Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet DCNextEve (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Microgrids are an important concept in the emerging power industry field. They are widely recognized as an innovative eco-system when it comes to a flexible and reliable option for the integration of distributed energy renewable resources (DER). The research on direct current (DC) power distribution systems is taking ground especially for applications where the end-use loads are natively DC (e.g. data centers, offices, residential). Efficiency, reliability, lower capital cost, simpler control strategies, higher power quality are the most cited advantages compared with AC microgrids. The primary technical research objective of this project is the design and analysis of novel methods for management and control of multiple building scale DC microgrids operating on a defined territory. Specifically the major technical objectives are: (a)To enhance the state of the art in the DC microgrid field with a holistic design, modelling, control framework for clusters of LV building level DC microgrids (the emerging community prosumers of tomorrow;) (b) To develop and validate models for typical elements of DC microgrids. The models will follow an innovative and yet unexplored approach based on hybrid dynamic system analysis; (c) To develop and test models for optimal operation of clusters of DC microgrids under uncertainty. The optimization models will look for different objectives to be optimized while taking into account the technical and economic constraints of the systems operating in either stand-alone or interconnected mode; (d) To develop and validate distributed control schemes for ad-hoc clusters of DC microgrids. Career development objectives are: (a) To enhance the research skills of the Fellow with complementary knowledge in power quality, modeling and control specific for DC grids, (b) To facilitate the transfer of knowledge to the society, scientific community and industry and to explore the commercial potential of the research outcomes.

Mots clés : microgrids, dc power quality, sustainability, efficiency, optimization

Participants :
- Polytechnic University of Bucharest (Roumanie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 137422.8 €
Projet MICROWATER (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Microorganisms control the fluxes of geochemical cycles, and new anaerobic microbial processes are new. Only 20 years ago, the anaerobic oxidation processes of both ammonia and methane were discovered. Anammox bacteria discovered in 1999, became a successful application for ammonia removal in full-scale wastewater after 10 years of fundamental physiological studies in controlled bioreactors. Anaerobic processes integrated in oxygen-limited systems, offer significant engineering, financial and environmental advantages. 9 years ago, microorganisms that oxidize methane using nitrate and/or nitrite were discovered; these “anaerobic methane oxidizers” have the potential to revolutionize the current challenges in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in wastewater transport and sewage treatment. For that to happen, the understanding of the intricate microbial ecophysiology in full-scale engineered sewage systems is of extreme importance. Physiology and microbial ecology studies have yielded limited results in the last 5 years, and studies such as this proposal, are relevant to advance sustainable wastewater management. In this project, we apply state-of-the-art omics, modern bio-reactor technology, and use current real treatment systems as models; to unravel further their potential. The candidate Dr. Guerrero, has extensive knowledge in their physiology and enrichment crucial to expand the knowledge gap in this field needed to truly develop new applications. The supervisor Dr. Pijuan, has the experience and knowledge in applied engineering in sewage treatment and this proposal can enhance the leadership role of female mentors. ICRA as host institution, has a multidisciplinary team and extensive facilities to host the research and maximize its impact in the field. This proposal will focus on connecting research to an applied context by engaging leaders in water management, and developing international relationships, and forming new innovation human resource.

Mots clés : water, climate change, microbiology, new technologies, methane, anaerobic

