Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet SpentBatt4e-GAS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

To ensure the green transition, fossil fuels must be substituted, especially in the heavy transport sector. Meanwhile, power-to-gas technology is necessary to enable intermittent renewable energy storage using carbon dioxide (CO2) as feedstock to produce synthetic methane or e-gas. Despite the fact that thermal CO2 methanation is mature enough to be commercialized, designing catalysts that meet industrial requirements is still very challenging. This project mainly aims to develop catalysts from the material recovered from spent batteries. Current treatment methods for recycling cause a downgrade of the critical raw materials and additional CO2 emissions. We will study an innovative way of using the cathodic black mass obtained from the direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as a catalyst for CO2 methanation. Thus, this project will not only support the production of renewable fuels, but also valorize the material reuse of waste batteries. Using the synergy between the already mixed metallic materials, we can achieve an ambitious 80-90% CO2 conversion. As there are different battery chemistries (LCO, NCA, and NMC), we will study their suitability for the methanation process. After that, we will optimize the operation conditions for maximal CO2 conversion and methane selectivity using the Bayesian Optimization Structure Search methodology to enhance efficiency. We will also show the environmental footprint of the recycling process of spent LIBs by directly using cathodic black mass as a catalyst instead of using the hydrotreatment recycling process (using Life cycle assessment (LCA)). The supervisor's expertise in circularity for batteries design and LCA, combined with the researcher’s experience with the CO2 hydrogenation processes and catalyst synthesis, will enable the development of a highly efficient catalyst from spent batteries for e-gas production and promote a circular economy for closing the loop.

Mots clés : li ion batteries, co2 hydrogenation, methane, recycling, renewable energy, catalyst design

Participants :
- Université Aalto (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 242116.8 €
Projet SMIFRE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Spin waves are emerging as a promising medium for information processing. The potential of spintronics in information processing lies in its ability to offer higher speeds and lower power consumption compared to traditional electronic components. Spin waves could accelerate information processing and surpass the limits that transistor-based electronics are approaching. The successful demonstration of a spin-wave logic circuit would validate the feasibility of this technology and pave the way for its wider adoption. However, this technology would require a robust and efficient voltage control mechanism for spin waves which, so far, remains elusive.  A promising new development in the field of magnetism is the voltage control of magnetic properties via ionic gating, an area referred to as magneto-ionics. Control of magnetism through reversible ion migration can be achieved with small voltages. When applied to magnonics, it sparks the possibility of controlling spin waves by voltages in on-chip logic devices, thereby setting the stage for high-frequency, energy-efficient, reconfigurable computing.  Within this project, I will investigate voltage control of spin waves in low-loss yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films and waveguides by employing Li-ion gating in patterned all-solid-state structures. I will demonstrate two unique ionic gates, one that operates like a battery and provides robust spin-wave control for the programming of logic functions, and another that operates as a supercapacitor offering fast phase control for information processing. Upon successfully developing these control components, I will construct a voltage-controlled 2×2 magnonic coupler by integrating the battery-like gate into two proximal YIG waveguides. This coupler will act as a reconfigurable universal logic gate. Finally, I will integrate multiple voltage-programmable magnonic couplers and magneto-ionic phase shifters to create a programmable all-magnonic logic circuit.

Mots clés : magnonics, magneto ionics, spin wave computing

Participants :
- Université Aalto (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 242116.8 €
Projet MedForAct (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

The impact of climate change on forest species is predicted to be dramatic due to the insurgence of adaptive lags between the current genetic make-up of populations and the newly established climatic conditions. The consequent disruption of local adaptation is of concern as plants may not be able to readapt or migrate fast enough, which could inflate genetic erosion, eradication and extinction. Ongoing conservation efforts are currently devoted to the characterization of forest genetic resources, with the aim of maximising adaptive potentials and increasing the chance for forests to tackle future conditions. Here, MedForAct will focus on three iconic pine species native to the Mediterranean basin (Pinus halepensis, P. pinaster and P. pinea) to identify a core set of genes and gene networks that may have fostered their convergent adaptation in the face of compelling ecological challenges and despite million years of independent evolution. To tackle this challenge, the project will use a newly produced genomic dataset composed of c. 800 individuals genotyped at c. 100K SNPs representing both neutral and adaptive variation. Detecting signatures of convergent adaptation could highlight the adaptive potential of these species, with implications for the development of genomic-informed management strategies and setting conservation priorities based on predicted climate change scenarios. Following this, MedForAct envisages using the detected top-ranked candidates to develop a new software for forest management, with the aim of providing forest managers with a practical means of implementing targeted reforestation approaches by monitoring the expected adaptive lag of populations using genomics and future climatic predictions.

