Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Immobilised PolyOxoMetalate Single Atom Catalysts (IPOMSACs)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: Spain
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-09-08
End date: 2027-09-07
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 194074.56
EU funding (EUR): 194074.56
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

The sustainable future of humankind will be possible through reducing greenhouse emissions, enabled by the conversion of greenhouse gases to useful fuels and feedstocks. In this proposal, I will develop cost-effective and efficient Immobilised PolyOxoMetalate Single Atom Catalysts (IPOMSACs) for the electro-conversion of CO2 and nitrate into green fuels. The structural motif consists of a catalytically active metal site (SAC) encased by a metal-oxide framework (POM), and immobilised onto a conductive nanostructured support. POMs offer unparalleled promise for catalytic materials due to their unmatched tuneability, structural variation, and redox capabilities. POM-SACs have been reported for many oxidation reactions. However, an efficient catalyst for the reductive conversion of CO2 and nitrate has not yet been realised. During the project, I will identify, synthesise and characterise a series of highly selective POM-SACs, followed by their immobilisation onto nanostructured supports for stability enhancement. In situ spectroelectrochemistry will be utilised to identify key mechanistic steps and uncover structure-activity relationships in these materials for the future development of electrocatalysts. This fellowship will enable a ground breaking path in the design and mechanistic understanding of highly efficient electrocatalysts. The project will enable the researchers to bring together previous knowledge and expertise with the host institution, whilst obtaining new knowledge in the fields of electrochemistry, materials science, and characterisation of advanced materials. The researcher will benefit from world leading facilities at ICN2, providing an ideal environment for AAS's development, in addition to guidance and training for transferable skills conducive to a beginning a successful independent research career.

Keywords: electrocatalysis,spectroelectrochemistry,polyoxometalates
THE ROLE OF SYNAPSE POLARITY ON THE FORMATION AND PLASTICITY OF INHIBITORY CONNECTIONS (SyPoFaPIC)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-04-01
End date: 2027-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 260347.92
EU funding (EUR): 260347.92
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

In adults, GABA acts as the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, but during early development, GABAergic synaptic transmission has depolarising effects and can influence various developmental processes. The role of depolarising GABA in synapse formation remains unclear. Specifically, whether changes in intracellular chloride concentration influence synapse formation directly or whether it occurs concomitantly with it is not known. Moreover, the specifics of how and where this process unfolds across different subcellular compartments have not been studied. Our hypothesis posits that GABAergic synapse formation requires depolarising GABA. Subsequently, an increase in GABAergic transmission promotes the developmental switch in chloride levels, a progression that unfolds spatially and temporally along the dendritic-axonal axis within the cell. This proposal seeks to elucidate the fundamental mechanisms governing chloride balance and the formation of GABAergic synapses in living organisms. These developmental processes occur across various spatial dimensions with precise timing. The strength of this proposal lies in integrating cutting-edge methodologies to comprehensively describe both the structure and function of the dynamic chloride environment within developing neurons and its impact on the formation, function, and plasticity of inhibitory synapses in vivo. This will be accomplished by implementing an in vivo two-photon chloride imaging approach, together with precise tracing of inhibitory synapse formation over development and following manipulations of either intracellular chloride levels or neuronal network activity. Disruptions in inhibitory synapses and changes in the timing of the postnatal intracellular chloride shift have been associated with developmental brain disorders. Hence, gaining insights into the principles governing GABAergic synaptogenesis and synapse plasticity will contribute to a better understanding of these pathological mechanisms.

Keywords: chloride,synaptogenesis,plasticity,neuronal wiring,gabaergic interneurons,two photon imaging
Exploration and Evaluation of European Natural Hydrogen Potential (H2-QUEST)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Clean Hydrogen
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Partnership: CLEANH2 (JU-JTI)
Countries involved: Norway,Romania,Switzerland,France,Germany,United Kingdom,Czechia,Spain
Call: Towards exploration and evaluation of European natural hydrogen potential (HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2025, 2025)
Start date: 2026-01-01
End date: 2028-06-30
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2220376.26
EU funding (EUR): 1999984.57
Participants: 11
Project status: SIGNED

