Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Active nanofluidics towards ionic machines (SHADOKS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Condensed matter physics
Panel description: Structure, electronic properties, fluids, nanosciences, biological physics
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2017-ADG, 2017)
Start date: 2018-07-01
End date: 2023-03-31
Duration (months): 57.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2431000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2431000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Filtering and water purification rely traditionnally on the concept of passive sieving across properly decorated nanopores. Such basic separation principle contrasts with the highly advanced membrane processes existing in Nature, which harness the full subtleties of active transport across channels. This involves advanced functions like ionic pumps, ultra-high selective channels, or voltage-gated nanopores, which all play a key role in many vital needs and neuronal functions. The Shadoks project aims at developing the concept of artificial ionic machines, based on active nanofluidic transport. This is an experimental project targeting a fundamental proof of concept. It moreover involves a strong theoretical counterpart, essential to experimental advances and prototyping. I will investigate a wealth of strongly non-equilibrium transport phenomena occurring at the nanoscales, taking advantage of our unique know-how in building nanofluidic heterostructures, in particular made of carbon and boron-nitride. I target ionic Coulomb blockade, on/off voltage-gated nanopore, ionic pumps, dynamical osmosis. These processes allow to tune ionic fluxes against the gradients and induce out-of-equilibrium charge separation, hereby conceiving active sieving as a novel route for separation and desalination. Those new building blocks will subsequently be assembled to create advanced bio-inspired membrane functionalities. We will use ionic pumps to store and deliver charge carriers on demand, akin to the triggered electric shock of the electric eel. Furthermore we use the active nanofluidics building blocks to mimic a basic machinery of neuronal processes. I target in particular to build an artificial dendritic spine, as an ionic information transmitter. As an ultimate goal, this is a route towards elementary neuronal computational processes based on the artificial ionic machines.

Keywords: nanofluidics,active transport,separation and desalination
Quantum Engineering for Machine Learning (QUEFORMAL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)
Theme: EIC Pathfinder
Destination: Novel ideas for radically new technologies
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Italy,Germany,Italy,Italy,Switzerland
Call: FET-Open Challenging Current Thinking (H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01, 2018)
Start date: 2019-01-01
End date: 2022-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2988740.0
EU funding (EUR): 2988740.0
Participants: 6
Project status: CLOSED

We propose the radical vision of a new integrated circuit technology for machine learning where low-voltage field-effect transistors and non-volatile memories are integrated next to each other exploiting quantum engineering of heterostructures of two-dimensional materials (2DMs), i.e. the atom-by-atom design and fabrication of devices which combine vertical and lateral heterostructures (VH and LH, respectively) of 2DMs. QUEFORMAL pursues a very risky and original proposed solution, with the extremely high potential gain of advancing a science-enabled technology for the fabrication of integrated circuits for machine learning, in a field in which Europe has a strong basic-science leadership, thanks to the pioneering breakthroughs on graphene and 2D materials. The overall objective and targeted breakthrough of QUEFORMAL is to experimentally demonstrate the fabrication and operation of devices based on LH and VH of 2DMs for logic-in-memory integrated circuits and to show the potential of this technology for the fabrication of integrated circuits for machine learning. Devices include i) lateral heterostructure FETs (LH-FETs) operating at low voltage (0.6 V) fabricated in close vicinity to ii) floating-gate non-volatile memories based on VHs for the gate stack and LHs for the channel (LVH-NVMs), that can be programmed at low voltage (<5 V) with retention time larger than 1 month. The QUEFORMAL consortium consists of six partners and has unique advantages: Consortium members have proposed and patented the LH-FET concept and have experimentally demonstrated the floating gate non-volatile memory concept using 2D materials.
Music and Artificial Intelligence: Building Critical Interdisciplinary Studies (MusAI)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Cultures and cultural production
Panel description: Literary studies, cultural studies, study of the arts, philosophy
Countries involved: United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANT (ERC-2020-ADG, 2020)
Start date: 2021-10-01
End date: 2026-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2139259.0
EU funding (EUR): 2035217.75
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Recent years have seen escalating concern about the impacts of artificial intelligence (AI). While growing academic and policy literatures address the social and ethical implications of AI, as yet no major research initiative examines AI’s cultural implications. Music has long been a site of AI experimentation and commercial development in culture; yet although considerable research resources are going to scientific and artistic projects in this area, critical research on music AI – despite the urgent need for such work – is at an early stage. In this context, the MusAI project is groundbreaking in two ways. First, it takes music as the medium through which to create a field of critical interdisciplinary AI studies, indicative of AI’s wider influence on culture. Second, a guiding principle embodied in the project structure is that, to address the complex challenges posed by AI, radically new approaches are required that cut across entrenched disciplinary, methodological and epistemological divisions, as well as creating bridges between academia and industry. To these ends the project will: 1) build a knowledge base addressing core critical issues in music AI through a coordinated group of 12 studies designed to move beyond existing impasses between the AI sciences and critics; 2) enable music AI scientists and social scientists and humanists to engage in unprecedentedly rich and sustained interdisciplinary dialogues; and 3) through these engagements, develop new forms of interdisciplinarity for music AI and for the digital humanities, feeding the results into innovative interdisciplinary AI pedagogies. The project integrates 6 early career and 10 world-leading researchers with links to key institutions (BBC, Spotify, Anghami, Mila, Google Brain, Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics in AI). Based at Oxford, MusAI is led by an anthropologist expert in music technology and digital media studies, Chair of the British Academy’s Culture, Media and Performance Section.

