Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Chasing sustainability: Synthesis of carboxylic acids from simple alcohols via CO2 fixation (ALCO2HOL)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-03-02
End date: 2015-03-01
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 166336.2
EU funding (EUR): 166336.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Since the industrial revolution our society has altered the pace of the carbon cycle by extracting and burning fossil fuels, such as oil, gas or coal. Actually, one of the most fundamental gaps in catalysis is the use of alternative feedstocks such as carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce chemicals. In this regard, the development of “perfect chemical reactions” that maximizes the yield while not generating waste would be highly desirable. In this context, the most promising area of research is the metal-catalyzed activation of inert bonds, thus allowing the elaboration of complex substrates from simple precursors with no waste being generated. While most of the current research on inert bond activation is focused on the activation of C-H bonds, the functionalization of truly inert C-O bonds is still at its infancy. Among these, the activation of ubiquitous C-OH such as phenol or simple aliphatic alcohols is virtually unexplored and it represents a new avenue of research. Beyond any reasonable doubt, conducting basic and fundamental research by making chemicals from CO2 and simple C-OH bonds would definitely open new horizons in catalysis. ALCO2HOL will offer innovative, challenging and unconceivable approaches to convert simple alcohols into carboxylic acid motifs, perhaps the most important backbones in pharmaceuticals. This approach will face fundamental problems from the scientific standpoint without losing sight its environmental and economical implications. Given the importance of using renewable sources in a sustainable society, I believe ALCO2HOL will dramatically change concepts in catalysis, allowing new tactics to be implemented in organic chemistry and consequently, enhancing the ever-growing quality of the European research.

Keywords: che,c112 catalysis,c141 organic chemistry,c131 environment chemistry,c114 chemical reactions
The relationship between Aspirations, Expectations and Achievement: Analysing the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (RAEAA)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-09-01
End date: 2015-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 309235.2
EU funding (EUR): 309235.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The literature on educational aspirations, expectations and achievement provides a puzzled picture about the causal relationship between these concepts. This relationship has been under study since the late 1960s and early 1970s, yet, it is not at all clear whether there is a causal relationship between aspirations, expectations and achievement. It is not clear when and under what conditions high aspirations precede great achievement or whether high expectations are a reliable predictor for future success. The proposed study will use the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England and the National Pupil Database to offer a new approach of conceptualising the relationship between aspirations, expectations and achievement amongst majority and minority pupils in England. It aims to map out all of the possible situations of aligned and misaligned future orientation (aspirations, expectations and achievement) and the factors that determine each of these situations (e.g. family context and class, school context and locality context). In the first part of the study I will formulate a comprehensive new theory of the relationship between these concepts (new typology of aligned/misaligned future orientation). This will cover various aspects of the relationship between aspirations, expectations and achievement, focussing on the mechanisms through which success within schools is determined for majority and minority pupils. Drawing on insights from the first part, the second part will empirically examine the new theoretical framework by exploring how family and school contexts affect the extent of alignment between aspirations, expectations and achievement. This part draws on extensive longitudinal and multilevel analysis of the above rich data. The analysis will resolve the puzzled picture of the relationship between aspirations, expectations and achievement and pave the way for both further research and new policies to tackle underachievement.

Keywords: education,educational aspirations and expectations,schools,families,social structure,inequality,social mobility
Europe for the Hearts and Minds: The Role of the News Media and Emotions in Creating European Citizens (EMOCITI)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-06-17
End date: 2014-06-16
Duration (months): 12.0
Total project cost (EUR): 110803.2
EU funding (EUR): 110803.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

