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

The global C emissions trading system currently focuses on reducing deforestation and forest degradation. Under the UN-REDD+ program, donor countries can compensate for some of their C emissions by implementing projects that will reduce C emissions by a known amount in developing countries. Operationally, only C emissions due to deforestation are being estimated in REDD+ projects due to the lack of definition of forest degradation and of thresholds for distinguishing between forest degradation and disturbance due to sustainable forest management practices. No worldwide estimates of the extent of forest degradation have yet been made, and large amounts of C emissions may occur in some degraded areas still being classified as forests. The overall scientific objective of this proposal is to produce an operational definition of forest degradation in the context of REDD+ projects. A new approach that considers a single reference condition (but dependent on site conditions) for assessing the occurrence and extent of forest degradation will be developed. The Researcher has experience in forest inventory and REDD+; however, advanced biometric modelling techniques are needed to accomplish the research objectives. The Supervisor is an internationally recognised expert in this field, and the Host institution (University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain) has a long tradition in hosting researchers and in international collaboration. The candidate will broaden his capacities in complementary skills through a customized Personal Development Career Plan, which will enhance his future career as an independent researcher. The Researcher will carry out a three-month research stay at the Forestry Division of FAO (Rome), which is an end-user of the expected results. The candidate will have access to worldwide forest inventory data from the FAO, and will also gain benefit from the organization’s expertise in operational implementation of worldwide forest monitoring studies.

Mots clés : redd, forest monitoring, forest inventory, modelling, biometry, silviculture

Participants :
- University of Santiago de Compostela (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet FLASH (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Economic Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The global financial crisis and slow ensuing recovery have put severe strains on the fiscal positions of many OECD countries, raising serious concerns about fiscal sustainability, especially in the Euro Area. The challenge facing these countries is how to bring debt down to safer levels in the face of a weak recovery. Several EU governments undertook large fiscal consolidations plans that involved a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes, aiming at sustainably reducing public deficits and debt. Although the effects of fiscal consolidation on output and unemployment have been extensively investigated, existing studies have focused on aggregate level data and have failed to consider the heterogeneous effects that fiscal consolidation might have on the economic performance of the business sector. This omission, due in large part to the scarcity of firm-level data capturing how firm’s assets and liabilities are affected by fiscal consolidation, restricts our knowledge about how fiscal adjustments impacts economic performance. Making use of yet unexplored detailed firm level data and a range of econometric methods, FLASH will provide novel and robust empirical evidence on the causal impact of fiscal consolidation on the real and financial activities of different sized firms. Specifically, FLASH will pursue the following research objectives to explore the heterogeneous effects of fiscal consolidation on firms' balance sheets: Examine the causal effect of fiscal consolidation on firms' performance; Examine if the composition of fiscal consolidation (spending versus taxes-based) matters for firms; Examine how differently do small and large firms respond to fiscal consolidation; Examine if the effects of fiscal consolidation on real (Investment, Sales and Employment) and financial (Debt, Cash-holding, Dividend and Equity) activities are heterogeneous across firms; Create a network and disseminate results to a broader audience.

Mots clés : fiscal consolidation, firm heterogeneity, firm level data

Participants :
- University of York (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet INSTITUTIONS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The global financial crisis of 2007-2008 that was followed by The Great Recession and European sovereign debt crisis caused the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression in 1930s. In Europe, the economic crisis developed into a serious political challenge to the (economic) institutions of monetary union and the existing institutional framework of the European Union as well. The future of the institutional framework of the EU will vastly depend upon a comprehensive theoretical and interdisciplinary assessment. Although academic study of the subject of (social) institutions is on the rise in ethics, sociology and politics, it remains unjustifiably underdeveloped in economics. The proposed study investigates the possibility of devising a critical theory of institutions in general, and of economic institutions in particular. It expounds critical contributions to the understanding of economic institutions from a variety of disciplinary fields and it contributes to the establishment of a multidisciplinary account of social validity, economic function, ethical normativity, and political foundation. Additionally, it would represent a landmark study in critical theories of economic institutions – filling a definite gap in the literature, offering a first dedicated and exclusive delineation of a critical theory of economic institutions. Finally, it would act as an instructive case study, offering an indispensable resource for scholars of economic institutions, and provide a robust analytical framework for the assessment of raison d’etre of institutions and institutional reform. With an eye to project's overall success, the study will be conducted at an academic environment of leading experts on critique of political economy and critical theory. Hence, it will endow the fellow with ground-breaking expertise in agenda-setting and action-oriented research, strengthen the academic and interdisciplinary prowess and open the path to independent and further research.

