Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet MAGWIRE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

In the MAGWIRE project, we will explore the fundamental mechanisms, optimize the performance and upscale the synthetic protocol for the next generation of sustainable high-performance nanocomposite permanent magnets. The project will combine and exploit the key individual expertises of Dr. Matilde Saura Muzquiz (experienced researcher) in the synthesis and structural/magnetic characterization of nanostructured ferrite magnets, and of Prof. Lucas Perez (project supervisor) in the field of nanomagnetism and nanowires synthesis/characterization. The research will build on considerable recent improvements in the performance of strontium hexaferrite magnets achieved through crystal engineering (Ca and Al-doping) and bottom-up nanostructuring (size and morphology control), as well as on promising preliminary results for hexaferrite-nanowire magnetic composites. In MAGWIRE we will develop a novel high-performance exchange-spring nanocomposite magnetic material based on a synergistic nanoscale combination of high-coercivity platelet-shaped Sr1-xCaxFe12-yAlyO19 nanoparticles and high-magnetization FexCo1-x nanowires. The anisotropic shape (plates and wires) of the constituent nanoscale components will drive an inherent self-induced alignment, which will further improve performance. In addition, we will establish scalable synthesis routes based on a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms in play, that will be elucidated by in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering investigations of the nanoplatelet and nanowire formation.

Mots clés : nanoplatelets, nanowires, magnetism, ferrites, in situ x ray scattering

Participants :
- Université de Lund (Suède) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Université complutense de Madrid (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 181152.96 €
Projet LiftMeUp (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Robots bear the potential to help solve the world’s pressing problems by enabling and scaling up operations beyond human capacities. To successfully manipulate objects and perform reliable locomotion, robots require adequate models and solvers. Traditionally, physics-based models and iterative solvers are used, and obtaining reliable solutions requires significant effort in model tuning and heuristics for good convergence. LiftMeUp’s objective is to combine data-driven modeling with globally optimal solvers in a unique way to create an easy-to-use framework for the life-long operation of robots in challenging tasks. The result is a transparent, sample-efficient alternative to the less interpretable and resource-hungry deep-learning solutions for robotics. Furthermore, LiftMeUp builds on providing certifiably optimal methods with important consequences for safety and efficiency, as opposed to deep learning and local solvers, where different initializations can lead to entirely different solutions. LiftMeUp is carried out at WILLOW, Inria Paris, known for cutting-edge control and locomotion research, and has three stages: first, combining concepts from Koopman theory, polynomial optimization, and kernel methods, lifting functions are inferred from data and integrated into globally optimal methods for state estimation and control. Second, different models are optimally combined, leading to a modular framework that can be incrementally updated online. Lastly, these novel algorithms are implemented on hardware to solve real-world locomotion and dexterous manipulation tasks. This framework will have an important scientific impact by creating novel connections between global optimization and machine learning, enabling the use of principled over heuristic solvers in a broad range of applications in robotics and beyond. It will entail energy and time savings for the economy and using sample-efficient and transparent models will democratize technology and build trust.

Mots clés : globally optimal solvers, koopman methods

Participants :
- Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 226420.56 €
Projet ExTRAORDiNary (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Differentiable robot dynamics simulation is a crucial enabler of advanced robot control. It is at the heart of both model predictive control (MPC) and learning-based approaches (e.g. reinforcement learning [RL]), which are among the most successful and actively researched robot control algorithms. Increased usage of the computationally demanding MPC/RL controllers has led to a growing need for efficient dynamics simulators. However, existing simulators internally use inefficient high-complexity (worst-case cubic) constrained dynamics algorithms (CDA) and are often inefficiently implemented leading to a slowdown of several factors compared to a fast simulator like Pinocchio.  Addressing these concerns, we will accelerate the differentiable simulation through three complementary strategies. We will 1) leverage low-complexity CDAs, 2) use Pinocchio's proven efficient software design patterns and explore further acceleration via code generation computations, and 3) derive efficient algorithms for differentiating through contact simulation.  Furthermore, our simulator will solve the nonlinear complementarity problem of frictional contact without making physics-compromising relaxations like existing simulators and will be publicly available as part of the widely used open-source Pinocchio library. By adding key enhancements to Pinocchio, we will make it a viable alternative to the inefficient, but feature-rich software simulators. The visibility, impact and usability of our simulator will be enhanced by addressing some low-hanging fruits in MPC, RL and physics identification applications.  This project’s contributions will not only pave the way towards fast whole-body controllers and faster and more sustainable RL training (important a time surge of RL research activity), but will also impact adjacent fields like bio-mechanics and computer graphics in the long term

