Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-actions-marie-curie-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet FIRE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2017)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Despite the growing interest in the relationship between environmental degradation and political conflict, most discussions take the direction of causality for granted and try to understand whether or the extent to which environmental factors such as climate change-related drought lead or contribute to violent conflict. The aim of this project is to reverse the causality and look into how conflicts contribute to environmental degradation. It will do this by focusing on forest fires in the Middle East through a detailed study of the cases of Turkey, Syria and Israel. The questions that will be addressed in this context are: (1) Is there a positive correlation between inter- and intra-state conflict and forest fires? (2) How do conflicts affect ecosystems and biodiversity as well as the lives of inhabitants? (3) How are forest fires used discursively by conflicting groups? The proposed project is going to make a significant contribution to the existing literature in five ways: (1) It will explore whether actors deliberately damage the environment to gain the upperhand in a conflict; (2) it will focus on an underexplored aspect of the environment-conflict nexus, forest fires; (3) it will carry out fieldwork in three “non-European” cases which have spillover effects on European societies; (4) it will introduce novel techniques to the study of this problem, notably Geographical Information System (GIS) and digital Remote Sensing (RS); (5) it will combine “hard data” with qualitative analysis obtained through critical discourse analysis, elite interviews, and political ethnography to understand the political, economic and cultural dimensions of the environment-conflict relationship, thereby straddling the lines between natural and social sciences in a truly interdisciplinary spirit.

Mots clés : environment, conflict, forest fire, environmental degradation, middle east, turkey, syria, israel

Participants :
- Lund University (Suède) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 185857.2 €
Projet TePaChe (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Environment and Geosciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Despite the increasing number and multivariate nature of anthropogenic and natural stress, ecological research has primarily focused upon the effects of a single stressor on specific species or ecosystems. However, understanding relationships among multiple stressors – and the mechanisms underlying stressor interactions – is crucial for solving environmental problems. The proposed GF will address this topic by studying multiple stressors in a model system, filling knowledge gaps on the effects of simultaneous low temperature stress, pathogens and chemical challenges on animals. The proposed work combines theory and state-of-the-art methods from ecophysiology, ecotoxicology, immunology, evolutionary ecology and molecular biology, and has direct applications in environmental management and protection. The project uses insects as models, since they drive important ecological processes and are under high pressure from anthropogenic influences. Combinations of stressors will be explored under controlled conditions in a comparative multi-species approach in the fly genus Drosophila. The simultaneous application of the chosen stressors has not previously been comprehensively investigated, in spite of their relevance for management of both harmful and beneficial insects globally. The project has three aims: 1) to define the scope of tolerance against each stressor in isolation for each Drosophila species; 2) to identify potential interactions between the stressors and explore the predictability of the joint effects on performance and survival; 3) to investigate mechanistic underpinnings of possible stressor interactions. This project will establish a framework that allows me to extend my research deeper into the field and set the stage for a wider understanding of stress-related biology.

Mots clés : thermal stress, pathogens, parasites, chemical stress, pollution, multiple stressors, invertebrates, insects, life history

Participants :
- University of Eastern Finland (Finlande) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 235285.2 €
- Western University (Canada) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet INCLUDed (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2020)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Despite the successes achieved in studying how intercultural competence of young people can be promoted in European school systems, different stakeholders indicate that considerable gaps remain in understanding “what works” in promoting intercultural competence in youth. The proposed project “Culturally Inclusive Schools: Celebrating diversity, teaching common values and fostering intercultural competence among youth” (INCLUDed) responds to this need by addressing three main limitations in existing knowledge and research in the European context: a) The lack of rigorous empirical studies aimed at conceptualizing and measuring intercultural competence in youth; b) The lack of rigorous empirical studies aimed at conceptualizing and measuring culturally inclusive educational approaches promoted by schools; c) Insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of different culturally inclusive educational approaches promoted by schools for the development of intercultural competence of youth. A heuristic framework inspired by educational effectiveness and ecological systems theory is applied to a large nationally representative sample of young people (14-year-olds) in a European country (i.e. Italy) and analyses are carried out to: a) Develop, adapt and validate a multifaceted measurement instrument of intercultural competence; b) Develop, adapt and validate a multifaceted measurement instrument of classroom cultural diversity climate based on student perceptions of their learning environments; c) Evaluate the relationship between different configurations of classroom cultural diversity climate approaches and the intercultural competence of youth and to examine the effectiveness of these approaches in different cultural school settings and for specific subgroups of young people. The project will generate actionable evidence for research, educational policy and practice adding significantly to current research on interculturality in culturally diverse school settings.

