Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : YEELP (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Cultures and cultural production
Entité participante : National University of Ireland — Pays : Irlande — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : NUI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1065132.5 €

YEELP is the first in-depth, comparative, transnational and interdisciplinary study of the intersection between European youth and the preservation of minority or regional European languages in the period since 1900. The project focuses on three languages of differing statuses and rates of usage – Irish, Welsh and Catalan – and it unites two growing fields of contemporary scholarship: the study of youth, and the study of language preservation. In the study of minority and regional language preservation, the roles and voices of youths – those between 12 and 19 years of age – have been consistently overlooked. In order to address this fundamental gap in contemporary research, this project takes a multifaceted approach to the intersection between youth and language. It does so at a critical period for the study of endangered European languages, with several languages in decline and some facing extinction. Until youth is included in considerations of language preservation, we will not be able to answer the question of why some languages thrive while others die out. Through four innovative methodological strands: a study of second-level educational policy (youth as object); an examination of extracurricular language initiatives (youth as agent); an analysis of young adult literature (youth as subject); and the provision of a forum through which the voice of youths themselves will be heard (youth as advocate), the project will explore how bilingual youths have adapted to, and engaged with, two languages and often two cultures. The project is potentially groundbreaking: through its historical, literary and grassroots approach of engaging with youths themselves, the project aims to substantially extend the state-of-the-art. YEELP offers a model for European research in the fields of the history of youth, language studies, young adult literature and beyond, while also informing international minority and regional language planning into the future.

Mots-clés : youth,minority and regional languages,language preservation,young adult literature
Projet ERC : ZABCAT (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Proof of concept grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Entité participante : Centre for Electrochemical Technologies — Pays : Espagne — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : CIDETEC
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 64500.0 €

Zinc-air rechargeable batteries are a promising alternative for sustainable energy storage, thanks to their high energy density and the use of abundant materials with low environmental impact, as well as their safe operation. However, they still have some technological limitations that prevent their current capacity from being completely satisfactory, especially because of the degradation that occurs at the cathode and corrosion of the anode, which ultimately limit both the reversibility and a long battery life. The proposed methodology allows to protect the (electro)catalytic centers. In this way, it is intended to extend its useful life, improving both its behavior in real conditions, and solving the existing problems in the electrodes. Thus, based on this technology, new electrodes will be manufactured that will later be tested in pre-industrial battery prototypes

Mots-clés : bifunctional air catalyst,secondary zinc air battery,bifunctional air electrode,aqueous alkaline electrolyte,optimized preindustrial cell prototype
Projet ERC : DUT-signal (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy
Entité participante : University of Glasgow — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 2036192.0 €

dUTPases (DUTs) are enzymes that regulate cellular dUTP levels to prevent the misincorporation of uracil into DNA. Recently however, DUTs have been involved in the control of relevant cellular processes. How these regulatory functions are controlled remains unsolved. The recent elucidation of the mechanistic role of DUTs in the transfer of staphylococcal pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) by our group has revealed an entirely novel and surprising strategy involving DUTs in signalling. Namely, we have demonstrated that in addition to the 5 classical domains present in all the trimeric DUTs, staphylococcal phage-encoded DUT proteins possess an extra region (Motif VI) involved in SaPI de-repression by binding to the SaPI-encoded repressor (Stl). Although this domain is necessary, it does not suffice to induce the SaPI cycle. Unexpectedly, the strongly conserved DUT motif V is also inherently involved in mediating de-repression. Crystallographic and mutagenic analyses have demonstrated that binding to dUTP orders the C-terminal motif V of phage-encoded DUTs, potentially rendering these proteins in the conformation required for SaPI de-repression. In contrast, conversion into the apo state conformation by the hydrolysis of the bound dUTP disorders motif V and generates a protein that is unable to induce the SaPI cycle. Analogously, previous work demonstrated that the trimeric rat DUT interacts with the transcriptional factor PPARα, an interaction that depends on an “extra” N-terminal motif VI present in the DUT protein and requires the C-terminal domain contribution, strongly supporting in general the mechanism involving DUTs in signalling. In summary, our results suggest that DUTs define a widespread family of signalling molecules that acts analogously to eukaryotic G-proteins. This project stems from this ground-breaking result, and will investigate the biological role of DUTs as signalling molecules, opening up the possibility to establish dUTP as a new second messenger.