Mots clés : efficient algorithms, rigid body dynamics, contact dynamics, robot dynamics, model predictive control, reinforcement learning, open source software

Participants :
- Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 226420.56 €
Projet DEBREM (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

The overall research objective of this proposal is to assess the impact of breathing on inhibitory processes acting during sleep, which mediate memory consolidation by synaptic downscaling (i.e. attenuation of certain unnecessary neuronal connections) helping the stabilization of memories. For this purpose, I will collect and analyze data from scalp and intracranial electroencephalography (EEG/iEEG) in combination with respiratory recordings in healthy participants and patients with epilepsy respectively during a memory task and subsequent sleep. The project is expected to have a major impact in the field of cognitive neurosciences as it will elucidate the mechanisms mediating memory consolidation and its links to respiratory patterns, potentially paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies for better learning and management of cognitive impairment in patients with sleep-breathing disorders such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The project is pertinent to EU priorities outlined in the Horizon Europe program, specifically those emphasizing the promotion of citizens' health and well-being (cluster 2). The new scientific skills in advanced electrophysiological analysis, human respiratory pattern monitoring, and intracranial EEG recordings acquired through the two years of training at the Department of Psychology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Schreiner will allow me to foster my academic profile. Being an expert in electrophysiological analysis, respiratory pattern monitoring, and memory consolidation, this training will significantly bolster my prospects for a successful and enduring career in academia. My ambition is to become an independent research group leader in the field of Sleep and Cognitive Neurosciences in Europe.

Mots clés : respiration, sleep, rem sleep, memory consolidation, synaptic downscaling, eeg, ieeg, 

Participants :
- Université Louis-et-Maximilien de Munich (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 189687.36 €
Projet CRAHL (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2021)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Of all the traits that define humans, bipedal locomotion likely evolved first. How and why bipedalism evolved in the fossil human (hominin) lineage are fundamental questions in palaeoanthropology. An underexplored dimension of “how” bipedalism evolved is its growth and development (ontogeny). Humans locomotion develops much slower than those of other apes. Modern humans are also fully terrestrial, while the other African apes transition from predominantly arboreal locomotion using their upper limbs as juveniles to predominantly terrestrial knuckle-walking as adults. The importance of arboreal locomotion throughout hominin evolution has remained debated since the 1980s. However, since all extant apes are most arboreal as juveniles, the answers to this debate are most likely found in juvenile hominins.We know little about hominin locomotor ontogeny and the behaviour of juveniles due to (1) a lack of fossils and (2) limited tools for behavioural reconstruction. CRAHL applies recent methodological advances to both well-studied and newly discovered fossils to overcome these limitations, and will be the first to investigate the evolutionary pattern of hominin locomotor development. Bones can dynamically adapt to changes in loading direction, magnitude, and frequency by altering the structure of trabecular bone, the 3D mesh-like structure found underneath joint surfaces. Trabecular structure can therefore provide a functional record of developmental variation in loading conditions as animals learn to locomote. By using state-of-the-art methods for analysing age-related changes in trabecular bone structure throughout the skeleton, CRAHL will reconstruct how quickly hominins learned to locomote and the variety of postures they assumed, including arboreal versus terrestrial locomotion. By combining state-of-the-art methods new fossil discoveries, CRAHL sheds new light on the evolution of two defining human traits: slow development and fully terrestrial bipedalism.