Mots clés : intercultural competence, classroom climate, citizenship education, educational effectiveness

Participants :
- KU Leuven (Belgique) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 178320.0 €
Projet LeGaNa (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Physics
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Despite the undeniable success of quantum mechanics, the boundary between quantum and classical mechanics remains unclear. Leggett and Garg devised a class of inequalities that provide the script for a quantitative test to determine whether a macroscopic object would indeed be at all times in one of its distinct states or whether quantum mechanics would prevail. I will perform the first Leggett-Garg test on a massive moving object: a carbon nanotube resonator. This ambitious experiment would be a key accomplishment in mapping the persistence of quantum features in systems of increasing macroscopicity.

Mots clés : qubit, nanotubes, quantum foundations, nanomechanics

Participants :
- University of Oxford (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 183454.8 €
Projet AIDSsilences (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2015)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Despite the widespread availability of antiretroviral medication, the global AIDS epidemic has not been halted yet and stigmatization of people living with HIV and AIDS continues in most parts of the world. While the social scientific analysis of narratives of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has proven crucial in understanding challenges in AIDS care worldwide, the silences that structure such narratives remain under-theorized. Current studies signal that silences may be defenses and active strategies rather than passive responses to stigma, but critical questions remain on how to study, conceptualize and interpret what is unspeakable and unspoken, and sometimes even unthinkable. This project develops novel analytical tools to understand silences in illness narratives. It is based on empirical data gathered in Indonesia and New York. Its objectives are threefold: 1) To conceptualize how silences shape AIDS care, by analyzing narratives of PLWHA and caregiving institutions (conceptual/empirical goal) 2) To theorize the relation between silence and narrative (theoretical goal) 3) To develop a qualitative methodology for recognizing, inquiring into, and understanding respondents’ silences (epistemological/methodological goal) In order to reach these objectives, the researcher will receive advanced training at Harvard University, which is on the forefront of developing multidisciplinary scientific research on HIV/AIDS and narrative theory. The expertise developed at Harvard University will strengthen the medical anthropology program of the University of Amsterdam, which houses the return phase of the project. The project will enhance the career opportunities of the researcher and promises to make significant contributions to the understanding of narratives and silences in AIDS care. These insights are highly relevant for policymakers in the global fight against AIDS and for social scientists who work in the field of global medicine.

Mots clés : medical anthropology, aids, care, narrative, silence, indonesia

Participants :
- Harvard University (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
- Leiden University (Pays-Bas) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 174864.6 €
Projet 3D-ADAPT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2014)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Despite the worldwide growing incidence of type-two diabetes (T2D), the molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have identified dozens of loci harbouring common SNPs that affect T2D susceptibility. The host lab recently showed that many associated SNPs lie in clusters of islet-specific regulatory elements that form tridimensional chromatin structures in the nucleus. This project aims to evaluate how common genetic variation could impact the tridimensional chromatin structure and transcriptional activity at the level of broad regulatory domains, and ultimately assess its influence on T2D risk. To this end, allele-specific chromosome conformation capture maps will be developed and analysed together with existing reference regulatory datasets of expression profiles, histone modification marks and transcription factor occupancy in human islets. To further define the function of allele-specific interactions, genetic modification experiments will be carried out on selected disease-relevant regulatory elements. These studies can shed novel insights on how common sequence variation contributes to T2D susceptibility and can lead to the identification of novel non-coding functional variants.

