Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : UpTrop (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
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 : 1352036.25 €

The upper troposphere (UT), a severely under-researched part of the atmosphere, has profound impacts on global climate, air quality, major atmospheric oxidants, and the protective ozone layer. Key to its influence on the Earth system are reactive nitrogen compounds (collectively NOy). Models, since their inception, have grossly misrepresented observations of UT NOy, hindering application of these models to accurately estimate the impact of humans on climate, the ozone layer, and air quality. The reasons proposed for discrepancies between models and observations are unsatisfactory, as past studies have been hampered by observations that are limited in space and time. Only now are there unprecedented global, high-resolution measurements of the UT from instruments on aircraft and satellites that can be combined with detailed and advanced modelling tools to at last tackle this issue on a global scale. The ground-breaking UpTrop work programme will innovatively combine observations from the recently launched ESA Sentinel-5P mission and a long record of aircraft campaigns (most crucially the 2016-2018 NASA ATom campaign) to create the first truly global dataset of UT NOy abundance, interpreted with the state-of-the-art GEOS-Chem model. This pioneering multiplatform approach, the bedrock of my previous highly cited work, will deliver game-changing objectives: (i) novel insights into the processes controlling UT NOy, (ii) an unequivocal account of the role of the upper troposphere in altering climate and the chemical composition of the atmosphere, and (iii) interpretation of the disruptive impact of improved understanding of UT NOy on widespread application of satellite observations to constrain global air quality. UpTrop is ambitious, with bold objectives that will conceptually change fundamental understanding of UT NOy and address a challenge that has plagued atmospheric chemists for decades. A cascade of new avenues of cross-disciplinary research is inevitable.

Mots-clés : tropomi,nasa dc8,atmospheric chemistry transport model,geos chem,ukca
Projet ERC : BIOINOHYB (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : University of Milano-Bicocca — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UNIMIB
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1748125.0 €

The use of bioinorganic nanohybrids (nanoscaled systems based on an inorganic and a biological component) has already resulted in several innovative medical breakthroughs for drug delivery, therapeutics, imaging, diagnosis and biocompatibility. However, researchers still know relatively little about the structure, function and mechanism of these nanodevices. Theoretical investigations of bioinorganic interfaces are mostly limited to force-field approaches which cannot grasp the details of the physicochemical mechanisms. The BIOINOHYB project proposes to capitalize on recent massively parallelized codes to investigate bioinorganic nanohybrids by advanced quantum chemical methods. This approach will allow to master the chemical and electronic interplay between the bio and the inorganic components in the first part of the project, and the interaction of the hybrid systems with light in the second part. The ultimate goal is to provide the design principles for novel, unconventional assemblies with unprecedented functionalities and strong impact potential in nanomedicine. More specifically, in this project the traditional metallic nanoparticle will be substituted by emerging semiconducting metal oxide nanostructures with photocatalytic or magnetic properties capable of opening totally new horizons in nanomedicine (e.g. photocatalytic therapy, a new class of contrast agents, magnetically guided drug delivery). Potentially efficient linkers will be screened regarding their ability both to anchor surfaces and to bind biomolecules. Different kinds of biomolecules (from oligopeptides and oligonucleotides to small drugs) will be tethered to the activated surface according to the desired functionality. The key computational challenge, requiring the recourse to more sophisticated methods, will be the investigation of the photo-response to light of the assembled bioinorganic systems, also with specific reference to their labelling with fluorescent markers and contrast agents.
Projet ERC : QUAMAP (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Mathematics
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 : 1107138.75 €

The use of delicate quasiconformal methods, in conjunction with convex integration and/or nonlinear Fourier analysis, will be the common theme of the proposal. A number of important outstanding problems are susceptible to attack via these methods. First and foremost, Morrey's fundamental question in two dimensional vectorial calculus of variations will be considered as well as the related conjecture of Iwaniec regarding the sharp $L^p$ bounds for the Beurling transform. Understanding the geometry of conformally invariant random structures will be one of the central goals of the proposal. Uhlmann's conjecture regarding the optimal regularity for uniqueness in Calder\'on's inverse conductivity problem will also be considered, as well as the applications to imaging. Further goals are to be found in fluid mechanics and scattering, as well as the fundamental properties of quasiconformal mappings, interesting in their own right, such as the outstanding deformation problem for chord-arc curves.