Mots clés : adaptive evolution, local adaptation, gene environment associations, forest genetic resources, adaptive potential, conservation genomics, climate change, forest management, mediterranean pines

Participants :
- Conseil national de la recherche (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 172750.08 €
Projet EBOVmembrinteract (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Filoviruses are amongst the most dangerous human pathogens. They pose a great health concern, due to a growing number of emerging species, that vary in tropism and pathogenicity. In my work, I aim at establishing a correlation between filoviruses pathogenicity, the characteristics of their interaction with the cell membrane and their entry and egress potential. In this context, I hypothesize that viral carbohydrates are key in modulating these processes. For this study, I have selected a number of filovirus species, distinct in their pathogenicity for humans. I will use a transcription and replication competent virus like particle system (trVLP) as a BSL-2 virus model, and will produce particles presenting the glycoproteins (GP) from the different filovirus species of interest. GP is the sole glycoprotein found on the virus surface and is crucial for filovirus attachment and entry. Using an interdisciplinary approach combining virology, biophysics and glycobiology, I will first carry out infection assays, to characterize the entry and egress potential of the different particles. I will further investigate the role of two key attachment molecules, heparan sulfate and DC-SIGN in modulating those processes. This will be achieved first on the cellular level, and then on the molecular level, using single molecule force spectroscopy to look at the characteristics of individual ligand-receptor bonds. Extensive glycomic analysis, amongst other via mass spectrometry, will further address the hypothesis that the GPs glycan profile plays a key role in determining the behaviour of the different filoviruses. Taken together, I will provide a comprehensive description of the influence of the different GPs in viral entry and egress, on the molecular, functional, and biological levels. Such insights will without doubt be key to the development of efficient and broad-spectrum antivirals.

Mots clés : filovirus, membrane interaction, entry, egress, glycoprotein, glycosylation, afm

Participants :
- Université d'Umeå (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 206887.68 €
Projet Fish-PARENTHOOD (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Traditional fisheries management assumes population growth is driven by adult abundance and/or fecundity, similar to terrestrial vertebrates. However, marine fish have complex spawner-recruit systems made up of many traits which differ from terrestrial animals and drive species-specific productivity. This includes extreme fecundity, early life dispersal, spawning site selection, and reproductive behavior such as aggregate spawning. The “reproductive resilience paradigm” (RRP) recognizes these differences and evaluates a suite of fixed, behavioral, and varying traits (based on ecological context) to assess a stock’s vulnerability and productivity. The goal of this project is to apply the principles of the RRP to a species that has been monitored over the long term and has well-documented reproductive behaviors and diverging spatial ecology throughout its life cycle. This data will be used to model movements associated with spawning site selection and reproductive timing, which data will then be integrated into an early life dispersal model. Results will be ground-truthed through juvenile abundance indices and genetic parentage analyses. This ecosystem-based approach, based on the RRP, is on the cutting edge of understanding spawner-recruit relationships, and ultimately being able to predict future fishery productivity, crucial components for sustainable fisheries management in the Anthropocene.

Mots clés : reproductive resilience, spawning behaviour, larval transport, parentage analysis, red drum

Participants :
- State University System of Florida (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Conseil supérieur de la recherche scientifique (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 261380.64 €
Projet 6G-TERARIS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

6G-TERARIS is a 24-months research project focusing on the use of sub-terahertz (THz) and THz carrier frequencies in future wireless networks aided by reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs). The project leverages the tool of stochastic geometry to model propagation channels in RIS-empowered wireless communications at the sub-THz and THz frequencies, and to derive system design guidelines. The project aims at deriving closed-form expressions for key performance metrics such as rate and energy efficiency, and use these expressions to develop resource allocation algorithms optimizing such metrics. The resulting system analysis and design methodology will be then applied to innovative network deployments, providing for the first time insights and results on user-centric cell-free massive MIMO systems and on ultra-massive MIMO architectures operating at THz frequencies. During the project, the researcher will learn and adopt tools from optimization theory, statistical signal processing, probability theory, and stochastic geometry to model and optimize THz-based wireless communication systems.  The project will be carried out by the researcher at the University of Cassino and Lazio Meridionale (Italy), under the supervision of Prof. Stefano Buzzi. Furthermore, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Berlin (Germany) will host the researcher for a six-months secondment aimed at experimental validation of the developed channel model and signal processing algorithms. The applying researcher is Dr. Maryam Olyaee, currently a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Malaga (Spain).

