Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : GoviB (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The study of the human past
Entité participante : University of Münster — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : WWU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999740.0 €

GoviB is a historical study of governance in the ancient capital of Babylon. Babylonia is the earliest society in the ancient world that produced sufficient indigenous sources that allow studying the transition from a strongly anchored local to a more ‘global’ (imperial) form of governance. From the late 8th to the 4th century BC, Babylon experienced two major regime changes and was consecutively ruled by three empires – the Assyrian, the Chaldean and the (first) Persian. While the regime changes and other events are known as historical facts, little is known about how imperial rule was negotiated locally and how the strategies which rulers and ruled applied in pursuit of their interests interacted and led to instability or stability. The reasons are incomplete historical data, and difficulties to interpret available ambivalent or conflicting data. With GoviB I want to achieve a novel understanding of politics and authority in the ancient city of Babylon, leading to a new balanced evaluation of the role which the empires played in the long-term cultural transformation of the ancient Near East. The results will contribute to a re-evaluation of modern perceptions of ‘oriental’ governance as absolute or ‘despotic’, and to the wider question of what causes states to be stable or instable, and how regime changes fail or succeed. I will achieve these goals by analysing newly available textual and archaeological material: the Neo-Babylonian archival texts from the German excavations in Babylon. The Vorderasiatische Museum in Berlin granted me the rights to put this museum treasure trove to use for GoviB. Furthermore, I will apply the conceptual framework of governance studies to the historical evidence. Its heuristic value lies in the fact that it relocates the focus from government to governance, that is, the interdependencies and interactions between actors, and it includes non-personal factors that influenced decision-making.

Mots-clés : assyriology,ancient near east,mesopotamia,babylon,neo babylonian period,achaemenid
Projet ERC : SSiGraph (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
Entité participante : University of Birmingham — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 191257.71 €

Graph Theory is a highly active area of Combinatorics with strong links to fields such as Optimisation and Theoretical Computer Science. A fundamental meta-problem in Graph Theory is the following: given a graph H, what conditions guarantee that another graph G contains a copy of H as a subgraph? This is particularly important when H is spanning, i.e. where G and H have the same number of vertices. This project will address a range of exciting and challenging extremal and probabilistic problems on spanning subgraphs in graphs, in the following two interrelated areas: 1. Spanning subgraphs in random graphs: A key aim of Probabilistic Combinatorics is to determine the density threshold for the appearance of different subgraphs in random graphs. This is particularly difficult when the subgraph is spanning, where the known results and techniques are typically highly specific. This project will lead to a unified paradigm for studying thresholds of spanning subgraphs by introducing and developing a new coupling technique. This will provide an excellent platform to study the Kahn-Kalai conjecture, a bold general conjecture on appearance thresholds, and problems including hitting-time conjectures and universality problems. 2. Spanning subgraphs in coloured graphs: Many different combinatorial problems are expressible using edge coloured graphs, including Latin square problems dating back to Euler. My objectives here concern long-standing problems on spanning trees, cycles and matchings, and, through this, the resolution of several famous labelling and packing problems. In preliminary work I have developed techniques to study these problems, techniques which will have a far reaching impact, and certainly lead to further applications, e.g. with hypergraphs and resilience problems. The objectives represent a carefully selected range of related major outstanding problems, whose solution would mark truly significant progress in the field.

Mots-clés : extremal graph theory  probabilistic graph theory  spanning subgraphs  thresholds in random graphs  edge coloured graphs  embedding trees,cycles and matchings  graph decomposition  randomised embeddings  deterministic embeddings  probability couplings  regularity techniques
Projet ERC : NANOGRAPHOUT (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : University of Granada — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UGR
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1492675.0 €