Mots clés : type two diabetes, gwas, snps, long range interactions, tridimensional structure

Participants :
- Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 158121.6 €
Projet INTROSYM (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : SIGNED

Despite their diversity, relevance, and conservation status, fundamental aspects of the Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology of symbionts are inadequately understood, especially when compared to what is known about free-living organisms. This lack of knowledge is particularly severe in the understanding of the role of hybridization and introgression, a process with a vital but still poorly understood role in the Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology of many taxa. The overall aim of this proposal is to understand how hybridization operates in symbionts, a group of taxa exhibiting unique eco-evolutionary trajectories, and for which hybridization has almost never been studied. The research objectives are: 1) to investigate the pattern of introgression across the global tree of lice, 2) to research the role of introgression in shaping key eco-evolutionary variables related to dispersal and host-switching, and 3) to study the relationship between introgression levels and symbiont extinction rate. To complete the research objectives, I will be trained by the hosts and world-renowned experts in the analytical and theoretical aspects related to this highly integrative topic (e.g., Genomics, Bioinformatics, Coevolutionary Biology, and Biological Conservation). This training will increase my experience in different biological domains and will help me to develop my independent research group in the EU.

Mots clés : coevolution, codiversification, dispersal, host symbiont systems, parasites

Participants :
- University of Granada (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 263732.16 €
- University of Illinois System (Etats-Unis) — Partner, organization partner, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 0.0 €
Projet MoveAGAIN (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Life Sciences
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Despite very extensive efforts to help millions of people in the EU alone who seek therapy to improve motor function after a stroke, most stroke patients are left with lifelong motor disability. Recent work from our group and others has shown that new methods and devices that can noninvasively monitor and stimulate brain activity could substantially improve recovery. EEG data collected from portable electrode caps can detect each patient’s motor imagery and thereby influence multimodal feedback in real-time. This feedback may include virtual reality avatars, rewarding music or tones, functional electrical stimulation, and potentially even magnetic or electrical stimulation of motor areas of the cortex. This promising new research direction requires extensive collaboration across disciplines and sectors, and experienced researchers (ERs) with relevant experience. The MoveAGAIN project will explore new classifiers, experimental paradigms, and software in tandem with an existing commercial system to create a new system that will be used to collect data with stroke patients in two real-world settings. We will analyze the resulting data to develop new knowledge and contribute to improved tools that therapists and physicians can use with patients. MoveAGAIN includes extensive dissemination and communication activities to convey our project results to numerous audiences. The varied training activities will supplement the ER’s training-by-research to help prepare him for a high-impact career working across industrial, academic, and medical sectors.

Mots clés : paired associative simulation, stroke rehabilitation, functional electrical stimulation, brain stimulation, brain computer interface

Participants :
- Guger Technologies (Austria) (Autriche) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Organismes privés (hors enseignement), subvention : 178156.8 €
Projet MAREXT (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Chemistry
Statut du projet : TERMINATED

Developing selective receptor molecules for biologically relevant anions will enable major technological advances for rapid sensing, and extraction and removal of toxic components from waste waters. However, selective binding in water with synthetic receptors is difficult to achieve since water effectively competes with receptor-anion interactions. MAREXT aims to offer pioneering solutions for the selective binding of targeted anions in water by novel calixpyrrole assemblies: micelles with hydrophilic polyethylene glycol tails for the selective recognition of anti-inflammatory drugs with carboxylate groups. The project focuses on advanced synthesis of the calixpyrrole receptors, preparation and characterization of the micellar assemblies, and extraction of target anions from water. MAREXT combines the expertise of the experienced researcher and Prof. Ballester’s group promoting multidisciplinarity and knowledge transfer in fields of colloids and molecular recognition. The fellowship provides training for the candidate in advanced synthesis, chromatography and DOSY NMR, and transferable skills such as research project management, grant writing and scientific communication. The results of the high-impact project will improve the capacity of the candidate to achieve her next career stage and improve the competitiveness of Europe in extraction technologies.