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 259398.72 €
Projet Enhanced oxidation (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Micropollutants are a serious problem for drinking water and wastewater due to their adverse human and ecosystem’s health effects. In Europe, their abatement often involves ozonation with O3 and hydroxyl radical abating a wide spectrum of micropollutants. However, the potential formation of carcinogenic disinfection byproducts such as bromate and N-nitrosamines threatens the safety of drinking water/wastewater. Permanganate (Mn(VII)) is a selective oxidant that is widely applied in pre-oxidation steps in water treatment to remove Mn(II), Fe(II) and taste/odor and produces little disinfection byproducts. It has a high reactivity with phenolic compounds. The applicant found that the phenolic moieties in dissolved organic matter (DOM) produce secondary oxidants with permanganate to enhance micropollutant abatement. Furthermore, the applicant discovered that hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can not only produce secondary oxidants including Mn(VI) and superoxide radical when reacting with permanganate to enhance micropollutant abatement, but also reduce permanganate to MnO2 that can be removed during coagulation and filtration. Moreover, superoxide and hydroxyl radical were observed to be produced by the Mn(II)-H2O2 reaction. As another matrix, bicarbonate (HCO3–/CO32–) facilitated the Mn(II)-H2O2 reaction to achieve a fast micropollutant abatement, which shows a good application potential for reduced water sources by dosing H2O2. This project aims to investigate the kinetics and mechanisms of the enhancing role of DOM, its surrogate compounds and H2O2 on MnO4–-induced micropollutant abatement. Furthermore, the effectiveness of Mn(II)/H2O2(/HCO3–/CO32–) for micropollutant abatement will be investigated. Both processes will provide alternative enhanced oxidative treatment to abate micropollutants in water and wastewater.

Mots clés : oxidation, enhancement, micropollutant, permanganate, manganese ii, dissolved organic matter, hydrogen peroxide

Participants :
- Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Suisse) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 191149.44 €
Projet SENSOMIG (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Migraine is a neurological condition affecting 18% of the population worldwide, of whom 80% are women, and yet it is poorly understood and undiagnosed, mainly because research into migraine is the least publicly funded of all neurological illnesses relative to its economic impact. Migraine presents as recurrent attacks of disabling headache accompanied by neurological symptoms, including increased sensitivity to visual and auditory stimuli (sensory hypersensitivity). These debilitating symptoms significantly impair the quality of life of patients ranking migraine as the 2nd most common cause of years lost to disability globally, raising the total annual cost of the disease to more than €111 billion only in the EU. As an MSCA fellow, I will receive crucial training at VHIR to investigate the sensory hypersensitivity experienced by migraine patients. I will use a preclinical model of migraine to study the brain hypersensitivity to sensory and stressful stimuli by using a multidisciplinary approach. A four-month secondment at University of Hamburg will complete my training in neuroimaging and improve my existing collaborators’ network. The research objectives include 1) Set-up the chronic migraine model in rat with in vivo neurophysiological recordings, 2) Characterisation of behavioural and neurophysiological responses to stimuli in chronic migraine rats, and 3) Description of specific brain areas involved in responses to stimuli in chronic migraine rats by using neuroimaging studies. SENSOMIG will generate ground-breaking outcomes of the hypersensitivity to stimuli seen in migraine, that will allow the development of a new preclinical model and eventually of new therapeutic targets. Results will be published in high-impact open-access journals and presented at conferences, press and social media to target scientific and lay audiences. This proposal will result in the establishment of a permanent new line of research for which I will be the principal investigator.

Mots clés : migraine, sensory and stressful stimuli, preclinical model, behavioural tests, neurophysiology, neuroimaging, nociception

Participants :
- CERCA Institution (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 172932.48 €
Projet MIGRADISP (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Migration (seasonal movement) and dispersal (movement between birth and first breeding, or between breeding events) are two critical life-history decisions, both taken in response to changing ecological conditions. They could involve similar decision-making processes and covary, thereby profoundly affecting spatio-temporal population dynamics. Yet, we still know remarkably little about how migration and dispersal might be linked and affect each other. While social information (obtained by observing others’ decisions) is known to influence dispersal decisions, we do not know how such information also influences migration. Key outstanding questions are: (1) What is the metapopulation-wide association between individual migration and dispersal? (2) What is the role of early-life social environment in generating such associations? (3) To what degree does cross-season maintenance of social bonds promote concurrent dispersal and migration? To answer these questions, I will jointly quantify seasonal migration and dispersal, and links to early-life conditions and social-spatial networks, in a large-scale partially migratory metapopulation of European shags where both movements vary substantially among individuals. I will achieve these goals by applying cutting-edge statistical analyses (multi-state mark-recapture models, social networks) to an outstanding 10-year dataset comprising >90,000 year-round field sightings of ~10,000 marked individuals. My success in this novel and challenging project will be ensured by working with internationally recognized experts at world-class institutes, namely Prof. Jane Reid, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (NTNU, Norway) and Dr. Francis Daunt, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UK). I will thereby acquire all the scientific and professional skills that I require to fill a crucial gap in our understanding of population demography and its interplay with sociality, and ultimately to become a successful independent research leader in ecology.