Graphene is considered a very promising material. Perfect samples of graphene without structural defects are extremely electrical and thermal conductive. However, defects usually appear during the production of graphene, modifying its thermal, electrical and mechanical properties. If we understand the influence of imperfections on the properties of graphene, we may tune its local electrical properties by controlling the presence of defects, leading to new organic semiconductor materials. We aim to embed seven- and higher membered rings into an otherwise planar NANOGRAPHene lattice as a new tool for the preparation of innovative materials for organic electronics. These defects would induce a curvature in the planar sheet distorting the structure OUT of the plane. NANOGRAPHOUT focuses on providing a general synthetic method for the construction of a variety of distorted nanographenes with good control on size, shape and the edges of the final compounds. Key synthetic steps include alkyne cyclotrimerization and cyclodehydrogenation reactions. By evaluating the morphology, optical and electronic properties and electron transport of synthesized nanographenes, we aim to establish the first comprehensive study clarifying the influence of defects on the properties of nanographenes. We will test electrical transport properties of selected compounds in organic thin-film field-effect transistors (OTFTs) laying the foundation for using distorted nanographenes as organic semiconductors based on pi-pi interactions. With the same bottom-up approach based on organic synthesis we intend to present nanographenes with helical chirality. Adding chiroptical response to the semiconductor properties of nanographenes will provide the new devices the added value of their potential application in photonics. As proof-of-concept, we plan to implement helically chiral distorted nanographenes as active layer in OTFTs and evaluate their use as elliptically polarized light emitters and detectors.

Mots-clés : alkyne cyclotrimerization reaction,dehydrogenation reaction,nanographene,graphene defects,helical chirality
Projet ERC : GWmining (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : University of Birmingham — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

Gravitational-wave astronomy is entering its large-statistics regime. Catalogs with thousands of gravitational-wave events will soon be available, providing a wealth of information on the most compact objects in the Universe --black holes and neutron stars. These new datasets need new tools to be exploited effectively in order to maximize their scientific impact. GWmining is an ambitious program to explore upcoming gravitational-wave catalogs with data-mining techniques. We will develop a complete framework to analyze gravitational-wave data in light of astrophysical predictions. Going beyond phenomenological models, we will train machine-learning algorithms directly on large banks of population-synthesis simulations and post-Newtonian integrations. The development of these astrophysical predictions requires new modeling strategies to accurately capture all the gravitational-wave observables, notably spins and eccentricities. Combined with a hierarchical Bayesian analysis, our neural network will deliver the most stringent measurements to date on elusive phenomena influencing the lives of massive stars. We will constrain phenomena such as binary common envelope, supernova kicks, stellar winds, tidal interactions, etc. Besides harnessing the catalog in its entirety, our complete framework will put us at the forefront to analyze outliers --golden events with favorable properties of one or more parameters. We will design a complete strategy to exploit the strongest signals to infer exquisite details of the relativistic dynamics of their sources. GWmining is a unique project strategically placed at the intersection of astronomy, data analysis, and relativity. As the large-statistics revolution of gravitational-wave astronomy unfolds, GWmining will pioneer the application of data-mining techniques in gravitational-wave population studies, setting the foundations of this booming field for decades.

Mots-clés : gravitational waves,black holes
Projet ERC : NANO-INSITU (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Utrecht University — Pays : Pays-Bas — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1996250.0 €

Great successes have been achieved in nanoscience where the development of functional properties and the assembly of nanostructures into nanomaterials have become increasingly important. In general, both the tuning of the chemical and physical properties and the self-assembly of nanocrystals into 2D or 3D superstructures take place in a liquid environment. When analysing the structural properties of nanocrystals using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), this liquid environment is contained between membranes to keep it in the high vacuum. At present, the thickness of the liquid is not controlled, which renders standard imaging at atomic resolution impossible. Here I propose to integrate micro-electromechanical actuator functionalities in the Liquid Cell chips to overcome this problem so that real-time atomic resolution imaging and chemical analysis on nanoparticles in solution becomes a reality. This new in-situ technology will elucidate what really happens during chemical reactions, and will thereby enable the development of new nanomaterials for optoelectronics, lighting, and catalysis. Oriented attachment processes and self-assembly of nanoparticles, which are key to the large-scale production of 2D and 3D nanomaterials, can also be followed in the Liquid Cell. Furthermore, the hydration of nanoscale model systems of earth materials such as magnesia, alumina, and calcium oxide is of major importance in the geosciences. In the field of enhanced oil recovery, for example, the huge volumetric expansion that comes with the hydration of these minerals could facilitate access to reservoirs. My research group has extensive experience in in-situ TEM and recently has achieved significant successes in Liquid Cell studies. We are in an ideal position to develop this new technology and open up these new research areas, which will have a major impact on science, industry, and society.
Projet ERC : CORKtheCAMBIA (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Entité participante : University of Helsinki — Pays : Finlande — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999752.0 €