Keywords: music,artificial intelligence,interdisciplinarity,anthropology,musicology,science and technology,studies,digital media studies,critical digital humanities,machine learning,computational modeling
RET Trafficking (RET-TRAF)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-09-01
End date: 2023-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 203852.16
EU funding (EUR): 203852.16
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Protein kinases play a critical role in a number of cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. The REarranged during Transfection (RET) receptor tyrosine kinase plays important roles in regulating cellular proliferation, migration, and survival in the normal development of neural crest derived tissues. Furthermore, aberrant activation of RET, through oncogenic mutations or overexpression, can contribute to tumourigenesis, regional invasion, and metastasis of several human cancers. RET relocalisation plays a role in cancer invasion and metastasis. Unfortunately, the detailed understanding of RET's dynamic function and the importance of quantitative, spatial and time-dependent parameters regarding RET trafficking is lacking. As such, the ability to manipulate RET activity using light would result in temporal control of enzymatic activity, thus serving as a valuable approach to probe the RET trafficking, further our understanding of cell movement and invasion. Cells will be exposed to photoresponsive RET inhibitors that can be turned on and off with light. Their effects on RET trafficking will be monitored by imaging. The results of these studies will provide new insights into intracellular RET trafficking and its role in cancer, ultimately leading to new therapeutic targets and improved disease management.

Keywords: protein kinases,rearranged during transfection,oncogenic mutations,ret trafficking,photoresponsive ret inhibitors,therapeutic targets
Designing and screening two dimensional covalent organic frameworks for effective water splitting (2D-COF-WS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: Germany,Germany
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-04-01
End date: 2019-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 171460.8
EU funding (EUR): 171460.8
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

In order to mitigate the energy crisis and serious environmental pollution as well as global warming, the conversion of solar energy into chemical fuels including hydrogen has been extensively developed to flexibly and conveniently utilize this clean energy form. Generally, hydrogen can be produced via photocatalytic water splitting under sunlight irradiation. The efficiency of this solar driven process to synthesize hydrogen depends entirely on the selected semiconducting photocatalysts. Composed of light-weight elements and linked by strong covalent bonds, two dimensional (2D) covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are low-cost, low-toxic and promising catalytic materials that can facilitate the water splitting process under solar irradiation. However, the structural, electronic and optical properties of 2D COFs can vary significantly with different factors, which will determine the final photocatalytic performance of 2D COFs. Therefore, finding viable 2D COFs for effective water splitting requires extensive fundamental research. In this project, we will explore the feasibility of using 2D COFs for photocatalysis on the basis of comprehensive theoretical computations. Via collaborating with experimental researchers, deep insights will be generated for the design and synthesis of 2D COF photocatalysts. After understanding the intrinsic properties and photocatalytic properties of 2D COFs, we will effectively and significantly help to design and screen promising catalysts for water splitting and promote the development and application of green energy.

