Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet INAME (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In this project I, Pawan Kumar, a Nucleic Acid Chemist seek to team up with a pioneer in Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Biology (Professor Tom Brown) to carry out a highly interdisciplinary study at the University of Oxford to obtain deeper insights into DNA and RNA synthesis and metabolism in living cells and its application to cancer research. I propose to detect and quantify nucleic acid synthesis in proliferating cells by fluorescence without the requirement for toxic metal ions or antibodies. Earlier known methods such as [3H]thymidine and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labelling are either slow and labour intensive or require the use of harsh conditions. Incorporation of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine into newly synthesized DNA and its subsequent detection with an azide derivative of a fluorescent dye under copper catalyzed alkyne azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction conditions presents a better alternative. However, cytotoxicity of copper salts restricts its use for living cells. I will use the strain promoted alkyne azide cycloaddition reaction, Diels-Alder reaction, and inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction to study cellular DNA and RNA. None of these reactions require the use of toxic metal salts. I will develop the conditions under which both DNA and RNA will be stable, so that it will be possible to isolate intact fluorescent nucleic acids from cells for detailed analysis. I will prepare the modified nucleosides and use them to label newly synthesized DNA and RNA in cells enabling their detection by reaction with fluorophores by using metal free click ligation reactions. The study will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms regulating DNA replication and the interplay between transcription and DNA replication. In the project I will develop techniques to provide information on the toxic effect of antimetabolites used commonly in anti-cancer therapies, and for identifying the mechanisms of viral replication and understanding the viral life cycle.

Mots clés : cell biology, cancer biology, dna and rna biosynthesis, cell proliferation, dna fiber staining, metal free click ligation reactions

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 195454.8 €
Projet RobotSL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In this project, I will develop an imitation learning framework for robot skill learning and optimization, aiming at endowing robots with versatile skills and thus allowing robots to work in broad application domains. This framework will handle various constraints (e.g., robot joint limit, trajectory smoothness, obstacle avoidance) that robots encounter in practice, exploit environmental priors and multi-modal properties underlying human demonstrations, as well as design a low-level optimal controller so as to drive robots to execute human-like motions and resist external perturbations. The project objectives and associated concepts are original and novel. This project will provide the first solution for the problem of imitation learning with various constraints (including linear and non-linear, convex and non-convex constraints) and a novel concept of semi-imitation learning by exploring environmental priors. Moreover, it will provide a solution to multi-modal imitation learning from few demonstrations, which can be readily combined with constrained learning and environmental priors. In addition, from a control perspective, this project will study a new concept of control-inspired imitation learning to mimic both human skills and human reactions under perturbations. This project is challenging in the sense that it involves robotics, imitation learning, probability theory, optimization, semi-supervised learning, clustering techniques and optimal control. I will work closely with Prof. Cohn, who is an expert in knowledge representation and reasoning. This fellowship will sharpen my research skills and extend my research network in Leeds and Europe. Specifically, this fellowship will enable me to dive deeper into the challenging but essential problems in robot imitation learning, which will provide new insights and research topics to the community of robot learning, positioning me as a competitive researcher in the community.

Mots clés : imitation learning, learning from demonstration, physical human robot interaction

Participants :
- University of Leeds (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet Top-Higgs coupling (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In this project, the top Yukawa coupling is measured using proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. The top Yukawa coupling is the strength of the interaction between the Higgs boson and the top quark, which can be predicted in the Standard Model of elementary particles. A deviation of the measured top Yukawa coupling from the Standard Model prediction would be a proof of new phenomena beyond the Standard Model that could provide an answer to several open questions concerning the fundamental interactions of elementary particles. The top Yukawa coupling will be determined from the production rate of the events containing a Higgs boson and a pair of top quarks at the ATLAS experiment. The selection criteria focus on the semileptonic decay of the pair of top quarks and the Higgs boson decay to a pair of bottom quarks in the phase phase with highly energetic Higgs boson and top quarks. The main goal of the project is to develop multivariate identification criteria using novel approaches, which involve: classification scheme of the signal events, jet substructure techniques and matrix element method. The effect of the expected 120 simultaneous proton-proton interactions on the measurement will be investigated and mitigated as well. It is expected that the project improves the precision of the top Yukawa coupling measurement by factor of 4 in the studied phase space. The Researcher is planning to pursue an academic career and the International Fellowship will help to strengthen his position as an independent researcher by extending his scientific expertise and by acquiring additional skills on project management, leadership, and presentation.