Growth originates from meristems, where stem cells are located. Lateral meristems, which provide thickness to tree stems and other plant organs, include vascular cambium (produces xylem [wood] and phloem); and cork cambium (forms cork, a tough protective layer). We recently identified the molecular mechanism that specifies stem cells of vascular cambium. Unexpectedly, this same set of experiments revealed also novel aspects of the regulation of cork cambium, a meristem whose development has remained unknown. CORKtheCAMBIA aims to identify the stem cells of cork cambium and reveal how they mechanistically regulate plant organ thickening. Thus, stemming from these novel unpublished findings and my matching expertise on plant stem cells and lateral growth, the timing is perfect to discover the molecular mechanism underlying specification of stem cells of cork cambium. To identify the origin of stem cells of cork cambium, 1st-we will combine lineage tracing with a detailed molecular marker analysis. To deduce the cell dynamics of cork cambium, 2nd-we will follow regeneration of the stem cells after ablation of this meristem. To discover the molecular factors regulating the stem cell specification of cork cambium, 3rd-we will utilize molecular genetics and a novel method (inducible CRISPR/Cas9 mutant targeting) being developed in my lab. Since the lateral growth is orchestrated by two adjacent, nested meristems, cork and vascular cambia, the growth process must be tightly co-regulated. Thus, 4th-an in silico model of the intertwined growth process will be generated. By combining modelling with experimentation, we will uncover mechanistically how cork and vascular cambium coordinate lateral growth. CORKtheCAMBIA will thus provide long-awaited insight into the regulatory mechanisms specifying the stem cells of lateral meristem as whole, lay the foundation for studies on radial thickening and facilitate rational manipulation of lateral meristems of crop plants and trees.

Mots-clés : plant development,cambium,lateral meristem,vascular,xylem,phloem,cork
Projet ERC : HYDROCARB (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : University of Basel — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999941.0 €

HYDROCARB is motivated by the enormous potential that stable hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H values) in plant compounds have as hydrological proxy, but in particular as new proxy for the carbon metabolism in plants. Current conceptual models suggest that δ2H values in plant organic compounds are composed of (i) hydrological and (ii) metabolic signals. The hydrological information that is contained in δ2H values of plant material is now well understood and is often applied in (paleo-) hydrological research. In contrast, the metabolic information that is contained in plant δ2H values is mostly unknown. Intriguing recent research suggests, however, that metabolic signals in the δ2H values of plant organic compounds reflect the balance of autotrophic and heterotrophic processes in plants. This suggests that exciting and previously unknown opportunities exist to exploit δ2H values in plant compounds for information on the carbohydrate metabolism of plants, which would be relevant for a broad range of biological and biogeochemical disciplines. The goal of HYDROCARB is to perform the experimental work that is now needed to identify the key biochemical and physiological processes that determine the metabolic information that is recorded in the δ2H values of plant organic compounds such as leaf wax lipids, lignin and cellulose. With this HYDROCARB will provide the basis for semi-mechanistic models that will allow (i) disentangling hydrological from metabolic signals in plant δ2H values and (ii) identifying the precise physiological processes with respect to a plants carbohydrate metabolism that can be deducted from the δ2H values of different plant compounds. If successful, HYDROCARB will establish with this research δ2H values in plant organic compounds as a powerful new proxy that will allow ground-breaking and innovative research on plant and ecosystem carbon cycling, which has implications for plant biology, biogeochemistry and the earth system sciences.

Mots-clés : stable isotopes
Projet ERC : BABYRHYTHM (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Entité participante : University of Cambridge — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. Cambridge
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2614275.0 €

