colonial school networks became, the more European officials differentiated schools for colonial youth. Addressing this crucial tension, COLED examines how common ideas of colonial education—education for colonial subjects—formed and changed through transnational and transectoral knowledge transfers at the International Colonial Institute, the Save the Children International Fund, the Teachers College, the League of Nations, and UNESCO (1900-1961). Building on my 10-year experience researching education in colonial Africa, COLED: 1) offers the first global intellectual history of colonial education in modern empires, a topic usually studied within separate national cases; 2) shows that deliberate gender-, class-, and race-specific educational planning was a peculiarity of 20th-century European colonialism, thus challenging the common narrative that European states lacked interest in colonial education; 3) identifies for the first time the transition from assimilationist-elitist to differentialist and mass-oriented approaches to colonial education as a byproduct of inter-imperial negotiations between officials, teachers, students, activists, and scholars. Pan-European in scope, this transition questions views of colonial education as a fixed block and of liberal and fascist colonial projects as divergent and mutually opposed. COLED not only fosters interdisciplinary dialogue integrating global history methods with the social and intellectual study of colonialism, pedagogy, and humanitarianism. Also, it promotes awareness among citizens and self-reflection among public agencies committed to universal school rights by contextualizing modern educational inequalities within the still neglected history of institutionalized knowledge exchange on colonial education across networks and borders.

Mots clés : modern european empires, colonial education, global knowledge circulation, history and theory of colonialism, history and theory of pedagogy, child focused humanitarianism and development

Participants :
- Université libre de Berlin (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 217965.12 €
Projet POCAM (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Multiple causal modelling techniques are employed in the applied sciences. For instance, Structural Equations Models (SEMs) are employed in genetics, econometrics and psychology; Fault Tree Analyses (FTAs) are employed in aerospace and nuclear engineering; Petri Nets are used in traffic control and integrated computational systems. Each technique has a unique way of representing causal phenomena, drawing on different data and background information. But what is it about the world that allows each of these techniques to work? And what makes each technique a representation of causal phenomena specifically? POCAM will break new ground answering these questions by determining a single, underlying causal ontology within the powers metaphysics framework. In doing so, POCAM will provide an explanation of why such varied causal modelling practices are so successful, thereby helping practitioners better conceptualise the connections among different modelling formalisms and with our pre-scientific understanding of causation in everyday life. While there have been attempts to determine an underlying ontology for SEMs there has yet to be any philosophical engagement with FTAs or Petri Nets, despite their pervasiveness in science. Moreover, current ontologies for causal models in metaphysics fail to be adequately reductive, preventing them from being truly explanatory. POCAM will therefore be pioneering in its attempt to provide a single reductive ontology of all three modelling techniques. To do so, POCAM will draw on the scientific credentials of the powers metaphysics framework. The nature of powers and their role in causation is increasingly well understood but has yet to be brought into sustained theoretical engagement with the casual modelling literature. Dr Friend’s unique expertise, as a philosopher of science and trained engineer, will enable him, aided by expert scientific advice and supervision, to carry out this inter-disciplinary research.

Mots clés : causation, causal modelling, powers, metaphysics of science

Participants :
- Université libre de Berlin (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 189687.36 €
Projet SIMPL (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The SIMPL project (Spectral Interpretability for Molecular Interaction PotentiaLs) is designed to enhance the interpretability and efficiency of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) used to model Molecular Interaction Potentials (MIPs). GNNs have greatly advanced the prediction of molecular interactions, which is crucial for fields like drug discovery and material science. However, the complexity of these models often makes it challenging to identify which molecular interactions are most critical, limiting their practical application. SIMPL addresses this challenge by incorporating Spectral Graph Theory and Algebraic Topology into GNNs, allowing for clearer interpretation and streamlined models, focusing on the most relevant interactions without sacrificing accuracy. Compared to traditional gradient-based methods, which can be unstable and sensitive to specific molecular conformations, SIMPL offers a robust approach. Instead of a localized insights that could vary significantly depending on the particular state of the molecule or be subject to vanishing or exploding gradients problems (especially in complex models), SIMPL provides a global perspective by assessing the relevance of interactions across the entire learning task. This ensure that the identified interactions are consistently important and reliable. This approach in practice forces a multi-body expansion of the MIP leading to a comprehensive understanding of molecular systems. While SIMPL has broad applications, it will be applied to the study of immune recognition processes, such as peptide-Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) binding. The framework’s ability to reliably identify critical molecular interactions could significantly enhance our understanding of these processes, leading to more informed approaches in immunotherapy and vaccine development.