Mots clés : top yukawa coupling, atlas experiment, higgs boson, top quark, boosted topology, multivariate analysis, matrix element method, jet substructure

Participants :
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet NanoBragg (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In this proposal, we want to create an atomic Bragg structure by carefully adjusting the inter-atomic spacing between nanofiber-trapped atoms to approach a Bragg resonance. The structure allows to engineer the atom-nanofiber coupling for quantum-information applications. We hence build on the recent rapid progress of a novel light-matter interface based on an atomic ensemble trapped in an optical lattice created by the evanescent field of nanofiber-guided light. The small effective area of the evanescently guided light field results in a large optical depth per atom on the few-percent level. The number of atoms can easily reach several thousands for nanofibers with a length of few millimeres. In combination with the proven coherence properties, it is an ideal candidate for the implementation of fundamental building blocks for quantum information processing (QIP), such as efficient fiber-integrated quantum memories for light and optical nonlinearities on the few-photon level. However, in view of recent discoveries related to the coupling between polarization and propagation direction of the nanofiber modes, we believe that the true potential of the nanofiber system can only be unleashed by developing specialized protocols. Those protocols need to take the extraordinary polarization properties of the nanofiber-guided modes and the multilevel structure of the atoms into account. Specialized protocols will benefit from the enhanced coupling of the atoms to the nanofiber provided by the Bragg structure. We will characterize the transmission and reflection properties of the nanofiber-coupled atomic Bragg structure, with special attention to polarization effects. Subsequently we will demonstrate how the Bragg resonance can be used to enhance the spontaneous emission of the atomic array into nanofiber-guides modes with a desired propagation direction and how this significantly improves the success rate of the DLCZ quantum memory protocol.

Mots clés : nanofiber, collective effects

Participants :
- TU Wien (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 178156.8 €
Projet StrongLights (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In this proposed project “Controlling Photoinduced Transitions with Strong Light Pulses in Condensed Matter” (StrongLights), the experienced researcher Dr. Joaquim Jornet Somoza and the expert in the field, Prof. Angel Rubio of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD), in collaboration with top international experimental groups, will work with the aim of acquiring theoretical results in order to find novel electronic properties for future advances in nanoelectronics, photoelectronics and plasmonics. To do this, we will focus on the theoretical description of the ultrafast photoinduced phase transitions (PIPT) at multilevel time scales (from atto- to picoseconds) to establish a theoretical and computational platform to understand and control this non-equilibrium phenomena. We will perform state-of-the-art first-principles simulations using the most advanced exchange-correlation functionals developed in the host group. We will characterise the vibrational influence of the lattice in the optical and charge transport properties using many-body perturbation approaches such as the GW self-energy method and the Bethe-Salpeter equations, and real time propagation-time dependent density functional theory (P-TDDFT) to catch the non-linear dynamical processes involved in PIPT. Moreover, strong optical pulses have recently emerged as powerful tools to manipulate and control complex condensed matter systems with strongly correlated electrons. In this project we plan to go beyond by controlling electronic properties not only of the ground state, but for the first time on excited states. By mixing and matching different of light pulses, we will be able to create new meta-stable states that have new and unexpected properties that are different from any steady state having profound impacts in novel applications on condensed matter physics, material science, as well as nano- and bio-science.