Mots clés : partial migration, dispersal, sociality, social information, public information, demography, population ecology, metapopulation, heterogeneity, colonial seabird, european shag

Participants :
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 214158.72 €
Projet MigrationRadar (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Migration is a wide-spread phenomenon which allows animals of many different taxa to take advantage of seasonal variation in resource abundance. Radar is a powerful tool to observe and track migratory flights. In this action I will use the existing European network of weather radars to investigate bird migration behaviour and patterns at the continental-scale in relation to topography, weather and insect migration. A unique aspect of this action is that I will have access not only to bird migration data from weather radars, but also to complementary data from small-scale dedicated biological radars (units specifically designed to monitor bird and insect migration), as well as bird ringing and monitoring data from several key locations (migration hotspots). Weather radars will provide data on bird migration patterns at the continental-scale (along the “Western European Flyway”); the small-scale biological radars will provide more detailed information on insect and bird migration patterns at specific sites; and the ringing and monitoring data will provide species composition at specific points along the flyway. Together this will give us a unique overview of the flux and behaviour of migratory animals across Europe, something that has never before been possible. The objectives of the work packages in this action will be: WP 1: To describe the flux of bird migration in relation to weather and topography across the western fly-way in Europe, and relate this to insect migration at specific sites and monitoring data along the fly-way. WP 2: To investigate flight behaviour of bird and insect migrants in relation to winds at both a continental and local scale, testing theoretical predictions of how migrants should use winds optimally. WP 3: To investigate the nightly duration of bird migration across latitudes and the seasonal progression of migration.

Mots clés : bird migration, insect migration, radar, flight behaviour, wind drift

Participants :
- University of Exeter (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet DUST.ES (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Mineral dust emission is ubiquitous in arid and semi-arid areas, representing a serious hazard for health, environment, and economy in many countries, in particular some of the least developed. Dust is a dominant contributor to the global aerosol load and plays a significant role in different aspects of climate and atmospheric chemistry. A key uncertainty in estimating present-day dust emissions is the contribution of human activities such as cultivation and grazing that disturb the soil. Recent research allowed representing natural and anthropogenic dust sources in global models based on high-resolution satellite data and land use maps. However, the accurate quantification of dust emissions and their attribution to natural and anthropogenic origin is currently hampered by deficiencies in dust emission modelling. Deficiencies include an incomplete representation of the physics of dust emission and a lack of skill to model certain atmospheric processes driving dust emission. DUST.ES will constrain present-day global dust emissions for both source types (natural/anthropogenic) taking into account (1) aerodynamic entrainment, a potentially important, yet previously neglected dust emission mechanism; and (2) moist convective dust storms (haboobs), intense dust events, which are unrepresented in global models, but have a big impact on society. DUST.ES will estimate the regional and global relative significance of dust emissions caused by different dust emission mechanisms, meteorological dust injection processes, and source type. Results of DUST.ES will be a cornerstone to the longer-term goal of quantifying the effects of anthropogenic dust sources in the present and future climate. The beneficiary (BSC) hosts the WMO Dust Storm Prediction Regional Center for North Africa, Middle East and Europe, ensuring that the results have an immediate and sizeable benefit in several areas of public and private sectors across Europe and beyond.

Mots clés : dust emission, haboobs, dust sources, dust modelling, global modelling