In times of ailing public support and claims of a legitimacy deficit, one of the most crucial tasks of the EU is to find out if its citizens consider themselves European, i.e. are willing to be active European citizens. This task will be addressed by the Commission in 2013, the European Year of Citizens, which aims at creating awareness of EU citizenship rights. Whether there is an evolution of the European public into a society of active European citizens, however, also depends on how the media cover the EU every day. Research suggests that, beyond providing information, it is the media’s potential to cause emotions that will significantly predict how “European” citizens feel and act. The role of emotions is thus one very important aspect of media influence in the EU citizenship context, but surprisingly a severely understudied one. Therefore, I propose two experiments that will study if and how emotions in the news media influence perceptions of European citizenship. Each experiment will be carried out in the UK, the Netherlands, France and Greece. I will first investigate, if emotion-eliciting new stories (e.g., an article about fear of financial losses) have stronger effects on European citizenship than stories that consist of only factual information. To specify this effect, I will also test, if this effects depends on whether positive (e.g., enthusiasm) or negative (e.g., anger) emotions are at play. I have a strong background in media effects research, and have investigated the role of emotions in political communication. This complements the Scientist in charge’s (Dr. Michael Bruter) expertise on European citizenship. The research will be conducted at The London School of Economics and Political Science, one of the world’s leading universities in the field of EU politics and political communication. This excellent training environment will ensure the successful execution of the project and will be vital for the development of my future academic career.

Keywords: political communication,european citizenship,emotions,media effects,s113 communication networks - media - information society,s107 transformation of societies - democratization - social movements
Ageing Migrants' Well-being: The Structuring of Local Welfare Provisions at the Intersection of Public, Private, Third Sector and the Family (AGEWELL)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2014-05-01
End date: 2016-09-15
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 184709.4
EU funding (EUR): 184709.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project’s scope is to advance the state-of-the-art research in the area of ageing migrants, local welfare regimes and care provisions. The project focuses on three dimensions: 1) local welfare policies with a focus on care for ageing migrants; 2) the role of the family as an informal care provider and 3) the care by ageing migrants. The results would serve to expand the knowledge base of local welfare policies capable to contribute to the well being of ageing migrants. Lately there has been increasing awareness that some migrants are reaching the retirement age at the destination and some people choose to migrate after retirement. Like in many other European countries, in Switzerland, occurs a rapid ageing of the migrant population. From the heterogeneous group of ageing migrants, two sub-groups will be chosen – labour migrants from after WWII and the refugees – which exist in many European countries. Particular attention will be given categories at risk: separated women and the ‘older old’. To address these interdisciplinary issues, the project will employ mixed-methods, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. There will be done a quantitative analysis of the ageing migrants population in Switzerland, there will be conducted interviews with ageing migrants and with local stakeholders in the welfare provisions in three selected regions, and there will be done a policy and institutional analysis of local policies with respect to care. The project conducts several comparisons – between ageing migrant groups and between regions – in order to underline differences and similarities, and explore the causalities leading to these outcomes. The expected results would be to 1) develop conceptual framework for analysing the evolving notion of welfare by focusing on the dynamics between public, private and third sector; 2) underline the contribution of ageing migrants in society and 3) explore the limitations of the family in welfare provisions.
Metabolic engineering of triterpenoid pathways involved in plant defense in Arabidopsis and rice (METDEF)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-03-04
End date: 2015-03-03
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221606.4
EU funding (EUR): 221606.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Plants produce a diversity array of natural products (otherwise known as secondary metabolites) that have important ecological functions (Dixon 2001; Field and Osbourn 2008). Triterpenes are one of the largest classes of plant-derived natural products. These compounds protect plants against pests and diseases and are also important as drugs and anticancer agents (Papadopoulou et al 1999; Phillips et al 2006; Liby et al 2007). Arabidopsis and also cereals such as rice do not make protective triterpene glycosides (Hostettmann & Marston, 1995; Vincken et al 2007). These model species are therefore excellent experimental systems for proof-of-concept experiments involving metabolic engineering of triterpene pathways into heterologous species. The aim of this proposal is to engineer triterpene metabolic pathways into Arabidopsis and rice by genetic modification. As part of this work I will develop methods for introducing multiple genes into plants using recombineering and synthetic biology approaches. At the end of this project we will have the necessary knowledge to devise strategies to introduce multiple genes into diverse plant species for control of plant pests and diseases based on synthesis of protective triterpenes.