Keywords: 2d covalent organic frameworks,semiconductor,first principles calculations,molecular coupling,water splitting
Bridging the gap: The Lost Centuries of Cypriot Archaeology between Rome and the Crusaders (BRIDGE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Standard European Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-11-01
End date: 2018-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 200194.8
EU funding (EUR): 200194.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The project aims to bridge the so-called gap of five centuries in Cypriot archaeology (mid 7th-12th centuries AD), and develop a methodology that can be used to bridge similar gaps in the eastern Mediterranean. The argument is that the gap in the archaeological and historical record of Cyprus, which spans the centuries between the end of Roman control over the island and its annexation to the Crusader Levant, can be made visible through the hand-made utilitarian pottery that appeared at the beginning of the period. Furthermore, that this corpus can be used to identify settlement patterns and highlight socio-economic processes through the period, in particular the disintegration and recovery of local and regional production and distribution systems. Finally, that the same methodology can be applied to other areas and periods. Gap periods in the archaeological record exist through the eastern Mediterranean. Often they have the same material-culture fingerprint, as centralised workshops disintegrate, and mass-production of pottery on the fast wheel is replaced by hand-made manufacture, which begins a new path of development. The key role of hand-made pottery — often the only material culture that is found in survey projects and even excavations — has been acknowledged in a few seminal papers over the last two decades, but the challenge of turning it into a research tool has not been taken, and the common notion is still that hand-made pottery represents non-specialised manufacture, shows no coherent development, and consequently cannot be used as interpretational tool. The project therefore has three objectives: one particular—to bridge the five-centuries gap in Cypriot archaeology; and two that will impact on the discipline as a whole—to demonstrate the validity of a craft-specialisation model for handmade pottery; and to establish a methodology for studying gap periods in societies with heavy reliance on pottery.

Keywords: byzantine cyprus,methodology,material culture,cultural identity,pottery in archaeology,production mode,ethnoarchaeology,landscape and settlement
The development and validation of a hand-based stroke rehabilitation product (ImpHandRehab)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: The Human Mind and Its Complexity
Panel description: Cognitive science, psychology, linguistics, theoretical philosophy
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: ERC Proof of Concept Grant (ERC-2019-PoC, 2019)
Start date: 2020-02-01
End date: 2022-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The ERC proThe ERC project (MotMotLearn), underlying ImpHandRehab, aims to develop reward-based interventions that optimise motor learning in stroke patients suffering upperlimb impairments. MotMotLearn has shown that if reward-based feedback is combined with a distracting environment learning is robust to interference and resistant to forgetting; important components for a successful rehabilitation intervention. However, this work has highlighted several technical limitations which restrict our ability to apply this knowledge to stroke patients. First, an engaging virtual reality (VR) environment is required that enables reward-based feedback to be combined with distracting environments. Second, many stroke patients exhibiting upperlimb impairment are unable to open their hand (finger extension). Not only does this limit participation in rehabilitation programs but also restricts functional use of the arm. Crucially, existing hand-based VR-related equipment has at least one of the following issues; limited ability to measure individual finger movements, requires the hand to be in close proximity to a camera or is prohibitively expensive. Therefore, a clear gap exists for a sensitive, flexible and affordable VR-based product that focuses on hand function recovery. To address this, ImpHandRehab will use a state-of-the-art VR-compatible motion capturing glove which accurately collects individual finger position data without the need for a camera. Several VR tasks will be developed that focus on improving finger extension (whole hand and individual fingers) through the combination of closed-loop reward-based learning designs and distracting environments. These tasks will be optimised in healthy older adults and validated in stroke patients via the UK’s largest upperlimb rehabilitation clinic. ImpHandRehab will create an affordable, flexible, accurate, interactive and scientifically-validated hand-based rehabilitation product which patients will be able to use at home.