Mots clés : 6g wireless communications, terahertz band communications, ultra massive mimo, stochastic geometry, channel modeling, resource allocation, transceiver signal processing

Participants :
- Université de cassino (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 188590.08 €
- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Allemagne) — Partner, associated partner, Recherche, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet MolassAnt (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Oecophylla smaragdina weaver ants are important biocontrol agents of fruit crops in Thailand but their mutualistic association with honeydew-producing insect pests can result in an ineffectual crop protection and cause economic harm to farmers. I will take an innovative, application-oriented, and interdisciplinary approach by disrupting the weaver ant-Hemiptera mutualism in Thailand with sugarcane molasses as honeydew and sugar alternative in mango (Mangifera indica) and eventually improve the yield of mangoes and of queen brood, a socioeconomically valued edible by-product of which its harvesting is compatible with weaver ant biocontrol. Specifically, I will evaluate the impact of molasses and sugar provisioning on 1) weaver ant presence in the trees; 2) abundance of honeydew-producing insect pests; 3) weaver ant tending of honeydew-producing insect pests; 4) abundance of the natural enemies of honeydew-producing insect pests; 5) plant damage by honeydew-producing insect pests; and 6) quantity, nutritional composition, and microbial load of mangoes and queen brood. I will apply the experimental treatments (i) molasses provisioning of weaver ants, (ii) 50% sugar solution provisioning of weaver ants, and (iii) no molasses/sugar provisioning of weaver ants (control), with appropriate replication and sample size during 23 months. KU Leuven and Kasetsart University experts will coach and advise me in relevant insect identification, plant damage symptoms, interpreting analytical results, project management, and will analyse nutrient composition and microbial load of mangoes and queen brood. I will be exposed to a corporate research environment through a secondment at the biocontrol company Biobest. I will promote the project on Twitter and YouTube and organize a field workshop targeted at agricultural researchers.

Mots clés : entomology, biological control, insect pest, multi production systems

Participants :
- Université Kasetsart (Thaïlande) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 238032.96 €
- Biobest group nv (Belgique) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet SMOOTHER (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Transportation electrification and adoption of district heating (DH) are both critical technical approaches toward the European Union's (EU's) carbon neutrality goal in 2050. However, the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) adoption is currently impeded by power supply shortage, where the situation is similar for the DH regarding thermal energy supply. Distributed photovoltaics for EV (PV-EV) charging is a promising solution because they can be deployed at reasonable costs with flexible capacities and locations. However, the inherent mismatch between power generation and charging demand remains unsolved. This project proposes to develop a novel distributed solar-powered multi-energy hub that integrates PV-EV charging stations and DH thermal energy storage for improving renewable self-consumption, alleviating EV-induced grid stress, and enhancing DH energy flexibility. Excess PV power is exported to thermal network via heating device, storing energy in the thermal inertia of the DH network and end-user buildings, and reducing peak heating demand. Development of the multi-energy hub will be achieved through joint efforts of numerical simulation and real-life studies. A comprehensive performance investigation will be conducted for the proposed multi-energy hub to identify its design boundary, based on which a simulation-based design optimization method will be developed. For improving its operating performance, a model-predictive control framework will be established. Finally, a proof-of-concept of the multi-energy hub and the control framework will be achieved through testing on energy planning and design of existing and new areas. With the EV adoptions and renewable penetration facilitated by the multi-energy hub, the research outcomes will effectively contribute to the EU's carbon neutrality target.