Keywords: natural science/ triterpenes /arabidopsis/ rice/ diseases
Plant evolutionary and ethnobotanical diversity changes along an altitudinal gradient (BIODIVERSITYALTITUDE)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Denmark
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2014-06-01
End date: 2016-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221154.6
EU funding (EUR): 221154.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal, BIODIVERSITYALTITUDE, is for a 24 months intra-European career development fellowship at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen in Denmark (host institution). In summary, this project investigates plant biodiversity and usage dynamics within plant communities using a cross-disciplinary framework spanning ecology (altitude), biodiversity (species numbers), evolution (phylogeny), and ethnobotany. Using a comprehensive generic phylogeny of the Nepalese Himalayan flora, extensive elevation distributional data of plants in the flora of Nepal, and ethnobotanical information from the literature, this study will explore changes in biodiversity, phylogenetic diversity, and plant usage along an altitudinal gradient. This project will aim to reveal patterns in biodiversity turnover along an altitudinal gradient using modern evolutionary methods. It will also investigate the dynamics of plant usage along this gradient. By shedding light on the processes that shape plant biodiversity and plant usage along ecological gradients, the results from this study will help us understand how to best protect and utilise biodiversity sustainably, which is particularly timely in the face of imminent climatic changes. Dr. Charilaos Haris Saslis-Lagoudakis has studied and worked in several institutions in Greece and the United Kingdom. He has applied modern approaches to understand evolutionary patterns in biodiversity and ethnobotany and, at the age of 28, he has produced several publications in some of the best journals of different fields, as well as in general science journals. The additional scientific and technical skills and expertise gained during this IEF will be of great value to Dr Saslis-Lagoudakis in the next phase of his research career. He will also gain a series of valuable complementary skills in project management and career planning, leading to his maturation into an independent researcher.

Keywords: v302 biodiversity - comparative biology,v304 conservation biology - ecology - genetics,v309 systems evolution - biological adaptation - phylogenetics - systematics
Functional analysis of RasGRP1 SNPs in autoimmune disease. (AUTOIMMUNITY RASGRP1)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Outgoing Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IOF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-09-01
End date: 2017-01-15
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 259745.1
EU funding (EUR): 259745.1
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Autoimmunity is caused by chronic inflammation mediated by T- and B-lymphocytes. Thus far, treatment of autoimmunity consists of general immune suppressants, causing unwarranted side effects, without curing disease. Therefore, the need for a specific treatment targeting the cause of disease is growing. In this fellowship will focus on elucidating how SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) in RasGRP1 play a role in aberrant lymphocyte activity in patients with autoimmunity. RasGRP1 is critical in the activation of Ras, resulting in lymphocyte activation. Preliminary data show that a point mutation in Rasgrp1, Rasgrp1Anaef, results in autoimmunity in mice, characterized by anti-nuclear antibodies and activated CD4+ T cells. Moreover, Rasgrp1Anaef/wildtype heterozygote mice show a similar phenotype, arguing that one wildtype allele cannot compensate for the Rasgrp1Anaef allele. We have established that hypomorphic Rasgrp1 variants can exert a dominant negative effect, which relies on coiled-coil mediated dimerization with wildtype Rasgrp1. This new concept of RasGRP1 dimerization, suggests that monoallelic, non-synonymous RasGRP1 variants may affect the activity of a RasGRP1 dimer in patients. In the proposed fellowship, I will: (1) Model non-synonymous SNPs in patients to our structure of RasGRP1 and test the functional effect, (2) Establish how dimerization affects RasGRP1 function, and (3) Establish if RasGRP1 signaling is aberrant in lymphocytes of patients. This will help us understand how autoimmunity comes about, and will provide new potential strategies for development of more specific therapies. I anticipate that these RasGRP1-centric studies will function as a paradigm for future studies on dysregulated signaling pathways in autoimmune T cells. This fellowship will put me in an excellent position to start my independent research in Europe, introducing functional research of SNPs in key lymphocyte signaling molecules to the field of (pediatric) rheumatology.