Mots clés : contemporary french philosophy, critical theory, critique of political economy, frankfurt school, alain badiou, cornelius castoriadis, theodor adorno, institutional economics, thorstein veblen

Participants :
- University of York (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 224933.76 €
Projet CO2Polymerisation (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The global production of polyethylene is over 100 million tones annually. Carbon dioxide is a major cause of global warming but at the same time, it is also an abundant feedstock for hydrocarbon energy fuels. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 into valuable chemical feedstocks such as polyethylene is a highly enticing challenge for simultaneous settling of energy and environmental issues. Currently, CO2 conversion to polyethylene occurs through an indirect two-step process including CO2 catalytic conversions to ethylene (CO2 hydrogenation) and ethylene to polyethylene (ethylene polymerization) using two different catalysts, separately. The novelty of my research is constructing a bifunctional catalyst for CO2 direct conversion to polyethylene through a cascade of electro-reduction–polymerization catalysis in the presence of water. So far, a catalyst that sequentially transforms CO2 into polyethylene has not yet been presented. Manifold catalysts have been demonstrated as potential candidates for CO2 polymerization to polyethylene. The state-of-the-art catalysts as constituents of the proposed bifunctional catalyst would be Copper and Palladium. Cu is responsible for binding *CO intermediates and converting them into C2H4 and Pd is highlighted for ethylene polymerization after Ziegler-type and metallocene-type catalysts. Using computational software packages, I will develop a multiscale and multiphysics model of direct CO2 electrochemical reduction to polyethylene over Cu-Pd bifunctional catalyst to predict the intermediates and products. To achieve this goal, I will carry out a quantum chemical analysis of the reaction pathway, a microkinetic model of the reaction dynamics, and a continuum model for mass transport of all species through the electrolyte. In parallel, computational achievements will be executed experimentally to produce a creative bifunctional catalyst from merging two different catalysts for the CO2 cascade transformation to polyethylene directly.

Mots clés : carbon dioxide, polyethylene, electrochemical reduction, bifunctional catalyst, polymerization, continuum model, density functional theory, reaction mechanism, microkinetic model, multiscale modeling

Participants :
- National Institute of Chemistry (Slovénie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 162040.32 €
Projet PosEnt (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Economic Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The goal of Positive Entrepreneurship (PosEnt) is to train a talented researcher through a research project focused on a novel application of positive psychology in the field of entrepreneurship. The project will investigate signature strengths, positive emotions, thriving, resilience and eudaimonic well-being (WB) of entrepreneurs and their families. This multidisciplinary project will help to open a new direction of Positive Entrepreneurship research and will have an impact on science and business practice in Europe. To date the WB of entrepreneurs and their families has received only limited attention and research is: (1) rather static, (2) focused on entrepreneur-employee comparisons, (3) informed by relatively ‘old theories’ about drivers of WB of employees, (4) focused on subjective WB. What is missing is a more interactive/collective, process-oriented view that considers processes related to eudaimonic WB and thriving. The fellow – Dr. Przemysław Zbierowski, will be trained in a number of skills (concerning research, publication, dissemination and transfer of knowledge) that have been identified by him as insufficiently developed to advance his career and to achieve (1) maturity which will be reflected in professorship in home country and (2) potential to lead research teams across Europe. At the host institution – Aston University and during the secondments, the applicant will have access to unique training experience, outstanding researchers, including the supervisor – Prof. Ute Stephan, with diverse backgrounds from psychology, economics, and geography to entrepreneurship. The PosEnt output will be relevant for European science base and economic and social life. The outputs will contribute to the enhancement of EU scientific excellence by opening the innovative direction of Positive Entrepreneurship. Outputs will be practice-relevant: encouraging entrepreneurship, facilitating growth of SMEs, and enhancing welfare of entrepreneurs and their families.