Keywords: motor control,motor learning,stroke,virtual reality,home based technology,hand function,reward based learning
Policy analysis with beliefs about identifying restrictions (PABIR)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Panel description: Economics, finance and management
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2015-CoG, 2015)
Start date: 2016-10-01
End date: 2022-09-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1090686.0
EU funding (EUR): 1090686.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The principal tool for macroeconomic policy analysis both in the empirical literature and in actual practice at policy institutions is Structural Vector Autoregressions (SVARs). This research project aims to address the key controversy surrounding SVARs, namely the fact that the policy conclusions crucially depend on the choice of identifying restrictions. This choice is in practice arbitrary as there is no consensus in the literature about the credibility of the restrictions that are commonly used in applications. The central idea of this project is to allow a user to specify beliefs about the credibility of identifying restrictions. The goal is to propose methods for policy analysis that allow for flexible use of identifying restrictions, for example only using those supported by economic theory or incorporating restrictions with different degrees of credibility. These types of beliefs cannot be straightforwardly embedded into standard Bayesian analyses of SVARs and will require the development of new econometric tools. The research project aims to make both methodological and empirical contributions. On the methodological front, it will introduce to the time series literature and build on ideas from robust (multiple-prior) Bayesian analysis. At the same time, it will go beyond existing results and develop new methods that make not only a theoretical contribution, but also have useful applications outside of time series, for example to microeconometrics or, more in general, to Bayesian decision making under ambiguity. On the empirical front, the tools will enable a broad range of new applications that can help one investigate to what extent existing findings about the effectiveness of macroeconomic policy may be driven by the imposed assumptions and, ultimately, make it possible to search for policy conclusions that are robust to the choice of identifying restrictions.

Keywords: impulse response analysis,partial identification,beliefs,bayesian inference,robustness,ambiguity,model combination
Wanted: Micronutrients! Phytosiderophore-mediated acquisition strategies in grass crops (PhytoTrace)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering
Panel description: Biotechnology using all organisms, biotechnology for environment and food applications, applied plant and animal sciences, bioengineering and synthetic biology, biomass and biofuels, biohazards
Countries involved: Austria
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2018-STG, 2018)
Start date: 2019-03-01
End date: 2025-02-28
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498628.0
EU funding (EUR): 1195375.5
Participants: 3
Project status: SIGNED

Understanding how plants respond to micronutrient deficiency and which biogeochemical processes are induced at the root-soil interface, i.e. the rhizosphere, is crucial to improve crop yield and micronutrient grain content for high quality food and feed. Iron nutrition by grass species relies on the release and re-uptake of phytosiderophores, which are root exudates that form stable complexes with Fe but also other trace metals such as Zn and Cu. However, neither the importance of phytosiderophores under Zn and Cu deficient conditions nor the interplay of plant responses and rhizosphere processes are well understood as the majority of studies in the past was carried out under ‘soil-free’ hydroponic conditions. In this project, I aim to elucidate the mechanisms controlling phytosiderophore-mediated micronutrient acquisition of barley (Hordeum vulgare) under Zn, Cu, and as reference, Fe deficient conditions, with particular emphasis on soil environments. Barley is the fifth most produced crop worldwide and of great importance in regions that are characterized by harsh living conditions. In a holistic approach, my team and I will apply innovative soil-based and traditional hydroponic root exudation sampling approaches in combination with advanced plant molecular techniques to study the phytosiderophore release and uptake system under different experimental conditions. The chemical synthesis of otherwise commercially unavailable phytosiderophores in their natural and 13C-labelled form will allow us to trace their decomposition and metal solubilizing efficiency in the plant-microbe-soil system to uncover the interplay of plant genetic responses and rhizosphere processes affecting the time-window of PS-mediated MN acquisition. Moving beyond ‘soil-free’ experimental designs of the past, this project will generate key knowledge to improve selection of crops with highly efficient micronutrient acquisition traits to alleviate micronutrient malnutrition of people world-wide.

Keywords: phytosiderophores,barley,root exudates,micronutrient deficient soils,rhizosphere,microbial decomposition,plant transcriptome responses