Mots clés : district heating, thermal energy storage, distributed photovoltaic, electric vehicle, hybrid model predictive control

Participants :
- Université norvégienne de sciences et de technologie (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 210911.04 €
Projet BCARE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Tourism, recreation, fishing, marine aquaculture, and many other economic activities depend on the diverse marine ecosystems globally. However, a combination of factors such as global warming, ocean acidification, and increment of cyclones in recent years have led to the aggravating degradation of natural reefs, one of the most varied marine ecosystems on Earth. Artificial reefs (AR) are widely used for habitat restoration, ecological development, and coastline protection. Concrete is the most successful AR material, but it generates substantial CO2 emissions, has high contamination, and has low bio-receptivity. Botanical concrete developed by author during PhD study is based on the concept of a circular economy with 100% responsible use of waste materials and its carbon negative and non-toxic characteristics provide exciting potential in building the green infrastructure in ocean. This research aims to enhance the durability, bioreceptivity and versatility of wood-waste-based botanical concrete to create a green route for the design of the new generation of multifunctional eco-friendly AR for coastal protection and coral restoration. Based on nutrition, water quality and settlement substrate test in marine environment (lab-level) the raw materials are selected. Followed by formation design through advanced simulation, Computed Tomography scanning and experiments on durability and mechanical performance, and life cycle assessment, the prototype of AR will be tailored to achieve optimal density for easy installation, high resilience in storms, superior capability for coral larval settlement and biodiversity. The results will revolutionize the way in which ARs are made and boost the efficient use of recycled resources and alleviate climate change by moving into a clean circular blue economy. The project will contribute to the EU’s sustainable blue economy strategies, including decarbonization, circular economy, biodiversity, climate adaptation, and sustainable food.

Mots clés : botanical concrete artificial reef recycled carbon negative toxic free multifunctional eco friendly biodiversity durability optimal design lca ct scan coral restoration

Participants :
- Université norvégienne de sciences et de technologie (Norvège) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 210911.04 €
Projet NEBULAE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Quantum cutting down-conversion materials have emerged as a novel approach to increase solar cell efficiency by reshaping the solar spectrum. Efforts worldwide have focused on Yb-doped lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) due to their highly efficient near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence (PL) that matches the bandgap of the commonly used photovoltaic materials. However, two major challenges limit their commercialization: 1) the high toxicity of lead (Pb), 2) the instability of PNCs against moisture. Therefore, there is a need to develop Yb-doped Pb-free PNCs and embed them in dense structures like glass to increase their chemical stability over time. To this end, the interdisciplinary NEBULAE project aims to develop new fluorophosphate (FP) glass-ceramics (GCs) that contain Yb-doped Pb-free PNCs. It will be the first to report not only Pb-free PNCs in FP glass but also Yb-doped perovskite FP GCs for solar cells. Thus, 1) Yb-doped FP glasses will be synthesized using the melt-quenching method and characterized by a complex of spectroscopic methods to study the composition-property relation. 2) Nucleation and growth will be investigated, and heat treatment will be conducted to obtain transparent GCs with enhanced NIR PL, in which Yb-doped Pb-free PNCs are embedded in the volume of the glass. 3) The GCs will be tested in a solar cell to demonstrate proof-of-concept improvement in cell performance. NEBULAE is based on the PI’s expertise in optics, the supervisor’s in glass science, and the co-supervisor’s in solar cells, ensuring the achievement of the research goals, dissemination, and exploitation of the results. The training/research activities will equip the PI with the skills needed to apply to ERC Starting Grant and/or obtain a tenure track in the EU, which will allow the PI to launch his own research group. NEBULAE contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals and EU Green Deal by reducing the use of toxic elements and promoting clean energy.

Mots clés : glass, glass ceramics, melt quenching, perovskite nanocrystals, ytterbium, optics, photoluminescence, energy transfer, down conversion, solar cell, photovoltaics

Participants :
- Universidade Paulista (Brésil) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université de Tampere (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 199694.4 €
Projet IonoFoldS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

We strongly believe in economic yet effective healthcare options. The wound dressing materials in this regard require significant research. Herein we aim to develop economic yet effective wound healing and tissue regeneration material. The proposed IonoFoldS will consist of ionic liquids and biopolymers made using a microfluidic device. The proposed microfluidic device will be scalable and hence will allow bulk industrial production. The constructed IonoFoldS can work as both tissue regeneration as well as wound healing material.

Mots clés : microfluidics, tissue engineering, ionic liquids, wound healing

Participants :
- Université de Tampere (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 215534.4 €