Mots clés : entrepreneurship, positive psychology, character, singature strength, well being, family well being, eudaimonia, thriving, resilience, positive emotions

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

The goal of REALSEI is to visualize for the first time in real-time the Solid Electrolyte Interphase formation at the hard-carbon (HC) anode in a Na-ion battery (NIB). Local electrochemical processes occurring at the solid-liquid interface of Na-ion batteries are currently largely unexplored. To keep global warming around 2.7°C by 2100, the installed global grid energy storage capacity needs to be tripled by 2050. A technological breakthrough is required to meet this challenge: we need a low cost and sustainable alternative to Li-ion batteries. Thanks to recent advances, the so-called ‘beyond-lithium’ batteries (BLB) such as K+ and Na+ based systems could be an everyday reality. Bio-waste mesoporous hard carbon (BHC) is one of the most promising anode materials as a universal ion host for BLBs. The use of BHC as a low-cost and recycled solution in BLBs might provide the breakthrough required and give rise to the next generation of batteries. However, uncontrolled SEI formation limits the large-scale application of BHC in BLBs, in particular for Na-ion batteries (NIBs), the most mature and promising. For NIBs, the SEI is still an unresolved issue that limits its long-term stability. REALSEI wants to establish a comprehensive operando time- and space- resolved characterization methodology to transit from bulk (transmission mode) to surface analytical characterization (grazing incidence mode) based on lab and synchrotron high-resolution X-ray techniques which will results for the first time in a comprehensive visualization and quantification of the species forming the SEI in real-time on HC. REALSEI will apply principles of physics and electrochemistry and its results will have substantial scientific, technological, and societal impact.

Mots clés : sodium ion batteries, solid elecrtrolyte iterphase, operando surface characterization, polarized x ray emission spectroscopy, bulk, surface influence

Participants :
- Sapienza University of Rome (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183473.28 €
Projet LIMORD (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Mathematics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The goal of my project is to propose a novel statistical tool allowing patient classification, earlier relapse detection and better prognosis estimation in order to move forward into personalized medicine in Multiple Myeloma. To this aim, I will develop new statistical models and computational schemes to incorporate large follow-up omics datasets in a decision framework. As a statistician coming from theoretical mathematics, this project will provide me a unique opportunity to acquire new knowledge in biology and new supervision skills in order to translate theoretical mathematical results into real added value in the way we treat patients. The first challenge I will address is the development of statistical methods based on Variational Auto-Encoders to integrate multiple omics data-type at multiple time-points. My model will have to be flexible enough to allow for missing data (for instance a full omic dataset missing at a given time point due to experiment failure) and to accommodate for data acquired in an online manner. The second challenge I will address is the development of quality metrics and analysis methods for direct RNA sequencing data from patient samples. The third challenge I will address concerns the numerical inference difficulties of Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes when the dimension of the data increases. Approximation strategies will be investigated to make use of the high-dimensional, heterogeneous biological data in a relapse detection framework. Finally, I will develop a software package incorporating our results intended to help clinicians take the optimal decision when treating their patients. An important aspect of my project is to integrate it both to a biological laboratory in Australia and a mathematical group in France, together with a collaboration with clinicians in a French hospital, hence I will carry out the entire process of designing the statistical tool and its software package for a concrete use in the clinic.