Mots clés : molecular interaction potentials, simplicial complexes, spectral graph theory, explainable ai, immune recognition

Participants :
- Université libre de Berlin (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 202125.12 €
Projet MiKidSton (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Kidney stone disease is a vital health problem with a significant increase in prevalence worldwide. It is known that kidney stone formation is affected by medical conditions (i.e., diabetes), environmental factors, dietary habits, and gender, although the relationship between the stone mineralogical and chemical properties (e.g., crystal structure, elemental composition, etc.) to the urine and blood parameters are still unclear. Notably, there is limited information on how the kidney stone mineral phase is influenced by the organic compounds of body fluids during growth and dissolution. Likewise, the kidney stone isotope composition will be recorded during its formation, and subsequently can be used as an indicator of dietary habits, environmental factors, and identifying underlying diseases (e.g., diabetes, osteoporosis). MiKidSton aims to perform a systematic study, from macro- to nanoscale, on a large array of different types of kidney stone samples, to assess: i) the influence of the body fluid (urine and blood) parameters, as recorded in patients, on the characteristics of kidney stone biomineral phases, ii) the relationship of the chemical/isotope composition of kidney stones to their structure, and risk factors (e.g., diet, environment, diabetes, etc.), and iii) the controlling factors for stone formation and dissolution. These objectives will be achieved combining applicant’s expertise and that of PIs, from the two host institutions, on mineralogical and isotope analyses. The outcomes will shed light on connection between kidney stone structure, composition, growth and dissolution with physiological parameters for patients with urolithiasis, with important implications for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment strategies. Finally, MiKidSton findings will have important implications for future pathological biomineral investigation using cutting-edge techniques and, most importantly, for the study of other stone-related human diseases (e.g., gallstones).

Mots clés : kidney stone, biomineralization, crystalline properties, dissolution precipitation, metal isotopes, diagnostic tools

Participants :
- Université de Berne (Suisse) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université d'Oviedo (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 317205.6 €
- University of Alabama System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet RITPASS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

How did medieval monastic leaders assert control over their communities? This project proposes an innovative way to approach to this often-considered question: through the rites of passage into ascetic groups in Late Antiquity (fourth-seventh centuries CE). Late-antique sources emphasise five membership rituals as particularly significant: rigorous testing; ceremonial cleansing; the offering of stability pledges; the renunciation of possessions; and the donning of uniform attire. These rites were meant to bind novices to their new lives, efface their prior identities, and enforce obligation to their abbots and abbesses. Although the scholarship on medieval monasticism is extensive, the relationship between ascetic authority structures and the aforementioned five ceremonies has received little recent substantial attention. This project proposes to investigate this relationship from the first appearance of monastic groups in the fourth century to their widespread multiplication across the Mediterranean by the seventh century. To do so, I will focus on laws, monastic rules, church canons, hagiographies, and provincial documents, five types of source which are not often brought together but represent contemporary attempts to assert control over ascetic rites of passage. My research will use a comparative, interdisciplinary framework of diachronic, transcultural and -regional, and socio-historical analysis to achieve the project’s three core goals: 1) to explore how and why these ceremonies changed; 2) to analyse how these rites supported or challenged late-antique discourses about monastic obligations and identities; and 3) to investigate how these rituals were related to other analogous rituals and processes. Furthermore, this project will contribute to the increasing scholarly interest in medieval monastic perspectives beyond the Benedictine and also pave the way for epistemological reconsiderations of authority, identity, and obligation, even into the modern day.

Mots clés : male and female monastic communities abbots and abbesses rituals and ceremonies obligation authority and power

Participants :
- Université libre de Berlin (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173847.36 €
Projet STAMINA (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