Mots clés : micelle, calixpyrrole, anion binding, cloud point extraction, organic synthesis

Participants :
- Institut Català d'Investigació Química (Espagne) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Recherche, subvention : 170121.6 €
Projet DeFInE (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2019)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Social Sciences and Humanities
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Development Finance Institutions in Europe (DeFInE) is a multidisciplinary research project that aims at developing an institutional conceptual framework for development finance institutions or state-investment banks (SIBs) in the European Union and analyzing their strategic competences that are directly linked to their policy roles. SIBs are increasingly recognized as strategic agents of change in providing scarce long-term resources to risky projects that commercial financial sector is either unable or unwilling to finance. Following an emerging discussion over ‘Entrepreneurial State’ and the need to make financing an integral part of innovation policies, SIBs should be considered as an active element of financial governance of innovation and development. Despite a large number of currently existing SIBs, their analysis has been mostly focused on policy objectives, financial instruments and corporate governance. However, not all SIBs have been successful in playing strategic policy roles. Reasons are complex: lack of strategic industrial policies, or changes in policy objectives, political interference, changes in sources of funds and corporate strategies, but also, and more importantly, lack or change of internal strategic competences. The project combines evolutionary economics perspective (dynamic capabilities), economics of innovation (financing of innovation) and public governance perspective (policy capacity, bureaucracy) in order to analyse institutional contexts and internal capacities of SIBs. In doing so, the aim of the project is to better understand what makes some SIBs strategic state-backed investors in financing innovation-led growth while others – less so. The context of multinational governance of the EU adds another unique dimension to the study. European Commission has already expressed the vision to more actively engage National Promotional Finance Institutions in Member States in the next budgetary period 2021-2027.

Mots clés : financing of innovation, state investment banks, innovation policy, strategic financial governance

Participants :
- University of London (Royaume-Uni) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 212933.76 €
Projet MARVEL (Horizon 2020, appel à projets 2016)
Action : Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
Panel : Information Science and Engineering
Statut du projet : CLOSED

Development of renewable energy resources that can address energy and environmental issues is currently the top global challenge. Reverse Electrodialysis (RED) is a highly innovative technology for conversion of salinity gradient energy into electricity. Water electrolysis is a promising option for hydrogen production from renewable energy resources. Recently, a novel approach combining RED and Alkaline Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolysis (APEWE) was reported for sustainable hydrogen production. However, this process achieved low efficiency: RED suffers from the negative impact of multivalent ions on power generation, whereas APEWE lacks highly conducive and stable membrane separators and polymer binders. The MARVEL project aims to i) endow monovalent ion selectivity for RED membranes to reduce the influence of multivalent ions ii) develop novel, fully characterized membrane separators and polymer binders for APEWE iii) test RED-APEWE process with these new materials iv) perform a techno-economic assessment for commercial feasibility. The ultimate goal of MARVEL is to broaden the knowledge and expertise of the researcher, Dr. Ramato Ashu Tufa, through high-quality research training in the emergig area of renewable energy involving multidisciplinary investigation approaches and intersectoral secondments. This allows him to establish a long-standing relationship with his institute and increase his professional network across Europe. An effective dissemination of project results and knowledge will be implemented through presentations of results in major conference, seminars, publications in high-impact peer reviewed journals, project web page, open days etc. Profound outputs from MARVEL will significantly contrubte towards establishment of a strong scientific and technical base for European science and technology, foster the competitiveness and growth of EU economy with a positive impact on the major objectives of energy policy for sustainability and security.

Mots clés : renewable energy, reverse electrodialysis, energy storage, alkaline water electrolysis, integrated system, polymer electrolytes, techno economic assessment

Participants :
- University of Chemistry and Technology (Rép. Tchèque) — Coordinator, beneficiary, Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire, subvention : 142720.8 €