Mots clés : human evolution, locomotion, ontogeny, bone functional adaptation

Participants :
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 203464.32 €
Projet TIME2EMERGE (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Economic Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

European society must urgently transition from fossil dependency to a self-sustained economy, with emerging sustainable technologies as a key foundation. However, many of these technologies are still in development, making investment timing uncertain. Current sustainability assessments treat emerging technologies as if they are ready for commercialization, despite their future implementation. This misalignment leads to uncertain and potentially inaccurate sustainability evaluations, risking misguided investments. Given the urgency of this transition, society has neither the time nor the resources to afford such failures. Hence, within my project ‘TIME2EMERGE’, I will develop an innovative techno-sustainability assessment framework to prospectively evaluate the strategic sustainable investment timing in emerging technologies that will be defined by the expected future technological readiness, economic feasibility, and environmental soundness at the commercialisation point of time. This approach will initiate a paradigm shift moving away from a present-based "What is the sustainability of the emerging technology?" towards a future-based approach "When is sustainability achieved?" My expertise in prospective sustainability assessment, Prof. Tony Kiss's specialization in dynamic process systems engineering, and access to the emerging technology ‘electrochemical CO2 reduction’ at TU-Delft will support the development of this innovative framework. This project will drive a crucial shift toward prospective techno-sustainability, enhancing the precision and predictability of evaluations across disciplines. It will prevent false investments and guide R&D efforts, accelerating the development of technologies that reduce environmental impact while fostering sustainable economic growth and job creation. Additionally, the project will deepen my expertise, positioning me as a key link between academia and industry, and strengthening my path toward an independent academic career.

Mots clés : strategic and sustainable investment timing

Participants :
- Université de technologie de Delft (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 217076.16 €
- Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Pays-Bas) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes publics (hors enseignement & recherche), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet EpiAAVTherapy (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder in children, characterized by motor neuron loss and atrophy of muscle. However, SMA affects many organ systems, since the causal gene, SMN1, is expressed in all cells. Recently, an AAV9-mediated gene therapy, Zolgensma, was approved. However, challenges remain. To be effective, the systemically delivered AAV9- SMN1 needs to mimic the native regulation of the genomic SMN1. In fact, recent findings demonstrated that delivery of AAV-SMN1 under the control of the ubiquitous viral promoter CMV found in Zolgensma eventually caused death of neurons in a mouse model of SMA. To date, there has been no systematic categorization of how treatment with SMN1 is regulated in different tissues through development. Furthermore, little is understood about the chromatin changes that occur during SMA, how gene therapy impacts the long-term stability of patient’s epigenomes, or how the AAV-delivered DNA is epigenetically controlled over time. The goal of the proposed work is to understand how the epigenome reacts to gene therapy, using SMA as a model. To do so I will: i) profile the epigenetic changes during SMA disease progression in mice, before and after gene therapy, ii) evaluate the role of various promoter-enhancer structures in the vector on the epigenetic regulation of AAV-delivered episomal DNA and iii) test if endogenous promoter-enhancer combinations can be used to achieved a better tuning of the delivered gene. The proposed project combines the expertise of Dr. Piera Smeriglio in SMA models, neuromuscular disorders and gene therapy with my expertise in epigenetic profiling, gene regulation, functional genomics, and single-cell technologies. AAV gene therapies are poised to have a huge impact on rare diseases, a key priority of the Horizon Europe programme, making now a critical time to understand their effect on the epigenome and cell regulatory networks to increase the efficacy and safety of their use.

Mots clés : chromatin, neuromuscular pathology, spinal muscular atrophy, smn1

Participants :
- Sorbonne Université (France) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 195914.88 €
Projet POLARIS (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2024)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Fossil evidence from past warm periods reveals that tropical-like forests once extended well beyond the polar circles, creating a biome vastly different from today's Arctic. Due to the absence of modern equivalents, our understanding of the adaptations and structure of these ancient polar forests remains limited and often speculative. POLARIS will investigate a polar forest from Earth's last prolonged extreme greenhouse interval—the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (ca. 53–49 million years ago). The project aims to reconstruct canopy structure, primary productivity and atmospheric CO2 levels in which the plants thrived, using state-of-the-art palaeobotanical and biogeochemical proxies, alongside cutting-edge models. Recent advancements in the field now enable us to address these questions, and our multi-proxy approach ensures verification of results, leading to reliable findings. This research will significantly advance understanding of past polar ecosystems and elucidate the role these forests played in global carbon cycling during extreme hothouse intervals. The findings will provide valuable data that could enhance the predictive power of climate models under various future climate scenarios. The project will be based at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, with two secondments at the Smithsonian Institution and Wesleyan University, USA. This collaboration unites world-leading experts in palaeobotany and proxy development, providing the fellow with world-class training in a variety of research techniques and transferable skills. Additionally, the fellow will benefit from networking opportunities across two continents and hands-on experiences at different institutional types. This diverse exposure will position the fellow to become a future leader in the field.

