Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Nanostructured Mesoporous Polyoxometalate and Transition Metal-substituted Polyoxometalate Materials: Applications in Heterogeneous Catalysis (MESOPOMS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Greece
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IRG-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2008-09-01
End date: 2012-08-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The synthesis of nanostructured mesoporous polyoxometalates with high internal surface area and ordered or/and hierarchical pore structure remains an open challenge. This proposal aims to the development of such nanostructures. On one hand mesoporous materials with well-defined pore structure and high internal surface area are of great scientific and technological interest because of the possibility of tailoring their pore structure and framework composition. On the other hand metal-oxygen cluster anions of the early transition metals, commonly referred to as polyoxometalates and transition metal-substituted polyoxometalates, are important supramolecular inorganic nanoclusters with wide range of chemical structures and physicochemical properties and, thus attractive for applications such as photocatalysts, redox catalysts, electrochemical sensors and magnetic and optoelectronic devices. It would be very interesting to combine the shape selectivity of a mesoporous solid with the catalytic, optoelectronic and magnetic properties of a polyoxometalate cluster. Polyoxometalate clusters can provide novel building blocks, when they became nanostructured, promising new type of multifunctional nanomaterials We intend to establish new synthetic strategies toward nanostructured polyoxometalate-based mesoporous materials with well-defined pore structure and high internal surface area. For example purely inorganic and organic-supported nanostructured POM-based materials such as SiO2-, TiO2-, Al2O3-, SnO2-POM and {Q}-POM (where (POM= [(Mn,Ni)Mo9O32]6-, [(Co,Zn)PW11O39]5-, [(Eu)W10O36]9- and Q= 4,4-bipyridine, [Ag2(CH3CN)4]2+, (R’O)3SiRSi(OR’)3) will be explored. Integration of these POM nanostructures in thin film morphology will also be attempted. The resulted mesoporous polyoxometalates are expected of considerable performance in catalytic applications in reduction-oxidation of pollutant NOx and SOx gases and in epoxidation/oxidation of alkanes and alkenes.

Keywords: inorganic chemistry,polyoxometalates,metal-oxygen clusters,mesoporous,nanostrusctures,heterogeneous catalysis
Role of EIN3 and ethylene signaling in Arabidopsis development (ETSIGDEV)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-ERG-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2008-11-01
End date: 2011-10-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 45000.0
EU funding (EUR): 45000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Hormones play a critical role throughout the entire life cycle of plants. The gas ethylene is, together with auxin, one of the earliest characterized plant hormones. Ethylene distinguishes itself among the other plants hormones by its simple hydrocarbon structure (C2H4) and its gaseous nature. This simple molecule, however, plays a major role in plant growth and development by influencing a wide range of complex physiological processes throughout the entire plant life cycle, from seed germination to flowering, fruit ripening, and senescence. A basic challenge in biology is, therefore, to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie ethylene action. Ethylene signaling begins with ethylene binding to and inactivating a family of ethylene receptors. In the absence of ethylene, these receptors activate CTR1 a MAPKKK (mitogen activating protein kinase kinase kinase) that negatively regulates the pathway. After the inactivation of CTR1, EIN2 promotes ethylene responses via the downstream transcription factor EIN3 and most likely also via its close homolog EIL1. EIN3 activates primary targets of the ethylene response cascade such as ERF1. Recent work by Ortega-Martinez et al. (2008) suggest a role of ethylene signaling in the regulation of stem cell fate. Furthermore the phenotype of ebf1ebf2 hypomorphic double mutants, that have over-accumulation of EIN3 protein, shows several strong developmental defects such as pronounced dwarfism, abnormally small flowers with protruding gynoecium, rosettes with small sized leaves and male sterility. In addition ebf1ebf2 double null mutants have been described that are seedling lethal and develop disorganized tumor-like shoot tissue, a feature previously unknown for ethylene mutants. In this project, we propose to investigate the role of EIN3 during ethylene response using molecular and genetic approaches.