Participants :
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet MINSOC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2018)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Minority civil society, inter-ethnic peace and sustainable democracy Ethnic minorities make up a significant part of societies around the world, and contemporary migration patterns indicate that ethnic diversity is increasing globally. Meanwhile, state-driven majoritarian nationalism has strengthened in many regions of the world, including new and long-established democracies. In recent years, an increasing number of governments have used majoritarian nationalism to regain or construct legitimacy, following a familiar script: blaming internal and external "others" for economic and social issues. Comparative evidence reveals that members of ethnic, racial, or religious minorities are more likely than majority members to become alienated from democratic institutions. There is an urgent need for the scholarly community to find useful answers to the question of how democracy and inter-ethnic peace can be maintained under such conditions. There is a rich body of scholarship about governmental strategies and policies aimed at achieving minority integration. There is, however, a dearth of comparative research on the role of social institutions, and particularly on the role of minority social institutions, in shaping state-minority relations, despite broad consensus on the significance of social institutions (such as churches, schools, cultural associations, etc.) in ethno-cultural boundary-making. This research begins to fill that gap by creating a comparative index of minority civil society institutions that minority populations use for ethnic boundary-making, based on the patterns observable among ten minority populations in post-communist Europe. The research will also identify those combinations of minority civil society institutions that are most likely to provide resources for democratic (vs. violent) forms of minority contestation and sustainable inter-ethnic peace, and it will assess the impact of external support on the development of minority civil society.

Mots clés : minority institutions, inter ethnic relations, civil society institutions

Participants :
- University of Graz (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 186167.04 €
Projet PPRdesign (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Mitochondria and chloroplasts are essential organelles that carry out the fundamental cellular process of respiration and photosynthesis, respectively. Organelles possess their own genomes that are physically separated from the nuclear genes, and mutations in their genome lead to serious consequences on organismal homeostasis and viability e.g. flower sterility in plants and mitochondrial myopathies in humans. However, contrary to the nucleus, methods for the genetic engineering of organellar genomes in multicellular organisms are either lacking or too laborious to be widely applied. Thus, there is a need for the development of such tools. To address this issue, I will exploit nature’s design and engineer the largest protein family of organelle gene regulators found in eukaryotes, the pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) family. PPR proteins are nuclear encoded RNA-binding proteins that function in the posttranscriptional regulation of organellar gene expression. The PPR RNA-binding domain is composed of multiple repeats of 35 amino acid long stretches. Each repeat recognizes a single base in the target RNA sequence whose identity is defined by a code involving 2 amino acids in each repeat and we can now design artificial PPR repeat proteins with programmable RNA binding specificity. The PPRdesign project will establish new methods for the site-specific control of organellar genes in the Arabidopsis model plant by targeting customized synthetic PPR repeats to specific RNA sites in chloroplasts and mitochondria.

Mots clés : protein engineering, rna binding proteins, pentatricopeptide repeat, plant mitochondria, chloroplasts, gene expression

Participants :
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 185076.0 €
Projet ADVANTA (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Mobile multiservice communication devices are constantly used in people’s daily life with ever increasing demand for cost effective, multiband and smaller antennas. The planned research is dedicated to development of a theoretical basis and a design approach for a new generation of miniature multifrequency antennas enabling up to ten various services at 0.8GHz to 10GHz simultaneously. This multiresonance antenna platform will be realized with the aid of subwavelength multiresonator structures where the individual resonators represent unit cells of the specially designed metamaterials (MTMs). The project has a pronounced interdisciplinary nature by merging antenna theory, material science, advanced modelling and design for manufacturability as well as measurements. Two new applied theoretical frameworks will be developed for (i) scaling subwavelength resonances and (ii) connection of characteristics of radiation and MTM cells. They will be utilized for design of miniature multifrequency antenna systems with up to tenfold difference between operation frequencies. Proof of concept will be done for monopole/dipole type antennas and then transferred to patch antennas. Thus, a route to a new generation of multifrequency antenna systems will be found, creating a practical development framework for the demanded innovation in multifunctional communication systems. The mobility will give the researcher an opportunity to acquire new knowledge in applied antenna design and assessment. With his recognized theoretical background and proficiency in novel materials applied for antennas, the career development towards a leading position inside or outside academia will be fulfilled. An extensive mutual transfer of knowledge will be beneficial for both the researcher and the host institute. The project will inspire novel utility mobile and wearable devices, which will improve the overall quality of life and enhance competitiveness of the EU industry.

Mots clés : multifrequency antenna, multiple services, metamaterial, miniature antenna, transformation optics, subwavelength resonances, polarization, band dependent characteristics

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 172800.0 €