Mots-clés : dutpase,signalling,dutp,bacteriophage,staphylococcus aureus,enterococcus,toxoplasma,plasmodium
Projet ERC : e-DOTS (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Products and processes engineering
Entité participante : University of Trieste — Pays : Italie — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UNITS
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 679768.75 €

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 : noMAGIC (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Entité participante : Technical University of Darmstadt — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : Partner
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 583865.0 €

noMAGIC has the visionary goal of engineering genetically encoded ion channels, which can be remotely controlled (gated) by stimuli that penetrate deep into human tissue without negative side effects. The control over ion channel activity by deep penetrating stimuli will revolutionize research in neurobiology and physiology as it paves the way for remote and genuine non-invasive control of cell activity in vivo. Synthetic channels, which can be gated by magnetic fields (MF), near infrared (NIR) radiation or ultrasound (US) will be engineered in the frame of noMAGIC by three complementary work packages (WP1-3). Design and engineering of the channels will be performed in WP1 by reiterated steps of rational and irrational design, high throughput screening and in vitro and in vivo functional testing. We have identified two sensor modules for MF and NIR radiation, respectively, which will be functionally connected to a channel pore for a remote control of gating. For the US-gated channel we will engineer a channel pore that is maximally responding to local changes in the lipid environment induced by US. Design and engineering of channels will be complemented by a computational approach (WP2), which analyses, from elastic network models, the mechanical connections in the channel pore and which extracts information on the forces, which are required to gate a channel by the three stimuli. The outcome of WP2 will provide general design rules for synthetic channels with implications much beyond the present project. WP3 also contributes to the engineering effort in WP1 by a spectrum of avant-garde spectroscopic methods, which resolve structural changes of the channel proteins under the influence of remote stimuli. These structural insights will greatly advance our understanding of structure/function correlates in composite ion channels and it will inspire the design and engineering of channels, which respond to remote stimuli.

Mots-clés : ion channels,gating,optogenetics,k  channels
Projet ERC : urbisphere (Horizon 2020, appel 2019, Synergy grants)
Entité participante : University of Reading — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3019919.0 €

urbisphere will change how the scientific community conceptualises, characterizes and forecasts cities in the climate system and in urban planning, by developing a radically new approach to integrate multiple dimensions of urban change, their interaction and feedbacks. It aims to forecast and project urban futures and climates in a dynamic framework considering weather, air quality, differential exposure and vulnerability of people at neighbourhood to city scale. It will provide new insights into existing and emerging risks, based on a synergistic effort across disciplines which currently work mostly in parallel. Urban-Surface Models (USM) and Human Exposure and Vulnerability models (HEV) will be developed and coupled to improve the forecasting of exposure, emissions, and intervention potentials in cities. This will transform emergency/risk management, atmospheric forecasting and long-term urban development/adaptation strategies in the urban sphere. The system will use a real-time 4D Smart Urban Observation System (SmUrObS) to provide targeted urban form/function/emissions/exposure data using novel ground and remote sensing technology. The USM-HEV-SmUrObS system will equip us with: 1) a deep understanding of socio-economic dynamics and human behaviour and responses to weather and climate, economic (and other) drivers that transform cities’ exposure and vulnerability to climate change-related hazards (like heat); 2) a consistent method that can be scaled from detailed high-resolution modelling of intra-neighbourhood scale characteristics, to climate and socio-economic modelling and assessment at city, regional and global scales; 3) an approach that can inform global climate and global vulnerability and risk modelling; will allow consistent downscaling to the city for decision making for local urban risk and resilience management; and provide information on the dynamic nexus of exposure and vulnerability of people in cities.

Mots-clés : urban climate,dynamic systems modelling,urban surface models,human exposure and vulnerability,smart urban observation systems,energy,water,carbon and air quality exchanges
Projet ERC : SkewPref (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Entité participante : Heidelberg University — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 366338.9 €

“Penny-picking in front of a steamroller” describes the behavior of repeatedly taking risks with an unlikely but extreme downside in order to secure a small but likely benefit. Examples of penny-picking include risking one’s life by driving too fast or blowing up financial bubbles by speculating that they will not burst just yet. Penny-picking suggests that people underweight rare, high-impact events when making their decisions. On the other hand, individuals overpay for lottery gambles and insurances alike, suggesting just the opposite—that people overweight rare, high-impact events. The goal of this project is to provide a fundamental understanding of humans’ skewness preferences—our attitudes toward rare, high-impact risks. I show that skewness preferences are much more influential on behavior than previously realized and thus must take a central place in the economic analysis of risk. The reason is that skewness preferences have unexpected and far-reaching implications in dynamic decision situations, and I will study their complex interaction with time. I pursue this research agenda in three steps. First, I focus on static, one-time decision situations and define skewness preferences formally. I show that the leading economic theories—often implicitly—assign first-order importance to skewness preferences and that this observation explains much of these theories’ success. Second, I study skewness preferences in dynamic settings and analyze their complex interaction with time preferences. I propose a new model that identifies the role of skewness for repeated risk-taking. Third, I test my theoretical contributions through experiments on rare, high-impact risks in static and repeated decision situations, using a relatively novel experimental technique to implement rare, high-impact events. Out of the theoretical explanations established, I seek to identify the fundamental reasons behind phenomena such as penny-picking or the underweighting-overweighting paradox.