Keywords: natural sciences,ein3,ethylene,auxin,meristem,cell fate/differentiation,ebf1/2,proteolysis-ubiquitin dependent
A novel modular solar air source heat pump system (SOLARIS)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Research for SMEs
Action type: Research for the benefit of specific groups
Countries involved: United Kingdom,Germany,Netherlands,United Kingdom,Spain,Spain,Ireland,Norway,Germany,United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-SME-2008-1, 2008)
Start date: 2009-03-01
End date: 2011-02-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1425077.62
EU funding (EUR): 1067285.0
Participants: 11
Project status: CLOSED

There are 195 million households in Europe whose combined domestic heating needs account for 26% of Europe’s energy demand and 500 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Reducing this will be important if Europe is to achieve ambitious emission reduction targets, reduce its excessive reliance on imported energy and the decrease costs to households and industry. The most effective way to decentralise energy production is to increase the amount of generation at source, in this case within the home. A common barrier to the adoption of most energy saving technologies is the high initial investment cost which results in long payback periods considering current energy prices. However, with prices on the rise, existing technologies such as solar thermal heating systems and heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular. Although both are reasonably efficient, existing solar thermal heating systems generally only provide up to 60% of a typical household’s annual hot water demand. Air source heat pumps are more effective and can provide up to 100% of total household heating requirements but their performance decreases significantly in winter and they suffer from frost-build up. As these technologies are becoming commodity products, SME’s in these markets are coming under increasing pressure from cheap and often unreliable imports from Asia. It is therefore paramount that European SME’s keep a technological edge over these competitors. We therefore propose to develop a novel solar air source heat pump system which is 25% more efficient than a typical air source heat pump and 7% more efficient than a combination of a standard ASHP and a solar thermal system while only costing 60% of the combined price of these separate systems. The SOLARIS system will result in significant savings to the energy consumer, reduced CO2 emissions and a significant financial return to the SOLARIS supply chain.

Keywords: heating systems,heat pumps,solar thermal panels
Factors regulating the composition of aquatic bacterial communities at the local scale (METACOMBA)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Sweden
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-ERG-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2008-10-01
End date: 2012-05-23
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 45000.0
EU funding (EUR): 45000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

One key question in ecological research is which factors regulate community composition and diversity at various temporal and spatial scales. Since bacteria are key drivers of ecosystem function, it is of particular importance to focus on mechanisms regulating their community structure to be able to make predictions about the effects of environmental changes on biogeochemical cycling. In the proposed project I will implement a number of field surveys as well as laboratory and field experiments using bacterial communities in rock pools as model systems. The project investigates the importance of local and regional factors for bacterial community composition and assembly, the character and extent of ecological differentiation within bacterial communities, and the effect of disturbance intensity and frequency on bacterial community composition. This project will therefore significantly advance our knowledge about bacterial biogeography, regulating factors of microbial diversity, and microbial metacommunity ecology. It will also help us to understand to which degree bacterial community composition is predictable from the environmental conditions and provide insights into the resistance and resilience of bacterial communities after a disturbance event. This information will help us to validate whether predictable changes in microbial communities and associated ecosystem processes may occur as a result of climate or environmental change.

Keywords: biodiversity,ecology,ecosystem impact (climate change),aquatic ecology,microbiology
Cultural Unification through Learning and Technology (CULT)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: European Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Greece
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-ERG-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-01-01
End date: 2011-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 45000.0
EU funding (EUR): 45000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The connectivity of distant communities could be reinforced through locative media technologies (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, public screens), which lend themselves to shared experiences, such as content sharing and collaborative interaction. In this project, we elaborate on the design aspects and the longitudinal evaluation of a communication system that brings together the physically distributed educational community (students, teaching and administrative staff) of the joint projects that take place in European Union's cultural exchange programs (e.g. eTwinning). There is a significant body of related research, but no integrated approach. In the 70’s and 80’s, several video-art installations have explored the links between television, architectural space and community identity. During the 90’s and onwards, the artistic inspiration has caught on with research labs, which developed several distant communication systems. Nevertheless, previous academic research has not been evaluated with casual users in public spaces for prolonged periods of time. As a matter of fact, the most interesting effects of distance communication systems on everyday life, such as social presence, community awareness, and civic participation have not been documented. We plan to deploy an ambient and social interactive TV platform (physical installation, authoring tools, interactive content) that is easy to use (e.g., presence interfaces) and that supports non-verbal social communication in a positive way. In particular, we focus on a systematical longitudinal evaluation of the social effects of the media communication system on casual users. Besides the foreseen benefits for the local community, the outcomes of this research could have wide applicability in similar community establishments that take place over a distance or in distributed organizations.