Keywords: autoimmunity,t cells,snp analysis,l107 structural biology,l101 molecular biology and interactions,l108 biochemistry of signal transduction,l612 biological basis of immunity related disorders
Loss of freezing tolerance under warm conditions and low temperature memory in the closely related species Arabidopsis thaliana and Thellungiella salsuginea – metabolomic and transcriptomic approaches (PLANTCOLDMEMORY)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, 2012)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2016-02-29
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 161968.8
EU funding (EUR): 161968.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Cold limits the geographical distribution, yield and growth season of both native vegetation and crops. Temperate perennials show an increase in freezing tolerance under low temperatures. This cold acclimation process involves massive changes in gene expression and metabolite contents. Plants lose freezing tolerance after transfer back to warm temperatures by de-acclimation. While cold acclimation has been studied extensively, de-acclimation and the persistence of the acclimated state under warm conditions (memory phase) have not attracted much attention. Therefore, the physiological and molecular mechanisms that determine the extent of this memory under a given condition remain to be identified. Also, how such a memory phase may influence a subsequent low temperature response has only rarely been investigated on the phenotypic level (i.e. as increased freezing tolerance termed ‘re-acclimation’) and not at all on the molecular level. In this project we aim to: (1) physiologically and biochemically characterize the cold acclimation, memory and re-acclimation responses in natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana and its close relative Thellungiella salsuginea. (2) Investigate the metabolic reprogramming as a result of the treatments using GC-ToF-MS metabolite profiling and (3) unravel the transcriptional and post-transcriptional responses of the plants to these treatments using microarray hybridization on total mRNA as well as qRT-PCR on total mRNA and mRNA derived from polysomes. Objective 4 is to identify preferentially regulated functional classes of genes and identify metabolic pathways of particular importance during the different temperature responses in the two species using various bioinformatic approaches. The results will increase our understanding of regulation and mechanisms of de-acclimation and the potential of plants to ‘remember’ stressful conditions and modify their reactions to a subsequent low-temperature event.

Keywords: arabidopsis thaliana,climate change,de-acclimation,freezing tolerance,metabolomics,transcriptomics,post-transcriptional regulation,re-acclimation,stress memory,thellungiella salsuginea
Detecting and characterizing radio transients (RADIOTRANSIENTS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF, 2012)
Start date: 2013-06-04
End date: 2015-06-03
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221606.4
EU funding (EUR): 221606.4
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Recent technological advances place radio astronomy on the brink of a revolution, with survey capabilities about to improve dramatically. The newly completed northern hemisphere Low-Frequency ARray (LOFAR), and the future Karoo Array Telescope (MeerKAT) in the south, are two of the three new-generation radio telescopes driving this progress. It will now be possible, for the first time, to perform radio surveys sufficiently sensitive and wide to efficiently detect rapid, rare transients. Extreme astrophysical events, such as neutron star mergers and relativistic jet ejection from accreting black holes, are expected to show up amongst these radio transients. Such sources allow a glimpse of the laws of physics operating in conditions too extreme to be reproduced in a laboratory. The processes involved are of fundamental relevance in star and planet formation, galaxy evolution, and gamma-ray bursts. Furthermore, some classes of transients are expected to be the electromagnetic counterparts of bright gravitational wave sources. I propose to exploit the unprecedented new radio survey capacity to study high-energy processes in astrophysics. In particular, I will share an International Incoming Fellowship between the University of Southampton (UK) and the University of Cape Town (South Africa) -- two institutes uniquely well-positioned in the exciting new field of radio transients. There, I will utilize my extensive experience of optical/infrared observational astronomy, as well as numerical modelling, to characterize a variety of radio transients, in order to secure their astrophysical interpretation. This will allow us to study normally quiescent super-massive black holes, probe relativistic accretion and jet formation, measure kinetic feedback into the ambient medium, test theoretical models of the evolution of black hole and neutron star binaries, and perhaps to identify coherent radio bursts at cosmological distances.

Keywords: p301 astronomy - astrophysics and cosmology,high-energy astrophysics,accretion,jets,radio transients,x-ray binaries