Mots-clés : risk,decisions and behavior,time preferences,prospect theory,prudence
Projet ERC : POINTS (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Entité participante : University of London — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : U. London
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 0.0 €

“Social perception” has emerged as an umbrella term to describe research addressing the visual perception of others. To date, this discipline has focused on the perception of individuals; for example, researchers have examined the visual processing of faces and facial expressions, body shapes and postures, actions and kinematics. The resulting body of research suggests that social stimuli are detected by specialised mechanisms, recruit dedicated perceptual models, and are processed by particular neural substrates. However, while social perception research has made considerable progress elucidating the visual perception of individuals, virtually nothing is known about the visual perception of social interactions; how we detect, encode, and interpret visual displays of social interactions viewed from third-person perspectives. Given the adaptive value of accurate interaction interpretation, this paucity of knowledge represents a remarkable gap in our understanding of social perception. POINTS will develop a battery of original behavioural and neuroimaging paradigms to reveal the neurocognitive mechanisms that mediate this essential form of social perception. The overarching objective of POINTS will be achieved by addressing five research questions: 1) Do observers exhibit evidence of interaction detection mechanisms? 2) How do we process fleeting visual displays of social interactions? 3) How do we represent dynamic interaction change? 4) Do specialised neural substrates mediate interaction perception? 5) Do some observers exhibit impaired interaction perception? The POINTS project represents a significant step-change in social perception research. Understanding the mechanisms of interaction perception will provide new insights into the organisation of the human visual system, and will inform attempts to remediate socio-cognitive and perceptual deficits in neurodevelopmental populations, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Mots-clés : social perception,face perception,body perception,facial expressions,autism spectrum disorder,visual perception
Projet ERC : LoC (Horizon 2020, appel 2015, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Social Sciences and Humanities
Panel : The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Entité participante : University of St Andrews — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 445362.0 €

“The human imagination remains one of the last uncharted territories of the mind” - Ruth Byrne, The Rational Imagination Our mind represents non-actual scenarios to extract information from them. We cannot experience beforehand which situations are or will be actual. So we explore them in our imagination, leaving our perceptions offline: ‘What would happen if...?’. The cognitive importance of this activity is hardly overestimated. But what is its *logic*? The orthodox logical treatment of representational mental states comes from modal logic’s possible worlds semantics: the modal analysis of knowledge, belief, information, was taken up by philosophy, linguistics, and Artificial Intelligence. However, the approach faces major problems. By systematically addressing them, the Logic of Conceivability (LoC) project will yield a paradigm shift in our understanding of the logic of human imagination. One major purely logical problem is that mainstream epistemic logics model cognitive agents as logically omniscient, thus as disconnected from the reality of human, fallible minds. One major philosophical problem concerns the entailment from conceivability to so-called absolute possibility in ‘thought experiments’ of theoretical philosophy: how does conceiving a scenario give evidence of its possibility? LoC will address such issues via the techniques of non-classical logics with non-normal worlds semantics. It will make logically precise the distinction, taken from cognitive science, between Fast Thinking (associative, context-sensitive) and Slow Thinking (rule-based, analytic). It will show how omniscience is avoided, and evidence of absolute possibility is achieved, in different manners in the Fast and Slow Way. Based at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation, and advised by a Board of researchers from Europe, the US, and Australia, LoC will deliver high-impact outputs in top journals, a book, and knowledge dissemination results for non-specialists.

Mots-clés : non classical logics,paraconsistent logic,worlds semantics,non normal worlds,epistemic logic,intentionality,knowledge  and belief  representation,cognition,cognitive information processing
Projet ERC : COMB (Horizon Europe, appel 2021, Advanced grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental Constituents of Matter
Entité participante : Forschungsverbund Berlin — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : FVB
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 3139515.97 €

Precise frequency measurements enable accurate determinations of physical constants, stringent tests of fundamental theories and searches for possible drifts of the fundamental constants. Simple atoms, hydrogen in particular, have long been the dedicated systems for confronting experimental data and accurate quantum electrodynamics theoretical calculations. With continued progress to ab initio calculations, precision measurements in small molecules, such as molecular hydrogen H2, are gaining much relevance and may be envisioned as an independent way to determine fundamental constants and to test quantum-chemistry theory. In this project, we will develop an instrument of precision molecular spectroscopy, based on frequency combs, broad spectra composed of equidistant narrow lines whose absolute frequency can be known within the accuracy of an atomic clock. Building on our unique know-how, this revolutionary ultraviolet spectrometer will simultaneously combine broad spectral coverage, Doppler-free resolution and extreme accuracy for precise studies of small molecules. Using two-photon excitation and dual-comb spectroscopy with comb lasers of low repetition frequency, we will devise an optical analogue of the Ramsey-fringe method where many molecular transitions will be simultaneously and unambiguously observed and assigned. While such a spectrometer will enable significant progress in our understanding of the structure of many small molecules, it will first be applied to absolute-frequency measurements of rovibronic transitions in the EF – X system of H2 around 3000 THz. The measured frequencies can be used to benchmark molecular theory in the involved ground and excited states. They may contribute to an improved determination of the dissociation energy of H2, set new basis for an independent determination of the proton-charge radius and for searches of variations of the proton-electron mass ratio via comparison to astrophysical measurements.

Mots-clés : optical frequency combs precision spectroscopy molecular spectroscopy frequency metrology tests of fundamental physics