Mots clés : paleobotany paleobotanical proxies leaf traits biogeochemistry canopy closure atmospheric co2 primary productivity modelling fossil plants

Participants :
- Trinity College (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 252728.64 €
- Wesleyan University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Smithsonian Institution (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet NAKED-C (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2022)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Late-stage functionalization (LSF) is a rapidly expanding field in molecular synthesis with the major goal of quickly accessing to derivatives that would be too challenging or time-consuming to prepare otherwise; hence, this strategy has a great potential to impact drug discovery processes by speeding up the hit-to-lead optimization. At present, more than two-thirds of prescription drugs contain at least one chiral center. However, the late-stage introduction of this structural motif using aromatic C–H bonds is an enduring challenge in synthesis. The goal of the NAKED-C project is to develop a new methodology for the construction of chiral centers in drug molecules, relying on the design and synthesis of a novel class of atomic carbon precursors that, upon successive and appropriate activations, would allow to build tailored asymmetric carbons. To achieve this goal, a new visible-light photoredox catalytic diazomethylation of aromatic C–H bonds will be developed. The collaboration with an industrial partner (secondment at AiCuris) will allow the application of this novel strategy to drug discovery in the search of effective antibiotics, thus merging multidisciplinary aspects with intersectoral knowledge transfer. The result will be a brand-new ‘assembly point’ for the construction of chiral centers in bioactive compounds, with the potential to become a late-stage diversity-generating synthetic platform for drug discovery programs. The proposal merges the host expertise in novel C−H functionalization strategies based on photocatalysis, and the researcher’s background in classical radical chemistry, metal-mediated synthesis and pharmacology, ensuring the two-way transfer of knowledge between the fellow and the host group. Successful development of NAKED-C will enhance the scientific and transferable skills of the researcher, while forthcoming to the fellow’s professional goal of pursuing an independent research career in academia in synthetic organic chemistry.

Mots clés : photoredox catalysis, radical species, late stage c h functionalization

Participants :
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 181152.96 €
- AiCuris (Germany) (Allemagne) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €
Projet Metaspectrometer (Horizon Europe, appel à projets 2023)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Speckle patterns are distinct features of disordered materials. While often regarded as mere noise, the intricate and responsive speckle patterns to minor fluctuations in external factors render them an ideal candidate for applications in hyperspectral imaging and sensing. The MetaSpectrometer harnesses the high information capacity of the speckle pattern of resonant disordered metasurfaces for compact, machine learning-assisted, non-invasive, and efficient near-infrared spectroscopy. An ultra-compact footprint, portability, cost-efficiency, minimal losses, machine-learning assisted recognition, angle-insensitivity, suppressed specular scatterance, significant memory effect, and ability to accommodate low coherence fields are the main features that cannot be currently obtained with any technology proposed so far and would represent a huge step forward in the state of the art. MetaSpectrometer brings together the complementary expertise of the postdoctoral researcher (PR) in metasurface engineering; the incoming host (CNRS-C2N, France) in silicon photonics, optoelectronics and nanofabrication; the associated the outgoing host (MIT, USA) in spectroscopy and machine learning, the secondment host (Rice, USA) in lensless imaging and the industrial partner (ZEISS, Germany) in spectroscopy and market analysis. The project allows PR to acquire expertise in silicon photonics technology's design, fabrication, characterization, and commercialization while giving back his expertise in metasurface design. The developed NIR spectrometers will find direct potential applications in wearable health monitoring systems, food screening, agriculture, and environmental screening that a remarkable global market size. The distribution of the work packages with distinct and clearly defined milestones and deliverables makes sure that the progress of the project will be monitored and matched with the work plan.

Mots clés : metasurface, spectrometer, disorder, metamaterial, integrated photonics, silicon photonics

Participants :
- Université Rice (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Centre national de la recherche scientifique (France) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 353380.32 €
- Institut de technologie du Massachusetts (Etats-Unis) — Partner, associated partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Carl Zeiss (Germany) (Allemagne) — Partner, associated partner, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 0.0 €