Keywords: audiovisual communication,media studies,educational multimedia,social shaping of technology,e-learning,intelligent interfaces
RObot control for Skilled ExecuTion of Tasks in natural interaction with humans; based on Autonomy, cumulative knowledge and learning (ROSETTA)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Destination: Cognitive systems, interaction, robotics
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Sweden,Sweden,Germany,Belgium,Italy,Germany,Germany
Call:  (FP7-ICT-2007-3, 2007)
Start date: 2009-03-01
End date: 2013-02-28
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 10425805.0
EU funding (EUR): 7500000.0
Participants: 8
Project status: CLOSED

The ROSETTA project develops a new generation of robot controller technology for human-like industrial robots working together with humans. The control system uses a variety of sensor-based skills, together with knowledge about how to adapt them on-line to the concrete situation. The controller executes complex tasks with a high degree of autonomy, because it has network access to a knowledge repository and management system. The knowledge repository receives feedback from a population of installed robot systems, that have received their programmes from the repository earlier, and that now share their individual improvements and experiences. The knowledge repository can thus improve and extend itself at an unprecedented fast rate. This will result in: - A new paradigm for engineering & instructing of robots, based on robot task and skill representations. Human programmers will be able to build a robot application using task-level instructions, embedding knowledge about the sensing, planning, control and decision making that is appropriate for the task. A breakthrough will be finding representations of all types of knowledge required in the envisaged production application. These results will be implemented on a controller and tested in an assembly application with human-like robots, with on-line error detection and error recovery, using adaptive hybrid control for self-improvement, and natural language interaction. - New sensing, control and decision making methods for safe physical human-robot interaction. This includes new functionalities that are “human-centred”: the controller has knowledge about how it could inflict injuries on humans, and how to avoid them, and it is equipped with sensors, sensor processing and reasoning capabilities to find the optimal trade-off between effective progress in its task and safe and psychologically acceptable physical interaction with the human co-worker(s), which will be subject to standardisation efforts.

Keywords: robot control,skilled task execution,human-robot interaction,autonomy,robustness,learning
A Novel Conductive Surface for Efficient Heating of Bulk Containers and Drums (SAFE HEAT)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
Destination: Research for SMEs
Action type: Research for the benefit of specific groups
Countries involved: Austria,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,Spain,Ireland,United Kingdom,Türkiye
Call:  (FP7-SME-2008-1, 2008)
Start date: 2009-04-01
End date: 2011-09-30
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1425950.0
EU funding (EUR): 1088254.0
Participants: 7
Project status: CLOSED

Over 29m moulded drums and Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) were estimated to have been manufactured in Europe by 2008 with the total number of plastic IBCs manufactured p.a. in Europe in 2008 estimated to be 4m units. Many materials stored in IBCs become viscous at room temperature. These materials can present customers with a number of challenges including: - In the absence of heat, the product cannot be discharged quickly enough from the IBC into the manufacturing process, even at room temperature. - As the IBC empties, the static head falls, further reducing the flow rate. - To keep production flowing, it is often necessary to replace the IBC before it is completely empty, meaning that product is either wasted or returned to the supplier at an inherent cost to the user. - Increased energy consumption and costs associated with cleaning such containers. Existing heating solutions are typically slow and energy inefficient and rely on heating the exterior surface of the drum or IBC. Currently, there is no single product on the market which utilises internal heating of an intermediate bulk container. There is, therefore, a very real need for the development of a heating solution that can heat quickly, efficiently and at a lower cost. By achieving this, the efficiency of heating of drums and IBCs can be increased dramatically. To meet this market need, the Safe Heat project will develop a novel coating layer with embedded materials, with high conductivity, which can be applied to the internal wall of a small scale IBC to allow an internal heating capability. This will enable the contents of the container to be heated more quickly, efficiently and safely at a heating rate of 4-6°C per hr. It is estimated that by uptake of the Safe Heat technology by 5% of IBC users requiring heating solutions the potential reduction in CO2 emissions alone could amount to between 0.14m tonnes and 0.30m of CO2 p.a. across Europe depending upon heating requirements.

