Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
User-Friendly Software For the Quantitative Analysis of Textual Data (QUANTEDA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
Panel description: Political science, international relations, law
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: ERC Proof of Concept Grant (ERC-2018-PoC, 2018)
Start date: 2018-10-01
End date: 2020-03-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 149999.75
EU funding (EUR): 149999.75
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

User-Friendly Software For the Quantitative Analysis of Textual Data My objective is to produce a powerful, flexible, and user-friendly text analytic software tool called Quantext that has a graphical user interface and requires no programming experience. This tool would run entirely as a web application and require only a modern web browser for usage. The backend would run on the open-source quanteda text analysis library written in R and C++ that I developed in ERC-2011-StG-283794-QUANTESS, Quantitative Analysis of Text for the Social Sciences. My proposal is to harness the power of quanteda, combined with server-side data storage and processing, to make text analytics easy for end users with no programming skills. I am seeking funding for a 18-month period to develop a prototype web application where all of the storage and processing of texts is performed on a cloud server, and a user pays for access to this through a web-based user account. All of the software functionality would be built into a web interface using Javascript-based tools, mimicking a traditional desktop application but not requiring any user installation, with all processing done in the cloud. I would develop this proof of concept on a “freemium” model, with the “free” part dominating the first 18 months, as we developed the core scaffolding for the interface and built the server functionality for user accounts, authentication, text storage, and ultimately, a payment system. If this can be demonstrated to be fast, robust, and intuitively usable by non-technical testers, I would follow the proof-of-concept stage with an immediate commercialization plan, including marketing, vastly improving the website, and specifically targeting the functionality offered by existing tools aimed at the same market.

Keywords: text analysis,quantitative text analysis,text mining,data science,big data,software
Whole-brain neural dynamics of vocal-auditory interactions in the sound-producing, transparent vertebrate Danionella translucida (VocalBrain)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Germany
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): 162806.4
EU funding (EUR): 162806.4
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Many animal species generate acoustic signals for social communication and are faced with the challenge to distinguish external from self-generated sounds. How does the brain accomplish this when all sounds are coming in through the ear? It requires that self- generated and external sounds are separated at some point in the central auditory system. Copies of motor commands indicate to auditory brain areas when self-generated sounds are expected to arrive. This feedforward signaling suppresses neural responses in primary auditory nuclei, as well as the auditory cortex. Neurons that are activated with self- vocalization are also found in the auditory cortex. Yet, how the signal arrives there and where along the auditory processing pathway neural encoding of self-generated and external sounds diverge, is largely unknown. These are challenging questions to address because single-cell activity needs to be recorded simultaneously across several distant brain regions. This is currently only possible with fluorescent imaging techniques, but adult vertebrate brain tissue is too opaque for large-scale optical access. Danionella translucida (DT) is a transparent, miniature fish that vocalizes in social contexts and is therefore uniquely suitable for studying whole-brain activity of auditory processing during self- vocalization. Here I propose to generate an unbiased, whole-brain map of neural activity correlated with vocal self-representation and its cancellation. For this, I will establish stimulations of fictive vocalizations in DT and combine these with auditory playback while performing whole-brain calcium imaging. This data will offer unprecedented insights into vocal-auditory interactions across a vertebrate brain.

Keywords: auditory vocal interaction,efference copy,vocal motor control,fictive behavior,whole brain imaging
Psychology and Economic Behavior: Theory, Tests and Applications (SalThApp)

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: Italy
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2014-CoG, 2014)
Start date: 2015-09-01
End date: 2021-02-28
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1431650.0
EU funding (EUR): 1431650.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal purports to develop psychologically founded models of economic decision making, test these models, and use them to shed light on several economic phenomena. The proposal builds on the psychology of selective attention. In particular, decision makers more easily retrieve from memory (precisely defined) representative events when making an inference, and they attach disproportionate attention and weighting to (precisely defined) salient choice options when making a choice. These ideas were modelled by the PI and his coauthors in previous work. The present grant proposal develops this research agenda in three stages. First, we plan to extend this approach to new theoretical problems such as the social psychology of stereotypes and the theory of consideration sets. Second, we plan to develop experimental tests dissecting the basic forces driving selective attention and decisions. Third, we plan to apply the theory to shed light on the following economic phenomena: a) investors’ risk perceptions in financial markets and asset price behavior, b) salient policy issues, voting behavior and political competition, c) consumer attention, product design and competition among firms, and d) discrimination in the labor market.