The H2-QUEST project addresses the European Commission's goals for achieving a sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply by exploring the potential of natural hydrogen (H2) resources. By aligning with the HORIZON-JU-CLEANH2-2025-01-07 call, this initiative recognizes geological H2 as a cleaner and more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional H2 production methods. H2-QUEST aims to overcome existing challenges related to the H2 generation rates, migration and accumulation mechanisms, interpreting confidently surface and subsurface data to ultimately identify commercially viable accumulation sites. Employing a comprehensive, integrated approach, the project utilizes multi-scale interdisciplinary observations to address key gaps in the natural H2 cycle, guided by recommendations from the International Energy Agency’s Technology Collaboration Program. The core objectives include evaluating geological, geochemical and microbiological processes governing H2 dynamics, enhancing the interpretation of surface exploration techniques and establishing methodologies to distinguish geological from non-geological H2. Targeted field campaigns in France, Romania, Italy and Spain will facilitate data acquisition and community engagement, crucial for effective exploration. H2-QUEST deliverables will include advanced models for H2 systems, exploration guidelines and a user-friendly online portal to assess the H2 potential across Europe. Moreover, the project emphasizes nurturing talent by prioritizing training for early-career researchers and supports industry partners experienced in H2 exploration, ensuring rapid knowledge transfer and application of project findings. Ultimately, H2-QUEST seeks to enhance European leadership in natural H2 exploration, contributing significantly to EU climate objectives and energy independence, while fostering a thriving research ecosystem geared towards sustainable solutions in the context of global energy transition challenges.

Keywords: geochemistry,geophysics,source rock,hydrogen system modelling,guidelines,prospectivity
Social Media: Measuring Effects and Mitigating Downsides (SOME)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Panel description: Economics, finance , management
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2023-STG, 2023)
Start date: 2023-12-01
End date: 2028-11-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1494625.0
EU funding (EUR): 1494625.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Social media was initially expected to generate widespread improvements in individual well-being and to have positive externalities in the political domain. Such optimistic expectations soon gave way to a host of concerns about possible negative effects of social media. At the societal level, many started worrying that social media might exacerbate political polarization and propagate misinformation. At the level of individual users, many became concerned that social media might have detrimental effects on mental health, especially among the youth. This research proposal has two major goals: first, to fill critical gaps in our knowledge of the causal effects of social media on users and society; second, to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at mitigating the downsides of social media. On the political front, I will deploy a novel empirical strategy to investigate the impact of social media on political engagement and conduct a large-scale field experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at increasing the quality and reducing the partisanship of the news consumed on social media. On the users’ front, I will conduct two large-scale field experiments: one aimed at evaluating the impact of an intervention encouraging parents to delay the acquisition of a smartphone for their children on outcomes related to child development; the other aimed at evaluating whether tweaks to the social media environment can mitigate the negative effects of social media on mental health. The overarching goal of this research project is to generate new scientific knowledge on the use and impact of social media, to highlight potential areas of policy intervention, and to evaluate ecologically valid and scalable remedies to the downsides of social media. The unique blend of cutting-edge causal inference techniques from observational data and large-scale field experiments will generate insights that can benefit researchers, users, and policymakers alike.

Keywords: social media,political participation,political polarization,news consumption,mental health,child development
Molecular Control and Characterization of Chiral Hydrogen-bond Networks (HYDROCHIRAL)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences
Panel description: Analytical chemistry, chemical theory, physical chemistry/chemical physics
Countries involved: Spain
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2023-COG, 2023)
Start date: 2024-07-01
End date: 2029-06-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2000000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2000000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Chirality and water both play key roles in various aspects of biological functions and disentangling water’s role in chiral recognition in biological processes is paramount to ultimately understanding the origins of homochirality. HydroChiral proposes to do this by developing ground-breaking instrumentation that uses broadband molecular rotational spectroscopy combined with supersonic expansions, buffer gas cell technology, and novel chiral capabilities to explore pressings topics at the forefront of water research and chirality such as the generation and characterization of chiral water, the generation of larger water clusters to examine the first solvation shell, and absolute configuration determination for analytical applications. This technique will differentiate between enantiomers, diasteriomers, and conformers within complex gas mixtures while enabling the study, at an unprecedented accuracy, of the chiral water structures that form in the solvation of biomolecules and unravel the active role of water in most biological processes. The project will demonstrate the use of chiral techniques that have been developed for rotational spectroscopy on molecular clusters for the first time, and it will use enantiomer-selective population transfer techniques to tilt the racemic nature of chiral water clusters and create enantiomerically enriched water. The proposed research encompasses my three fields of expertise to perform cutting-edge research in water cluster science, chirality and solvation using the advantageous features of rotational spectroscopy. The outcomes of HydroChiral will open new horizons for not only fundamental research in physical chemistry and molecular physics but also in applied fields ranging from analytical chemistry to asymmetric synthesis in pharmaceutical applications such as drug discovery, where absolute configuration determination is crucial.