Mots clés : machine learning, markov decision processes

Participants :
- Australian National University (Australie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 125645.28 €
Projet EARLYRIDERS (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The goal of the EARLYRIDERS project is to identify the geographic and temporal locus of modern horse domestication. It also focuses on the interplay between domestication and the increase of pathogen load in horses, and the role of epizootic transfer of human pathogens, especially plague. Horse domestication represents a turning point in human history, revolutionizing transport, trade, warfare, agriculture, and allowing humans to form larger, interconnected societies. Despite its importance for human history, this process remains poorly understood. Recent genome sequencing shows that the earliest archaeological remains of domestic horses are not the ancestors of modern domestic horses and that another, still unknown, wave of domestication forged the modern horse during the Early Bronze Age. Horse riding also allowed a rapid spread of diseases. For instance, the plague, that regularly haunted human populations in history, has been already commonly found in human remains dating to the Early Bronze Age. As the gene essential for the transmission through fleas was absent in these ancient strains, the plague might have been transmitted through other, still unknown vectors. This represents a serious gap in understanding of the early epidemiology of this important disease. As the spread of plague appears to be concurrent to horse domestication, the question remains whether the horse accounted for its spread, either as a vector or passively, by contagious riders. We aim at identifying the source of the second domestication wave and pathogen load in ancient horse populations by sequencing 300+ samples originating from all potential centers of domestication. Full genome sequencing is not possible due to low endogenous DNA content, therefore the samples will be subjected to sequence enrichment techniques, including the novel hyRAD method developed by the experienced researcher, scalable to thousands of loci in hundreds of samples at moderate cost.

Mots clés : ancient dna, horse domestication, horse genomics, next generation sequencing, phylogenomics, plague origin, zoonoses

Participants :
- Université de Toulouse (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173076.0 €
Projet SingMet (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The goal of the project is the development of new contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on the concepts of hyperpolarization and singlet state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Hyperpolarization boosts the detectable NMR signal of the contrast agents by up to 4 orders magnitude and the generation of singlet states conserves the enhanced polarization for a long time, while not giving a directly detectable signal. The NMR signal can subsequently be obtained by chemically breaking the molecular symmetry or by applying radiofrequency pulses. This technique therefore allows for the detection of a NMR signal after minutes instead of seconds compared to state-of-the-art metabolic tracers. A combination of these techniques leads to a nanomolar detection limit of the tracers, which is a remarkable sensitivity for MRI. The chemical transformation which triggers the generation of a hyperpolarized NMR signal may be due to enzymes which are diagnostic of cancer cells. The project leads towards new agents for the in vivo detection and imaging of cancer without the use of ionizing radiation or contrast agents containing dangerous heavy metals. Overall it is planned to develop molecules with nanomolar detection limits upon hyperpolarization, that maintain their traceability for minutes and undergo chemical transformation induced by enzymes, which can be tracked utilizing MRI.

Mots clés : dynamic nuclear polarization, singlet states, hyperpolarization, metabolites

Participants :
- University of Southampton (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet BESMART (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The goal of the project is to develop energy-efficient and scalable designs for distributed mobile networks operated by renewable energy sources, and with very limited signaling overhead and computational complexity. The project will design wireless networks, composed by smart nodes, which are able to perform the following tasks: 1) Self-configure, autonomously allocating their own physical layer radio resources through energy-efficient, feedback-aware, and complexity-aware radio resource allocation. 2) Self-sustain by harvesting energy from renewable and intermittent energy sources, such as solar and wind, as well as from dedicated radio frequency signals present over the air. 3) Sharing or trading energy with other network nodes in order to prolong the lifetime of nodes which are low on battery and to obtain a more fair energy distribution across the whole network. The long-term vision of the project is to kick-start a paradigm shift from core-centric, throughput-optimized networks, towards device-centric, energy-optimized networks. The development of autonomous, energy-independent, and self-organizing wireless networks will enable: a) 100% coverage in urban environments in a power efficient manner; b) network coverage in remote/developing areas where currently it is commercially unattractive to do so. These advancements will make the vision of a connected society sustainable, almost zeroing the operational expenses related to power and hence revolutionizing the business models for ICT by radically reducing energy costs. This will also facilitate the rise of new markets and applications in remote areas, which contributes to closing the digital divide between densely populated and scarcely populated or rural areas.

Mots clés : energy efficiency, 5g networks, stochastic networks, green network design

Participants :
- CentraleSupélec (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 173076.0 €