Keywords: psychology of decision making,salience,representativeness,consideration set,voting behavior,perceptions of risk in financial markets
Search for the dark neutrino at the NA62 experiment at CERN (TheDarkNeutrino)

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: Physics
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-04-01
End date: 2022-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 166320.0
EU funding (EUR): 166320.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project aims to discover a new particle, the dark neutrino, in K+ decays at the NA62 experiment at CERN. This scientific breakthrough would be a major leap in our understanding of particle physics, answering several profound questions related to neutrino oscillations, the generation of neutrino masses, and the neutrino mass scale. The dark neutrino is predicted in so-called ‘dark sector’ models with neutrino and vector portals to the Standard Model. The NA62 experiment studies the decays of 75 GeV/c kaons using a decay-in-flight technique, and has unique sensitivity to the dark neutrino despite its feeble couplings to the Standard Model. There could be as many as 20000 dark neutrino events in the NA62 2017/18 dataset, which is ~20 times larger than those collected by previous kaon experiments, that have evaded detection due to ineffective searches. We propose a novel and innovative search to bridge this research gap, which can only be achieved using the powerful NA62 detector. Furthermore, the NA62 experiment expects to collect data for several years, with the new data-taking period to begin in Summer 2021. The experiment will take data at 50% higher rate, motivating improvements to the trigger system. We propose to develop new software trigger algorithms to be deployed on the NA62 experiments High Performance Computing resources, utilising data from two new detector systems that will be added to the experiment before 2021. This will be the final NA62 data taking period, but dark neutrino models have a rich structure that motivates additional searches. We propose to work with theorists at CP3 (the host institute) to explore and benchmark different varieties of dark neutrino models, with the aim to motivate more novel searches at NA62 and beyond. Two workshops will be arranged to bring together the experimental and theoretical communities that study the dark sector, to stimulate discussion and forge new collaboration.

Keywords: new physics,dark sector,neutrinos,kaon decays,kaon experiment,na62,software triggers
Modulating brain structural plasticity versus neurodegeneration via a novel mechanism involving neurotrophins and dopamine, Tolls and Kek truncated-Trk-like receptors in Drosophila. (TOLKEDA)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2017, 2017)
Start date: 2018-09-01
End date: 2020-12-28
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The aim of TOLKEDA is to test the hypothesis that a novel molecular mechanism linking neurotrophins, Tolls and truncated Trk-like receptors modulates structural brain plasticity vs. neurodegeneration. The brain changes throughout life: structural plasticity drives generation of neurites, neurons and synapses to adapt and learn; their elimination maintains homeostasis, but causes neurodegeneration in ageing and disease. Brain disease is the major health burden in Europe, costing more than cancer and cardiovascular diseases put together, and its incidence will grow as the population ages. It is imperative to discover novel molecular pathways that can be targeted to treat brain disease. The Principal Investigator (PI) Dr Alicia Hidalgo recently discovered a novel Drosophila neurotrophin (DNT) mechanism formed of neurotrophins, Toll and truncated-Trk-like receptors, and demonstrated that it underlies neuronal number and synaptic structural plasticity in larvae. Preliminary evidence shows that the DNT system operates in the adult brain, overlapping with dopaminergic neurons (DANs). Dopamine is a key neuromodulator, and degeneration of DANs underlies neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). The Experienced Researcher (ER), Jun Sun, is an expert in the dopaminergic system and Drosophila PD models. The timely collaboration between PI and ER will provoke synergy to address effectively the following research objectives (ROs): RO1: to create a map of DNTs, Toll-6, Kek-6 and DANs in the adult brain, using gene editing technology and neural circuit registration. RO2: to test whether altering the functions of DNTs, Toll-6 and Kek-6 causes structural brain deficits, including in the dopaminergic system, and whether they are linked to behavioural deficits and neuronal activity. RO3: to test whether manipulating the DNT/Toll-6/Kek-6 signalling module in the dopaminergic system can promote neuroprotection in a Drosophila PD model.

Keywords: drosophila,structural brain plasticity,neurodegeneration,parkinson s disease,neuronal survival,cell death,neurite,toll receptors,truncated trk receptors,neurotrophins,dopamine
Addressing key challenges for forecasting climate change effects on biodiversity: an assessment of dispersal limitation, priority effects and intra-species trait variation in range dynamics (KeyDynamics)