Mots-clés : vectorial calculus of variations,quasiconformal geometry,holomorphic motions,nonlinear fourier analysis,calder n s inverse problem,convex integration,chord arc curves,conformal invariance,dimer models
Projet ERC : NOTAE (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Cultures and cultural production
Entité participante : Sapienza University of Rome — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1479625.0 €

The use of graphic symbols in documentary records from the 4th to the 10th c. has so far received scant attention. ‘Graphic symbols’ are graphic signs (including alphabetical ones) drawn as a visual unit in a written text and representing something other than a word. They therefore broadly cover the semantic spectrum of the Latin ‘notae’ (signs) as opposed to ‘litterae’ (letters of the alphabet). With the gradual introduction of signature and the increasing use of papyrus from the 4th. c., the presence of graphic symbols became widespread in legal documents as it already was in other written records, and continued in post-Roman kingdoms as part of the same historical process of reception of the late antique documentary practice. Drawing symbols had a major social impact, because, provided it was done in one’s own hand, it placed on the same footing professional scribes, basic literates and illiterates. For illiterates, it certainly meant, both in the late Roman state (a Greek-Latin graphic and linguistic community) and in the post-Roman kindgdoms (as long as Latin functioned as language of vertical communication) a way of taking an active part in the writing process. A thorough investigation of this ‘other side’ of the written world can therefore provide precious insights about the spread of literacy as a whole. The available instances of graphic symbols, which number in their thousands, will be investigated in their contemporary context as well as diachronically, bringing together methods developed in the fields of palaeography, diplomatics and history. Archaeology, sociolinguistics, social anthropology and history of christianity will also provide important methodological angles. The census, description and images of these graphic symbols will be made available on the web through the relational and dynamic NOTAE-Database, which will be the main result of the project and, at the same time, the research tool for both the team members and all the interested scholars.

Mots-clés : diplomatics,juridical papyrology,literacy,graphic symbols
Projet ERC : Light-COAT (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Institut Català d'Investigació Química — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ICIQ;ICIQ-CERCA
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The use of light to trigger and control radical polymerisation is a powerful strategy for rational polymer synthesis and advanced materials. Photoinitiated polymerisation is today widely used in industry for several applications. Essential for the continued progress of the field is the discoveries of novel photoinitiators endowed with tailored properties, such as high activity at ambient temperature and the possibility to use visible light instead of UV irradiation to produce radicals in high quantum yields. Using visible light is essential for domestic applications, as there would be no hazards related to exposure to UV light. Light-COAT aims at preparing new visible-light-activated photoinitiators and evaluate their potential for the formulation of domestic coating compositions. As part of the ERC-2015-CoG project CATA-LUX (681840), focused on developing photochemical synthetic methodologies, we recently identified a family of visible-light-absorbing organic compounds with high potential to act as photoinitiators for polymer applications. These photoinitiators can be easily synthesised, are activated by weak light, including solar light or simple light-emitting-diodes, provide access to colourless polymeric materials, and have shown potential for applications in domestic indoor/outdoor coatings. These unique features make this novel family of photoinitiators suitable to enhance convenience in use (reduced drying time and improved weatherproof feature), offering a strong opportunity to improve domestic coating formulations.

Mots-clés : free radical polymerization,visible light activated photoinitiators,photochemistry,radical reactivity
Projet ERC : MolMacIP (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : University of Manchester — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2471095.0 €