High-strength materials play a pivotal role in materials engineering, offering exceptional durability, mechanical reliability, and an enhanced strength-to-weight ratio. As a result, they are in high demand across various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and construction, where they contribute to improved safety, sustainability, fuel efficiency, and maintenance costs. However, the development of ultrahigh strength alloys has been impeded by challenges such as the strength-ductility trade-off and microstructural control.  To overcome these limitations, the "STAMINA" project aims to harness the potential of immiscible alloys combined with rapid solidification through laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) - an Additive Manufacturing (AM) method- to fabricate alloys with unprecedented strength (>2-5 GPa). The innovative combination of Fe-Cu immiscible alloys and LPBF results in a unique microstructure characterised by fine grains and nano-sized, nano-spaced precipitates formed during the rapid solidification of two immiscible phases.  However, the printing of immiscible alloys faces obstacles, notably liquation cracking during LPBF. To address these challenges, the STAMINA project focuses on optimising laser parameters and alloy composition to achieve a defect-free microstructure with a uniform distribution of nano (2-5 nm) precipitates and ultrafine grains, with the latter leading to isotropic mechanical properties. Additionally, the project pioneers the study of two liquid interactions under severe convection using high-energy X-ray analysis.  By integrating expertise from multiple disciplines, including materials engineering, AM, and fluid dynamics, STAMINA seeks to establish theoretical foundations and innovative techniques for producing novel immiscible alloys. The successful realisation of this research has the potential to unlock new frontiers for cutting-edge technologies, which are currently limited by the availability of high-strength materials.

Mots clés : ultrahigh strength immisicble alloys dispersion strengthening additive manufacturing melt pool dynamics grain refinement

Participants :
- Université de Twente (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 187624.32 €
- Université Cornell (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet DIVERGEN (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Ocean acidification (OA) is a global problem caused by the rapidly increased CO2 emissions to the atmosphere since the Industrial revolution. Ocean acidity is predicted to increase from 100% to 150% by 2100, which will affect half of the marine biodiversity. The resilience, adaptive and survival potential of marine organisms to OA can highly vary among species, and the broader implications for ocean ecosystems are far from known. In this sense, marine CO2 vents, which generate pH gradients over short geographical distances, provide a perfectly designed natural laboratory to study the long-term effects of OA and to look into the future of our oceans. The project aims to understand the biological strategies of calcifying marine species to overcome the effects of OA, using a keystone echinoderm widely distributed across a current natural gradient of pH. We will use an innovative and multidisciplinary approach combining transcriptomics and metagenomics together with physiological and ecological data to provide a deeper understanding of the adaptation and plasticity of echinoderms. This proposal will focus on different biological characteristics that determine the potential of the species to survive and adapt to changing environments and generate important knowledge about 1) intra- and inter-specific processes to cope with rapid environmental change, 2) adaptative evolution versus phenotypic plasticity in the biological responses of organisms, 3) larval microbiome to modulate responses to environmental stresses and 4) the vulnerability of the different life phases of organisms to climate change. This information will allow us to understand the buffering systems and adaptation strategies used by the species, predict the resilience of organisms to OA and finally, fill a relevant knowledge gap in ecological genomics.

Mots clés : ocean acidification, climate change, next generation sequencing, metabolism, metagenomics, microbiome, marine invertebrates, larvae, symbionts, adaptation, phenotypic plasticity

Participants :
- Université de Barcelone (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 190453.52 €
- Université de La Laguna (Espagne) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet DiaMorphy (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Diatoms are a large group of unicellular, eukaryotic microalgae that biosynthesize SiO2 (silica)-based cell walls (frustules). They are ubiquitously present in aquatic habitats and key primary producers in the oceans, contributing 20% of the annual photosynthetic CO2 fixation on earth. The architectures of frustules are species specific, displaying intricate patterns of nano- and microscale features, and are believed to be of prime importance for the ecological success of diatoms. Furthermore, in biomineralization research, diatoms serve as model systems to reveal the mechanisms by which organisms are able to generate inorganic materials with complex architectures. Such insight holds the promise of gaining advanced capabilities to synthesize minerals with tailored properties using an environmentally benign processes. During the past two decades, numerous candidate proteins potentially involved in diatom silica biogenesis have been put forward, but only a small number of these have been confirmed to be required for this process. The DiaMorphy project aims to identify the complete set of proteins required for silica morphogenesis in the model diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. To achieve this, the project will inverse the conventional approach by analyzing silica biogenesis in induced morphological mutants of T. pseudonana rather than in the wild-type. For the first time, single-cell transcriptomics will be applied to study gene expression at specific stages during silica biogenesis. Comparative analysis of the resulting, highly refined transcriptomics datasets, is expected to 'crystallize' a comprehensive core set of silica morphogenesis genes. In proof-of-principle experiments, selected proteins from this core set, will then be functionally characterized in vivo using state-of-the art genetic engineering techniques.

Mots clés : biomineralization, diatoms, single cell transcriptomics, morphogenesis

Participants :
- Université technologique de Dresde (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173847.36 €