Keywords: chirality chiral water chiral imprinting water clusters solvation shell water research hydrogen bond rotational spectroscopy instrument and technique development
Ratiometric Thermometry Inside a Working Organic Light-Emitting Diode (RatioLED)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Chemistry
Countries involved: Germany,Portugal
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-06-01
End date: 2028-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 217965.12
EU funding (EUR): 217965.12
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

One of the major challenges with organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is their short lifespan. Flow of electric current causes an increase in its internal temperature which damages molecules consequently reducing the lifetime of OLED devices. To enhance the stability of OLEDs and increase their lifetime, monitoring and controlling the internal temperature of OLEDs is of fundamental importance. However, no systems/techniques are currently available to measure the internal temperature of working OLEDs. RatioLED introduces an innovative approach that exploits the thermally activated delayed fluorescence to measure the internal temperatures in OLEDs under working conditions for the first time using a robust ratiometric approach. It will have a significant impact and will extend the boundaries of thermometry and OLED technologies. This interdisciplinary project will be made possible by incorporating the researcher's quantum chemistry and spectroscopy skills and extensive experience in the luminescence thermometry of the host. RatioLED aims to enhance the energy efficiency of OLEDs which is in line with the Energy Efficiency Directive of the European Parliament and the EU’s climate ambition. Further, thermometry is also pivotal for the design and fabrication of devices for applications in several other disciplines, including microelectronics, photonics, and nanofluidics, therefore, RatioLED will pave the way to industrial innovation and economic growth that aligns with UN sustainable development goals (SDGs 8 & 9). Prof. Markus Suta is an expert in luminescent materials and has vast experience in thermometry, making him an ideal supervisor for this project. Additionally, UDUS, due to its excellent infrastructure and credible support system, will provide a conducive environment for research and the researcher’s personal growth. The project will help the researcher's career development by providing interdisciplinary technical skills and comprehensive management training.

Keywords: luminescence thermometry,thermally activated delayed fluorescence tadf,thermometry,organic light emitting diode oled
Source and mobiliTy of mErCury within a continentAL Magmatic sYstem (STECALMY)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Postdoctoral Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: Italy
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-07-01
End date: 2024-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 172750.08
EU funding (EUR): 172750.08
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Mercury (Hg) is a volatile element that is used for industrial and technological applications and can be potentially toxic for any ecosystem. In Earth science, its accumulation in sedimentary sequences has been recently used to link the major Phanerozoic climatic and biological crisis to massive volcanic events. This is because volcanic degassing is the main mechanism that releases Hg to the atmosphere. While these aspects are receiving increasing scientific interest, it is still unclear what is the source from which a volcanic system acquires its Hg content prior to magma degassing. The few studies addressing the behaviour of Hg in the deep Earth appear to have adopted sample preparation and analytical procedures that might have unintentionally under- or overestimated the actual Hg contents in the rock samples. Project STECALMY seeks to understand the source and mobility of Hg in the Earth's crust by studying the Sesia Magmatic System (SMS), western Southern Alps, Italy, an exposed continental magmatic system that can be tracked from its deepest roots up to its volcanic products. Through a rigorous sample preparation procedure and by testing different analytical methods, I will firstly develop a methodological and analytical protocol that optimises the analyses of Hg in crystalline rocks. Such protocol will then be used to investigate the Hg content in carefully selected rocks from the SMS, from the uncontaminated and undegassed magmatic rocks to the metamorphic rocks of the crust in which they emplaced and the volcanics erupted to the surface. This will be combined with petrography and major and trace element geochemistry of the same samples, in order to quantify the gain or loss of Hg in magmas during assimilation, crystallisation and degassing in a continental setting. Project STECALMY will produce the first methodologically-robust model on the source and mobility of Hg within a continental magmatic system.