The widespread use of molecular-level motion in key natural processes suggests that great rewards could come from bridging the gap between the present generation of synthetic molecular machines—which by and large rely upon switching of individual components to carry out their functions—and the machines of the macroscopic world, which utilize the synchronized behaviour of integrated components to perform tasks more complex than the sum of the components. The aim of this project is to learn how to integrate the movements and chemistries of different molecular machine components. The proposed program is divided into three themes: Theme 1: Transport and synthesis by nanomechanical substrate positioning. We will integrate switching mechanisms with components that can attach and release a substrate, in order to develop methodology for the nanomechanical manipulation of substrates. We see this theme as reminiscent of the way that substrates are passed between sites in various enzyme complexes in biology. Theme 2: Sequence-selective synthesis using molecular assembly lines. We will integrate reactive molecular appendages with rotaxanes in which the macrocycle moves along a track through brownian motion, in order to develop molecular assembly lines. This theme is reminiscent of molecular-machine-mediated sequence specific polymerisation in biology, such as protein synthesis by the ribosome and DNA synthesis by some DNA polymerases. Theme 3: Transport with chemically fuelled molecular linear motors. We shall integrate ratchet mechanisms with chemically fuelled molecular pumps and walkers and use them to transport cargo between phases and to carry out synthesis via energy ratchet mechanisms induced by chemical fuels. This theme is reminiscent of how biological molecular motors drive chemical systems away from equilibrium, thereby enabling tasks to be performed, cargo to be transported directionally and work to be done.

Mots-clés : rotaxanes,catenanes,synthetic molecular machines
Projet ERC : CLD (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
Entité participante : University of Oxford — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499381.0 €

The world is in the midst of a sea change in approaches to development. The rise of nationalist politics in the U.S., U.K. and Europe have questioned commitments to global governance at the same time that China has emerged as a champion of globalization, a turn of geo-political events that would have been unfathomable ten years ago. Through its own multi-lateral institutions, China is setting a new agenda for development from Europe to Oceania. China’s approach differs from Anglo/Euro/American approaches to “law and development” (LD). Whereas LD orthodoxy has sought to improve legal institutions in poor states, Chinese do not foster rule of law abroad. Instead, Chinese view law as one set of rules, among others, to facilitate economic transactions and not to foster democratization. This distinction has sparked a global debate about the so-called “China model” as an alternative to LD. Yet there is little empirical data with which to assess the means and ends of China’s expanded footprint, a question with long-term implications for much of the developing world. This project addresses that problem by proposing that even if Chinese cross-border development does not operate through transparent rules, it nonetheless has its own notion of order. The project adopts a multi-sited, mixed method, and interdisciplinary approach—at the intersection of comparative law, developmental studies, and legal anthropology—to understand the nature of China’s order. The project has two objectives: 1. To establish the conceptual bases for the study of China’s approach to law and development by developing the first systematic study of the impacts of Chinese investment on the legal systems of developing economies. 2. To experiment with a comparative research design to theorize how China’s approach suggests a type of order that extends through a conjuncture of regional and local processes and manifests itself differently in diverse contexts.

Mots-clés : law and development,socio legal studies,order
Projet ERC : PLAZA (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : IBM Research - Zurich — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Organismes privés (hors enseignement)
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999510.0 €

The world is on a seemingly irreversible path towards a more privacy-oriented and decentralized mode of storing and operating on data. A lot of this transformation is being enabled by advanced cryptography that’s designed to cut out the need for trusted third parties that we rely on today. The effect of this transformation is a more secure and, at the same time, a more efficient way of interaction in which the manual checks and audits are instead embedded into the cryptographic protocols themselves. Another technological development that’s on the horizon is a general-purpose quantum computer, whose utility comes from the fact that it will be able to solve some problems considerably faster than a classical computer. Because of the multitude of its positive scientific applications, building such a computer is being vigorously pursued by governments and private companies. The main negative consequence of quantum computing is that it breaks most of the cryptography that’s crucial to the privacy transformation. The main ingredient of privacy-centric cryptography is a zero-knowledge proof for showing knowledge of an x satisfying f(x) = y without revealing anything else about x. The most compact zero-knowledge proofs currently rely on the hardness of various mathematical assumptions which are no longer difficult in the presence of quantum computers. The central objective of the PLAZA project will be to create practical zero-knowledge proofs that can withstand quantum attacks by basing them on the hardness of lattice problems. Lattice problems are a very promising set of assumptions upon which to base cryptography and they are currently being used to create the most efficient quantum-resistant encryption and signature schemes. Creating more complex, but still practical, lattice-based schemes has so far proved to be a major challenge mostly due to the difficulty of constructing efficient zero-knowledge proofs – and this is the problem that the project proposes to solve.