Mots clés : electron phonon dynamics, first principle calculations, time dependent density functional theory, many body perturbation theory, nanoplasmonics, photoelectronics

Participants :
- Max Planck Society (Allemagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 171460.8 €
Projet BABY PACE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In this prosperous period in analyzing cultural impacts on human biology thanks to cutting-edge technologies, BABY PACE postulates bone microstructures as a way to approach human cultures. It aims to find how different cultural environments, in both normal and pathological contexts, have an impact on bone development during bipedal walking acquisition of the infants of the past. Bone microstructures, useful for human evolution issues, can also respond to the urgent need to understand development in living infants, impossible to get with micro-computed tomography. Cultures imply various definitions of important social steps. They influence as well the place of children in their society as their locomotor development. This milestone leads to variations in body use and so in bone biomechanics to which bone microstructures respond by adapting to them. The two BABY PACE’s phases (24 months, USA - 12 months, Italy) will for the first time allow developing a controlled model of the normal development of bone microstructures during the biped acquisition, based on the Certosa collection of identified non-adult skeletons. Comparisons between cultures, normal and pathological developments, and during a cultural transition will be performed against this model. Bone properties variations will highlight different developmental trajectories according to groups. BABY PACE is a strong base for projects could answer to society or public health issues related to desired or endured cultural changes. This international interdisciplinary project part of medical, life and past sciences will give to the Researcher the full background and maturity to be a recognized anthropologist, specialized in bone ontogeny. It responds to EU research priorities through the transfer of gained knowledge and partnerships development with leading experts in bone microstructures research. Not only is it improving employability and career prospects, but also contributes to the EU's competitiveness and growth.

Mots clés : micro computed tomography, biomechanics, ontogeny, trabecular bone, cortical bone, microarchitecture, locomotor behaviors

Participants :
- Pennsylvania State University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Bologna (Italie) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 251002.56 €
Projet PoPoliBB (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

In this research I explore sounds of dissent in Brexit-Britain in contexts of authoritarian populism and post-truth. I look specifically into the liberal and conservative poles of British dissent vis-à-vis the UK’s decision in 2016 to withdraw from the European Union. I do this through various music-related discourses that range from discussions on Brexit’s effects on British music industries and musicians, through to its coverage in social media, albums and collaborative music projects, to the intertwining of its discursive and sonic dimensions in Britain’s three festivals combining politics, arts and music; namely, Glastonbury Festival, The World Transformed Festival and Big Tent Ideas Festival. I accordingly pose the following research questions: What specific kinds of musical and music-related forms of discourses does dissent take in contemporary Britain in relation to the Brexit debate and wider political concerns? How can these popular music discourses inform our understanding of the past, present and future of Brexit-Britain, and what are the wider global implications of this? I build an interdisciplinary framework that draws on prior studies of popular music and politics in combination with perspectives from anthropology, sociology, human geography, critical theory, and feminism. Using the said approaches, I conduct a textual and discourse analysis with reference to eclectic sources, including art-based and ethnographic evidence. Critically, PoPoliBB represents the first major study to map out the discursive field of popular music and Brexit, and to point out to the complexities as well as paradoxes of political meaning-making, identities and collectivities associated with it. PoPoliBB’s outcomes will open up new avenues for studies of popular music and politics, notably through the use of art-based research methodology. They will also be exploited for the promotion of academic activism and intersectoral cooperation.

Mots clés : popular music and post brexit politics, british music festivals, cultural studies of music, ethnography, art based research, textual and discourse analysis

Participants :
- Dublin City University (Irlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 184590.72 €
Projet 3D-SMoHC (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In today’s society, three-dimensional models of the tangible heritage present the greatest potential for heritage conservation efforts, due to advances in display devices, capabilities, and infrastructure costs, etc. However, in reality, these models do not always provide the necessary accuracy; they require an arduous process of managing and transforming; and they are not set up for reuse and long-term archiving. Without such capabilities we are left with inadequate knowledge that leads to higher expenses and time costs during documentation of fieldwork, disconnected bodies of geospatial data, and over-dimensioned and disorganised information. These problems further limit the scope and efficiency of the use of digital heritage resources for professionals, and restrict the accessibility of these resources to a wider audience without technical literacy, therefore constraining conservation and reuse practices throughout society. Current 3D models are not enough to overcome these limitations unless they become smart. Therefore, 3D-SMoHC aims to remedy this gap through the creation of 3D Smart Models for Heritage Conservation. With these models, 3D representations of built heritage can be organised according to their semantic features and adapted to management and visualisation multi-platforms. To achieve such digital products and improve the way we address the conservation of our cultural heritage, we need more than technological development: technical advancements must be combined with in-depth knowledge of today’s uses and needs, sharing a common language, and integrated into the proper legal framework for the new data structures. To accomplish developments with such dimensions and scope, 3D-SMoHC is conceived within an Open Notebook Science strategy. It is intended that greater transparency should characterise the whole project and should impact not only on data sharing and dissemination of results, but also on the production process of the research itself.