Keywords: gel coats,material adhesion,internal heating methodology,resistive heating,positive temperature coefficient,conductivity,thermodynamic modelling
"Water" in the Earth`s lithosphere and its bearing on geophysical properties (NAMS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Hungary
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IRG-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-05-01
End date: 2013-04-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This application relates to the “water” (i.e., H+, OH-, H2O) distribution in the Earth's lithosphere and its bearing on the Earth’s geophysical properties. The aim of this proposal is to explore the distribution of “water” in the lithosphere and understand its effect on the geophysical properties (seismic and electric conductivity) of lithospheric rocks. This development has the potential to provide a better insight into the rheology and dynamics of the Earth’s lithosphere, and may facilitate assessment of the risk of earthquakes. This is because “water” is known to weaken minerals even at very low concentration levels (ppm). There are basaltic volcanoes in the Carpathian-Pannonian region, which sampled the Earth’s lithosphere by picking up rocks from the lithosphere (i.e., xenoliths) during their eruption. More importantly, some of these xenolith bearing basaltic volcanoes sit close to geophysical cross-sections which provides an extraordinary chance to correlate geophysical measurements against xenoliths and their “water” concentration. A new, revolutionary infrared method currently discovered at the Research School of Earth Sciences in Australia will be utilized by the Eotvos Lorand Geophysical Institute in Hungary which will allow a much simpler analysis of a large number of xenoliths for “water”. The aims of the proposal are the following: 1) Study diffusion profiles of “water” in xenoliths to reveal their representativity for the source region 2) Understanding the distribution of “water” in the lithosphere; 3) To improve geophysical models by integrating the newly emerging information on “water” distribution in mantle rocks into already existing seismic databases.

Keywords: seismology,earthquakes,petrochemistry,petrology,tectonics,mineralogy,geophysics
Accurate foreground characterisation for future CMB experiments. (CMBFOREGROUNDS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Re-integration Grants
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-IRG-2008, 2008)
Start date: 2009-10-01
End date: 2013-09-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 100000.0
EU funding (EUR): 100000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Accurate quantification and removal of astrophysical foregrounds, such as diffuse Galactic emission, will be critical for future, ultra-sensitive CMB experiments. Such experiments aim at detecting the predicted gravitational waves from inflation by their weak B-mode signature and require a precision of better than 1 micro-Kelvin. The astrophysics of the foregrounds themselves is a rich and diverse area of astronomy, which includes the understanding of radiation mechanisms, interstellar medium, Galactic structure, the physics of dust and magnetic fields. I will lead independent foregrounds-related projects in addition to collaborating on large projects: Planck, C-BASS, QUIET and CBI2. The emphasis will be on characterizing and removing foregrounds emission from CMB data and extracting the Galactic science that comes with it. Based at the University of Manchester (U.K.), I will play a major role in the observations and data analysis of several CMB/foreground experiments. A key aspect will be the quantification and removal of foreground emissions, which may require a combination of data from multiple instruments (covering a wider frequency range) to achieve reliable B-mode measurements, and thus the most precise cosmological information. Manchester’s involvement in a number of future CMB experiments covering a wide-range of frequencies will make it possible for me to combine the data and allow a superior measurement of CMB polarization. To accomplish these tasks, given the collaborative and international nature of these experiments, I request FP7-IRG funds to support a PhD studentship, additional travel for observing and data storage. An FP7-IRG grant would greatly enhance my chances of moving into a permanent faculty position at Manchester.

Keywords: astrophysics,cosmology,physical sciences