Keywords: mercury magmatism continental crust sesia magmatic system,thermodynamic modelling
Revolutionizing manufacturing of thin film nanoporous layers with spark ablation technology to unravel the potential of green hydrogen (HYDRO-SPARK)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Other destinations
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: EIC Accelerator 2024 - Short application (HORIZON-EIC-2024-ACCELERATOR-01, 2024)
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

VSParticle (VSP) is revolutionizing the manufacturing of thin film nanoporous layers to release the potential of green hydrogen, a key enabler of the energy transition and achievement of climate goals. To accelerate massive adoption of green hydrogen, electrolyzer prices need to drop and efficiency and lifetime be enhanced. Process redesign and efficient material (iridium- Ir) utilization in catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs), a key component of electrolyzers, will help to lower prices. At VSP we redesigned the current lengthy (7-step), inefficient (high Ir load) and unsustainable process into a single-step process combining next-generation material synthesis and dry coating (low Ir load) in our equipment, the VSP-NanoPrinter. The first go-to-market application is CCMs, whose market value has been estimated at €4.2B. Market traction has been demonstrated by promising results with industrial customers (De Nora, Heraeus) who tested membranes coated using VSP technology and are demanding a commercial-ready device. Our minimal commercial viable product (VSP-P1) has already generated revenues for > €1M in 2023 with academic customers. We offer to customers in the green hydrogen value chain (e.g., CCM manufacturers - De Nora and stack producers - Bosch) cost-effectiveness by a) process simplification and b) reduction on conductive material (iridium) load by 5x (correlated with an overall price reduction of 80%). As well, thhighest level of in-line quality control, scalability and improved sustainability. Our timing is right due to the political and economic context fostering energy transition innovations. We have a team & advisory board with proven track record in R&D, technology scale-up, business development & entrepreneurship. VSP requests a grant of €2.5 M and equity €12.5M to the EIC to bring their solution to the industrial scale (VSP-P2) and ultimately unravel the potential of green hydrogen. With this support, VSP foresees cumulative revenues of €500M in 2030.

Keywords: spark ablation technology,nanomaterials,green hydrogen,catalyst coated membranes
Mitochondrial Contact Site Functional Diversity Revealed by Molecular Memory, Smart Microscopy, and Correlative Cryo-EM Tomography (MitoContact)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Synergy grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Switzerland,Germany
Call: ERC SYNERGY GRANTS (ERC-2025-SyG, 2025)
Start date: 2026-05-01
End date: 2032-04-30
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 12278709.0
EU funding (EUR): 12278709.0
Participants: 3
Project status: SIGNED

Mitochondria are central to modern eukaryotic life, but how they carry out their functions in space and time within the cellular milieu is remarkably enigmatic. Contributing to the complexity of this question, mitochondria face dual existential challenges: supporting their life cycle as self-reproducing, DNA-containing organelles; and supporting the energetic and signaling needs of the host cell. A universal feature in how mitochondria address these challenges is via engagement in membrane contact sites (MCS) - sites of intracellular signaling or biomolecular exchange - with partner organelles. Candidate MCS proteins between partners range into the hundreds, driving speculation that diverse contacts exist. However, technological limitations in measuring the composition, structure, dynamics and physiology of transient MCS have hindered progress in dissecting their functional diversity. Our project will develop and apply cutting-edge technologies to investigate the dynamics and molecular organization of MCS, to reveal how individual contacts locally coordinate mitochondrial physiology and function. We will deploy (1) chemical biology “recorders,” enabling us to trace the history of MCS and physiology. We will combine this with (2) live-cell “smart microscopy,” driven by closed-loop feedback through real time neural-network recognition of cellular events, to capture dynamics with high specificity and spatio-temporal resolution and (3) cellular cryo-correlative microscopy to obtain structural snapshots and gain insights into MCS molecular architecture. We will focus on heterotypic and homotypic contacts implicated in mitochondrial proliferation, degradation, molecular exchange, and metabolic states. Our synergistic approach will allow us to screen for MCS inhibitors or stabilizers and measure the impact of disrupting contacts. Thus, we expect our project to have broader implications for therapeutics, and our tools to impact fundamental biological discovery beyond MCS.

Keywords: mitochondria,membrane contact sites,fluorescence microscopy,electron microscopy,cryo em,smart microscopy,super resolution microscopy,fluorescent biosensors