Half of “late talkers”, infants who are not yet speaking by 2 years of age, will go on to develop language impairments. Currently, we have no reliable means of identifying these infants. Here we combine our developmental approach to phonology (psycholinguistic grain size theory), to the neural mechanisms underlying speech encoding (temporal sampling [TS] theory) and our work on the developmental importance of the speech amplitude envelope (AE) to open a new research front in the foundations of language acquisition. Recent adult research confirms our decade-long focus on the importance of sensitivity to AE ‘rise time’ in children’s language development, showing that rise times (‘auditory edges’) re-set the endogenous cortical oscillations that encode speech. Accordingly, we now apply our in-house state-of-the-art methods for measuring oscillatory rhythmic entrainment in children along with our recent theoretical and behavioural advances concerning AE processing to infant studies. Our core aim is to use the TS theoretical perspective and analysis methods to generate robust early neural and behavioural markers of phonological and morphological development: TS for infants. We have published the first-ever studies of oscillatory entrainment to speech rhythm by children and we have developed methods for technically-challenging EEG speech envelope reconstruction. We now apply these innovative methods to infant language learning and infant-directed speech. Using our cutting-edge EEG methods, we will deliver a novel and innovative road map for charting early language acquisition from a rhythmic entrainment perspective. Our recent 5-year study of rise time sensitivity in infants confirms the feasibility of a TS approach. As our focus is on prosody, syllable stress and syllable processing, our methods will apply across European languages.

Mots-clés : neuronal oscillations,acoustic processing,phonology,morphology
Projet ERC : HYP (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Cultures and cultural production
Entité participante : University of London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. London
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1846122.34 €

Hatha was the name given in medieval India to a method of yoga in which physical practices predominate. Its origins are unclear, but some of its techniques can be traced to the first millennium BCE and it gradually became central to several Indian religious traditions, including, by the second half of the second millennium CE, orthodox Hinduism. Hatha yoga is also the source of much of the modern yoga practised around the world today. The history of hatha yoga is thus crucial for an understanding of both Indian religion and modern yoga, but is yet to be the object of serious study. As a result key questions about yoga — such as who were hatha yoga’s first practitioners and why did they practise it, and which modern yoga practices predate colonialism and which are innovations — are yet to be answered satisfactorily. The Hatha Yoga Project seeks to redress this by identifying the origins of both hatha and modern yoga. Its methodology will be predominantly philological and ethnographic, and it will draw on resources that are fast disappearing: crumbling manuscripts of Sanskrit texts on yoga and traditional Indian ascetic yogis whose practices are starting to change under the influence of modern globalised yoga. The primary output of the project will be three monographs. The first will analyse hatha yoga and its practitioners in the period in which it was formalised, the 11th to 15th centuries CE. The second will document its subsequent proliferation and development, and identify what constituted yoga practice in India on the eve of colonialism. The third will focus on hatha yoga’s physical techniques in order to chart their history and identify continuities with and differences from the practices of modern globalised yoga. A secondary output will be critical editions and annotated translations of ten previously unpublished Sanskrit manuals of hatha yoga: the six earliest texts on the subject together with four later texts that were key to its subsequent development.

Mots-clés : yoga,philology,ethnography,south asia,knowledge systems,cultural practice,asceticism,hinduism,buddhism,indology,digital humanities,physical culture
Projet ERC : PREDICT-HF (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases
Entité participante : University of London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. London
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1998927.0 €

Heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are common co-morbidities (AF-HF). AF-HF is prevalent in Europe with high rates of hospitalisation and death. AF-HF patients have two treatment options: rate control, where AF is not treated but drugs are used to slow the heart rate, or rhythm control, where AF is treated to restore sinus rhythm. Rate control is the first-line treatment, yet specific patient groups do much better under rhythm control. Identifying patients that will do best under rhythm control remains a significant clinical challenge. Potential responders to rhythm control can be identified by their disease history, however, this is often unknown, or their response to treatment, which can only be observed once the therapy has been delivered. We propose to address these challenges by developing patient specific biophysical cardiac models to infer patient history and predict patient response to treatment to inform optimal therapy selection for individual patients. A model for simulating AF-HF in human hearts, representing all four cardiac chambers, will be created. Bayesian uncertainty quantification techniques will be used to combine physical laws, physiology, population data and measurements from individual patients into cardiac models that account for data uncertainty in model parameters and simulation predictions. Patient specific cardiac models will be used to answer three critical clinical questions in prospective studies. Models will be used to predict: if AF led to HF, or HF led to AF in AF-HF patients where the index disease is unknown, response to rhythm control therapy in AF-HF patients and in which AF-HF patient’s rate or rhythm control is best. This proposal outlines an ambitious high risk/return program to address key technical challenges in bringing predictive patient specific models into clinical studies and will apply these innovative techniques to address important clinical questions on the treatment of patients suffering AF-HF.

Mots-clés : cardiac physiome,virtual physiological human