Mots-clés : post quantum cryptography,lattice cryptography,zero knowledge
Projet ERC : NUCLEARREV (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
Entité participante : University of Leicester — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1642826.0 €

The world stands on the cusp of a major transformation in nuclear affairs. This paradigmatic shift is being driven by the development and deployment of an entirely new class of strategic weaponry, facilitated by the latest information revolution. The most important characteristics of these weapons are that they are all hi-tech and non-nuclear; that they can be used against an adversary’s nuclear forces, and that they are increasingly able to augment and even replace nuclear weapons for key national security functions. Taken together, we can think of these of these systems as Strategic Conventional Weapons (SCW), and as representing a fundamental challenge to the way that our nuclear world is managed. SCW raise questions about deterrence strategy, mutually assured destruction, future arms racing and arms control, and how best to retain and maintain global nuclear stability and peace. NUCLEARREV will therefore provide the first ever systematic scholarly study of SCW, make the case for a paradigmatic shift in nuclear studies, set the stage for a complete rethinking of the global nuclear order. The main research question is: How will Strategic Conventional Weapons change the Global Nuclear Order? To answer this the objectives are to: Chart the SCW phenomenon, globally; Analyse how SCW will impact regional nuclear relations and balances; Examine what the development of SCW means for the frameworks and dogma that govern international nuclear relations; Make the case for a revolution in nuclear affairs and define the embryonic Third Nuclear Age. This urgently required research will provide the landmark study of this phenomenon and the centrepiece for a whole new generation of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work on nuclear affairs. The project combines interviews with politicians, defence contractors, scientists, bureaucrats, and experts across the world; an innovative War Game exercise, as well as extensive archival research and Regional Feedback Workshops.

Mots-clés : nuclear weapons,deterrence,cyber,nuclear revolution,strategic stability,proliferation,arms racing,disarmament,third nuclear age
Projet ERC : BANTURIVERS (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The study of the human past
Entité participante : Université Libre de Bruxelles — Pays : Belgique — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ULB
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1427821.0 €

The “Bantu Expansion”, a research theme within the precolonial history of Central Africa, unites scholars of different disciplines. Much research is focused on the initial expansions of Bantu subgroups, which are explained as farmers ever looking for new lands and therefore avoiding the rainforest, also in the recent research on the “Savannah Corridor”. We want to study a crossroads of different Bantu expansions in the very heart of the Central-African rainforest, namely the eastern part of the Congo Basin (the Congo River and its tributaries up- and downstream of Kisangani until Bumba and Kindu). The region hosts multiple language groups from Bantu and other origin, complex ethnic identities and people practicing complementary subsistence strategies. Considering that farming is complicated in a rainforest environment, we will investigate the role of rivers in the settlement of these speech communities into the area, both as ways into the forest and as abundant source of animal protein (fish). The project is multidisciplinary and will apply an integrated linguistic, anthropological and archaeological approach to study both present and past riverside communities in the Congo Basin. Historical comparative linguistics will offer insights into the historical relations between speech communities through language classification and the study of language contact, and will study specialized vocabulary to trace the history of river-related techniques, tools and knowledge. Anthropological research involves extensive fieldwork concerning ethnoecology, trade and/or exchange networks, sociocultural aspects of life at the riverside, and ethnohistory. Archaeologists will conduct surveys in the region of focus to provide a chrono-cultural framework.

Mots-clés : bantu expansion,precolonial history of central africa,historical comparative linguistics,cultural anthropology,ethnoecology,archaeology,congo basin,congo river,equatorial rainforest
Projet ERC : i-LiDAR (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Systems and communication engineering
Entité participante : Centre national de la recherche scientifique — Pays : France — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : CNRS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 150000.0 €

The “i-LiDAR” PoC project addresses the realisation of high-resolution and high-frame rate imaging systems. Relying on a combination of newly developed planar optical components, known as metasurfaces to achieve large deflection angles, with existing opto-mechanical systems, known for their high-speed light modulations, we will realize new light detection and ranging devices. The proof of concept devices are of great interests for both civil and military applications. Improving the scanning rate by orders of magnitude while preserving a continuous beam steering capabilities, could enable new high-speed applications. Fast imaging i-LiDAR system could be of interest for self-driven cars, giving them sufficiently fast ‘‘visual’’ recognition in order to adjust the driving conditions in real time, for example to drive on highways

Mots-clés : semiconductor,metamaterials,metasurfaces,antennas,lidar