Mots clés : heritage, smart data, remote sensing, computer vision, e learning, open science

Participants :
- University of Lisbon (Portugal) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 160635.6 €
Projet Evol-Eyes (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

In “On the origin of species” Charles Darwin used the human eye as an example of a complex character the evolution of which would have been hard to explain. Since then the vertebrate eye and the origin of vision more broadly held a central role in evolutionary biology. Recent advances in genomics, developmental biology and physiology, have allowed some advancement in our understanding of the origin of animal vision that however, is still patchy at best. Surprisingly, modern integrative studies have largely overlooked the visual systems of the Squamata (i.e. the lizards and snakes), a group comprising ~25% of terrestrial vertebrates, displaying exceptional diversity, and with greater variation in eye morphology and retinal photoreceptors than all other vertebrates combined. I propose to use the powerful but overlooked squamate system to answer major questions in visual science. I will integrate genomic, physiological and anatomical data to understand the genomic underpinning of phenotypic variation in the vertebrate visual system the relative roles of adaptation and constraints in the origin of novel visual phenotypes, and to understand whether complex visual systems can be re-elaborated following evolutionary degeneration. This is a blue skies project however, studying the evolution of the exceptionally plastic squamate visual system, will generate information that can be applied to other animals, and perhaps most importantly, used to increase our understanding of the human visual genetic disorders under the newly emerging Phylomedicine paradigm.

Mots clés : evolution, vision, squamates, eye anatomy, visual physiology, comparative genomics, transcriptomics

Participants :
- University of Adelaide (Australie) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- University of Bristol (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 258107.4 €
Projet InSiTe-LandGov (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

InSiTe-LandGov combines big data with qualitative approaches to generate new open access datasets and methods on natural resource governance—a critical data gap in sustainability science. It will test these using existing data from a unique network of >5000 research plots across the world’s biggest savannah woodland, spanning 12 countries in southern Africa. This biome is key to European and global climate change, biodiversity and poverty alleviation goals: it supports the livelihoods of 150 million people, stores as much carbon as the Congo Basin, and is home to iconic megafauna, yet it suffers some of the highest rates of deforestation and poverty on Earth. Improved understandings of resource governance will be crucial to meeting these challenges, but empirical methods for assessing governance remain opaque, costly and spread across several disciplines. First, I will produce a typology of current methods for observing resource governance that bridges the divide between positivist and constructivist approaches. I will do this through a systematic review and workshops with experts from Europe, North America and southern Africa. Second, I will generate a new open access dataset on governance for the entire southern African woodland biome. I will use machine learning, open access ‘big’ satellite and census data, the >5000 research plots, and a field visit to Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Finally, I will produce a world-first analysis on how aspects of resource governance affect environmental degradation and poverty across the region. I will use a novel approach combining qualitative and big data methods. In this fellowship I aim to build on my existing skills to define myself as a global expert in interdisciplinary governance research, and to secure a long term job at a European university. I will draw on the expertise of supervisors at three world-class hubs of sustainability research: McGill University, University of Edinburgh and the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Mots clés : african woodlands, african savannahs, resource governance, mixed methods, big data, open data, spatial analysis, machine learning, social ecological systems, archetype analysis

Participants :
- Stockholm University (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 265957.44 €
- McGill University (Canada) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €