Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : WorkFREE (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Social World and Its Diversity
Entité participante : Inbi foundation — Pays : Inde — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 184250.0 €

WorkFREE builds on the widespread empirical observation that everywhere people who are stuck in indecent, exploitative or ‘unfree’ work nevertheless choose that work because doing so represents their best available option, and asks a simple yet potentially revolutionary question: What happens if we just give them money? It will answer this question by creating a world-first social experiment. This will involve a community in the Indian city of Hyderabad typically associated with indecent or exploitative work – waste picking. Members of this community will receive 18 months of unconditional cash transfers (UCTs) and also engage in Participatory Action Research (PAR) with the WorkFREE team. WorkFREE will thus become the first project anywhere to combine research on cash transfers (CTs), PAR and labour (un)freedom. It will also innovate methodologically, employing a unique combination of ethnography, surveys, and participatory qualitative techniques. This will allow the WorkFREE team – myself (the PI), the in-country Research Manager, a post-doctoral evaluation specialist, two anthropology PhD students, and a number of junior researchers at the project’s Indian partner research university – to answer a question at the heart of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): What can cash transfers contribute to the fight for decent work? It will further enable the co-creation of grounded theory around concepts central to the SDGs, including freedom, slavery, consent, coercion, vulnerability, exploitation, emancipation and (in)decent work. This, in turn, could call into question prevailing, hegemonic theorisations of these concepts, along with mainstream approaches to generating those theorisations and the policies with which they are associated. In this way, WorkFREE will push the empirical, theoretical and political boundaries at the intersection of development studies, labour studies, social theory and social policy. Given its focus and approach, it will also contribute to cognate debates around Social Protection (SP) and Unconditional Basic Income (UBI), positioning Europe at the forefront of contemporary efforts to achieve social justice in globalised market society.

Mots-clés : modern slavery,unconditional cash transfers,participatory research,unfree labour,labour exploitation,social experiment,development,sdg 8
Projet ERC : MAP (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The study of the human past
Entité participante : Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UT2
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2432062.0 €

Writing the history of ancient religions usually starts with the gods, considered as personifications linked by kinship or affinity. Yet this oversimplified approach overlooks the fact that gods are multifaceted powers, not individuals. MAP proposes to exploit the epithets attributed to the gods as the most efficient indicator of their multiple powers and modes of action, as well as their connection to places where humans interact with them. Epithets identify the god(s) invoked and thus enhance the effectiveness of ritual communication. With the great number of combinations produced by epithets, their entire repertoire results in a highly complex system of divine networks. The volume and complexity of the data is beyond the limits of what traditional methods can handle. Today, thanks to Big Data and Social Network technologies, which deal with large related groups, we can map the divine and understand how human societies modified these ensembles of names and epithets to meet their needs. MAP intends, for the first time, to compile all attestations of divine epithets in context to enable large-scale analyses. It adopts a comparative approach to two areas: the Greek world and the Western Semitic world during the first millennium BC. Methodologically, MAP innovates by linking the systematic compiling of epithets with Social Network Analysis in order to map the groups, links and polarities of the networks that divine epithets reveal, and interprets them in the light of historical dynamics. Understanding the interface between systems and contexts is one of the major gains of MAP. Religion is explored as an area of social experimentation between norms and inventiveness. MAP also revisits the relationship between religious thought and practice, and between polytheistic and monotheistic systems, questioning the relevance of these categories. The results promise considerable advances in our understanding of ancient religions.

Mots-clés : history of religions,social network analysis
Projet ERC : SLANG (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Entité participante : Max Planck Society — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : MPG
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1729000.0 €

Written information permeates our digital society. Yet, surprisingly little is known about how our brains allow us to learn how to read, that is, to see language. An obvious solution would be to simply follow children that undergo literacy instruction in school. Schooling, however, broadly involves learning in various domains. Therefore, it would not allow any firm conclusions to be drawn about the specific neuroplastic effects of becoming literate. To surmount this challenge, SLANG moves the research setting to rural regions of Northern India where millions of children cannot attend school for economic reasons. These children will be taught how to read by local teachers (but not attend school) and scanned at a local magnetic resonance imaging facility using cutting-edge, high resolution techniques. Introducing an innovative dense-sampling design, I will walk new research avenues by tracking the emergence and refinement of literacy in a longitudinal, nonlinear fashion and at the single-subject level. Building on a novel experimental paradigm, my objectives are to uncover (1) how literacy creates a visual interface with the speech sound system (2) and the mental lexicon and (3) how literacy changes the way we process speech sounds. Meeting these objectives, I will pave the way for a neurobiologically grounded model of literacy learning. A translation of these insights into educational practice could help the EU and policymakers worldwide to lay the foundation for next-generation literacy instruction programs that are tailored to the specific resources of each individual learner.
Projet ERC : RheoYield (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : Durham University — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2374753.75 €

Yield stress fluids defy our conventional notions of liquid and solid, keeping their shape as soft solids at low loads, yet yielding and flowing like liquids at larger loads. They can then suffer arbitrarily large deformations in this liquid state, but will recover a solid state if the load is removed. Their internal microstructure and macroscopic shape are thus determined directly by the processing history they experience. Such materials are all around us: in colloids, microgels, emulsions, foams, pastes, slurries, and their biological counterparts. They find widespread applications in foods, pharmaceuticals, construction, oil extraction, lubricants, coatings, etc. Despite this importance to so many engineering processes, we still do not understand how their remarkable macroscopic rheological (deformation and flow) properties emerge out of the collective dynamics of their constituent microscopic substructures: colloid particles, microgel beads, emulsion droplets, etc. Addressing key questions emerging from recent experiments, RheoYield aims to build new theories to inform and potentially transform our understanding of the rheology of yield stress fluids. Within a multiscale approach, the project will capitalise on rapid recent progress in understanding how microscopic rearrangement events cooperate to give macroscopic flow. Using theoretical and computational tools that I have recently developed, and new ones that will be developed here, RheoYield aims to: 1. Identify the microscopic changes that take place in a soft solid as it slowly yields into a fluidised state. 2. Understand the profound influence of boundary physics on bulk yielding. 3. Develop the first microscopically founded continuum constitutive model that captures all the key features of yield stress rheology. 4. Establish a microscopically founded computational fluid dynamics of yield stress fluids. 5. Develop basic new science underpinning strategies for the optimised control of yield stress rheology.

Mots-clés : rheology,complex fluids,soft solids,viscoelastic flow,viscoplastic fluids
Projet ERC : Waterscales (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : Simula Research Laboratory — Pays : Norvège — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

Your brain has its own waterscape: whether you are reading or sleeping, fluid flows through the brain tissue and clears waste in the process. These physiological processes are crucial for the well-being of the brain. In spite of their importance we understand them but little. Mathematics and numerics could play a crucial role in gaining new insight. Indeed, medical doctors express an urgent need for multiscale modeling of water transport through the brain, to overcome limitations in traditional techniques. Surprisingly little attention has been paid to the numerics of the brain's waterscape however, and fundamental knowledge is missing. In response, the Waterscales ambition is to establish the mathematical and computational foundations for predictively modeling fluid flow and solute transport through the brain across scales -- from the cellular to the organ level. The project aims to bridge multiscale fluid mechanics and cellular electrophysiology to pioneer new families of mathematical models that couple macroscale, mesoscale and microscale flow with glial cell dynamics. For these models, we will design numerical discretizations that preserve key properties and that allow for whole organ simulations. To evaluate predictability, we will develop a new computational platform for model adaptivity and calibration. The project is multidisciplinary combining mathematics, mechanics, scientific computing, and physiology. If successful, this project enables the first in silico studies of the brain's waterscape across scales. The new models would open up a new research field within computational neuroscience with ample opportunities for further mathematical and more applied study. The processes at hand are associated with neurodegenerative diseases e.g. dementia and with brain swelling caused by e.g. stroke. The Waterscales project will provide the field with a sorely needed, new avenue of investigation to understand these conditions, with tremendous long-term impact.

Mots-clés : numerical methods for partial differential equations  mathematical and computational aspects,with applications in physiology,medicine
Projet ERC : DYCOCIRC (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Entité participante : Champalimaud Foundation — Pays : Portugal — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2000000.0 €

You’re faced with a difficult choice. What do you do? Most people will, either explicitly or implicitly, weigh the possible consequences their decision. This involves an internal journey through possible events. Its these kinds of dynamic processes and their mapping onto behavior that characterize higher brain function. And yet, their very internal nature is both what makes them of critical interest and so difficult to study. Here, we propose to study a simple, well-controlled decision-making behavior wherein mice have to generate a dynamic, internal representation of elapsed time in order to make choices that result in reward. We focus on frontal cortico-basal ganglia circuits and their dopaminergic inputs that together are broadly implicated in cognition and involved in the production of this particular behavior. We have demonstrated previously that striatal population dynamics and dopamine neuron activity both correlate with and exert control over animals’ judgments. Having identified key signals at multiple stages of the BG circuit related to this decision in rats and mice, my laboratory is now uniquely poised to dissect the circuit mechanisms by which such signals are generated and transformed into actions. Specifically, we will 1) Measure activity of specific cell types at multiple stages of the BG as mice judge duration. 2) Image and manipulate the activity of DA neurons while recording from neural populations in the BG to determine the relationship between neuromodulatory input, neural dynamics, and behavior. 3) Relate the activity of cortico-striatal inputs to striatal responses during behavior to understand the computational and circuit bases of striatal activity. These experiments promise to unlock deep mysteries regarding how animals free themselves from the immediacy of the current moment, learning, planning, and choosing their path toward a safer, more fruitful, and satisfying existence.

Mots-clés : basal ganglia,decision making,electrophysiology,reinforcement learning,population coding,dopamine
Projet ERC : aSINdo (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : University of Twente — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

aSINdo will study the technical feasibility and commercialization strategy of on-chip optical gain building blocks based on rare-earth ion doped Al2O3 that can be integrated onto passive integrated photonic material platforms, in particular Si3N4, to realize on-chip amplifiers and lasers. The value proposition of this technology is to enable photonic integrated circuits to achieve sufficient output power to empower multiple emerging applications. Important advantages with respect to existing solutions are the manufacturability, cost reduction, power efficiency and building block approach, which will ease the adoption of this technology by design houses and system integrators. In aSINdo we will increase the readiness level of the technology, we will define an IPR strategy and we will give the first steps towards its commercialization by means of a market study and business plan. Dissemination activities will ensure knowledge transfer to relevant parties, which may play a crucial role in defining the commercialization strategy.

Mots-clés : optical gain,amplifier,laser,building block,aluminium oxide,silicon nitride,photonic integrated circuit
Projet ERC : LightNet (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Condensed matter physics
Entité participante : Institute of Photonic Sciences — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ICFO;ICFO-CERCA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2856250.0 €

ature has developed photosynthesis to power life. Networks of light harvesting antennas capture the sunlight to funnel the photonic energy towards reaction centres. Surprisingly, quantum coherences are observed in the energy transfer of photosynthetic complexes, even at room temperature. Does nature exploit quantum concepts? Does the coherence help to find an optimal path for robust or efficient transfer? How are the coherences sustained? What is their spatial extent in a real light-harvesting network? So far only solutions of complexes were studied, far from the natural network operation, putting on hold conclusions as to a biological role of the coherences. My group recently succeeded in the first detection of coherent oscillations of a single photo-synthetic complex at physiological conditions, and non-classical photon emission of individual complexes. These pioneering results, together with our expertise in nanophotonics, pave the way to address photosynthetic networks in real nano-space and on femtosecond timescale. Specific objectives are: --Ultrafast single protein detection: tracing the fs coherent energy transfer path of an individual complex; addressing the very nature of the persistent coherences. -Beyond fluorescence: light harvesting complex are designed for light transport, not emission. I will explore innovative alternatives: optical antennas to enhance quantum efficiency; detection of stimulated emission; and electrical read-out on graphene. -Nanoscale light transport: using local excitation and detection by nanoholes, nanoslits and scanning antenna probes I will spatially map the extent of the inter-complex transfer. -The network: combining both coherent fs excitation and localized nanoscale excitation/detection I will track the extent of coherences throughout the network. The impact of this first exploration of light transport in a nanoscale bionetwork ranges to solar energy management, molecular biology, polymer chemistry and material science.

Mots-clés : single molecule detection,fs coherent control,nanophotonics,quantum biology,ultrafast,nanoantenna,persistent coherence,phase shaping,light harvesting complex,light transport,quantum network
Projet ERC : e-DOTS (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : CIC biomaGUNE — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1820231.25 €

e-DOTS takes advantage of nanoscale and process-intensification principles, information technology and automation/robotics to translate molecular properties to nanoparticles for use in technologically advanced challenges, ranging from high-quality bioimaging to green catalysis in water. A stringent molecular control over the synthesis and multivalent properties of “carbon nanodots”, 2-5 nm spherical nanoparticles, will allow us to shape a nanofabrication space with engineered functions. The core-shell structure of carbon nanodots, consisting of a confined core and an outer functional shell can be rationally designed by controlled chemical approaches and by a tailored choice of the proper starting materials. e-DOTS scientific objectives are planned to go beyond the state of the art, with the aim to: (i) elucidate the mechanism and the structural details in the conversion of small molecules to nanoparticles; (ii) expand the carbon nanodots preparation process window and allow its automated exploration, directed at ambitious targets; (iii) design and prepare carbon nanodots with tailored properties – in terms of size, charge, luminescence, chirality, and outer-shell functions – outperforming current technologies in green catalysis and biomedical imaging. (iv) investigate and ensure the safety profile of carbon nanodots in a safe-by-design approach. e-DOTS is a highly interdisciplinary project, based on frontier methods that the Prato group has successfully designed for the molecular modification of very diverse carbon nanostructures. Delving into fundamental aspects of carbon nanodots will allow to unfold their full potential in technological and biological applications. e-DOTS will thus offer unprecedented opportunities to the scientific community, since the specific molecular properties of the reactants can be transferred, combined and enhanced up to the nanoscale, yielding carbon nanodots tailored to function.

Mots-clés : carbon nanodots,carbon nanostructures,nanoparticles
Projet ERC : hOssicle (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Entité participante : Lund University — Pays : Suède — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

hOssicle aims at developing miniaturized human bone organs in mice to be used as advanced model of healthy and malignant human hematopoiesis. In Europe, 80 million people are estimated to suffer from blood disorders. When at all existing, treatments are poorly effective: 92 % of new drugs successful in preclinical testing (animals and in vitro culture systems) fail in clinical trials. This urgently calls for the development of superior models, to refine our understanding of human hematopoiesis and better predict patient´ therapy efficacy. My laboratory has developed unique human mesenchymal lines capable of forming “human ossicles” by recapitulation of endochondral ossification -the developmental process of bone formation. These ossicles form subcutaneously in mice and display a similar structure and function to native mouse bones, but rely on human mesenchymal cells reconstituting a complex bone marrow environment specifically supporting the development of human hematopoiesis. hOssicle will offer the unprecedented custom engineering of human bones to understand the functional organization of its hematopoietic compartment. By genetic reprogramming of mesenchymal lines, I aim at controlling the molecular and cellular composition of the ossicles and study the corresponding impact on hematopoietic development. Finally, I envision the engineering of patient-specific ossicles with mesenchymal and leukemic blood cells from the same individual towards recapitulation of the disease setting. This will be a significant breakthrough, by offering the study of malignancy progression and drug-testing in a personalized in vivo context for cancer remission. By combining principles of bone development & tissue engineering, hOssicle proposes an “organ engineering” approach applied to hematopoiesis. The implications run from the identification of key factors controlling the production of blood cell types to the personalized modelling of leukemia and test of therapies.

Mots-clés : tissue engineering,regenerative medicine,bone,hematopoeisis,cancer