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: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2017-04-01
End date: 2019-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 212194.8
EU funding (EUR): 212194.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Active adaptation to current climate change related threats and the utilization of possible opportunities is hindered by three key limits in our understanding of the reaction of species and associated ecosystem services to climate dynamics. There is limited knowledge i) to which extend current species’ distributions are in equilibrium with their climatic niches, ii) how necessary range shifts are modulated by complex biotic interactions, which may depend on arrival order in a community i.e. “priority effects”, and iii) if ‘species’ is the adequate unit for impact assessments and predictive modelling given large within-species variability in adaptive capacity. This project will address all three key limits at once by applying novel methodology tracking species range shift dynamics through time since the Last Glacial Maximum. The project improves established migration models and utilizes newly available high-resolution vegetation community information to quantify biotic interactions comparing functional similarity between arriving species and the established community. Pollen and macrofossil records will be used for independent model evaluation and to identify responsible drivers for time lags between climate suitability and actual arrival of species at sites across Europe. Extending the approach accounting for differently adapted ecotypes within species will identify effects of intra-species variation on range dynamics. The proposed research has the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of climate-biosphere interactions, and results will have immediate practical applicability. Strong contributions to fundamental ecological theory are to be expected. The candidate’s experience in geospatial modelling and theoretical ecology, together with the host’s expertise in empirical and geospatial ecology and ecosystem services, will provide new insights into the mechanisms shaping range dynamics particularly in the context of anthropogenic climate change.

Keywords: assisted migration,biotic interactions,climate change,dispersal,ecosystem services,priority effects,range dynamics,species community dynamics,time lag effects,within species variability
Supramolecular Engineering of biologically iNSpired peptide nanostructurEs (SENSE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Panel description: New materials and new synthetic approaches, structure-properties relations, solid state chemistry, molecular architecture, organic chemistry
Countries involved: Spain
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2019-STG, 2019)
Start date: 2020-02-01
End date: 2025-01-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1494375.0
EU funding (EUR): 1494375.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

To date, the main efforts for the design of bioactive self-assembled 1D nanostructures have been focused on the use of static assemblies. The development of synthetic systems with inherently stimuli-responsive behavior will open new possibilities for the creation of artificial architectures that mimic the natural protein nanostructures found in eukaryotic cells, which are dynamic, and capable of rapid growth or disassembly to tune their properties, and thus adapt to the cell needs. SENSE aims to: 1) Define robust peptide-based building blocks, and implement stimuli-responsive interactions between them to engineer complex self-assembled responsive nanostructures. 2) Modify these dynamic platforms to achieve precise nanoscale control over the presentation of bioactive molecules in the final multivalent nanostructures. 3) Apply these responsive and multivalent nanostructures as smart delivery vehicles and improved bioactive scaffolds. 4) Integrate them into living cells as artificial adaptor nanostructures that can present multiple signaling elements for controlling cell behavior. Taken together, the objectives of SENSE will define a new multidisciplinary approach combining organic, peptide, supramolecular and dynamic covalent chemistries, and nanotechnology for the development of adaptive materials that rely on dynamic interactions, and are therefore ideally suited to interfacing with living organisms. During my career I have acquired the singular background that combines chemistry, chemical biology, and nanotechnology required to achieve the objectives of SENSE. Particularly relevant to this project is my experience in peptide synthesis and their modification, as well as in the preparation of supramolecular peptide-based materials and the study of their properties in living cells.

Keywords: peptides,nanostructures,host guest chemistry,biomaterials
Towards a complete understanding of young embedded disks (InAndOut)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Global Fellowships
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Physics
Countries involved: Germany,United States
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-09-01
End date: 2023-08-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 246669.12
EU funding (EUR): 246669.12
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Modelling the interplay of infall, accretion, and outflows during the early phases of star and disk formation is the key to understanding the origin of planetary systems. So-called protoplanetary disks form shortly after the birth of a star, and, as ultimately revealed by recent discoveries , disks are the nurseries of planets. My project, 'InAndOut: Towards a complete understanding of young embedded discs', tackles this issue by applying novel computational tools to investigate the small-scale effects in disks, while consistently accounting for the properties provided by the protostellar environment. Adopting ten prestellar cores located in different environments of a parental filamentary Giant Molecular Cloud, I will simulate the formation and evolution of embedded disk state-of-the-art code framework DISPATCH. To account for the observed diversity of cosmic-ray ionisation rates among different prestellar cores, I will vary the cosmic ray ionisation rate in my models. To guarantee a valid comparison of my results with cutting-edge observations, I will produce synthetic observations with the radiative transfer code POLARIS. Synthetic maps of dust polarisation can be used to get a better understanding of the magnetic field structure on scales beyond the disk. Anticipating first ALMA results of circular polarisation due to Zeeman splitting in young disks in the near future, it is timely to provide synthetic maps of circular polarisation, as they can tell us about the magnetic field strength in disks. Following the trajectory of the dust and gas particles in embedded disks from infall, through the disk to outflows will allow me to study, whether dust and gas can return into the disk after being ejected by a wind. Finding an answer to this question has important implications for our understanding of the origin of our solar system. Moreover, I will identify chemical tracers for the kinematics such as infall and outflow involved in the embedded disk phase.
Analysing Diversity with a Phenomic approach: Trends in Vertebrate Evolution (ADaPTIVE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Earth system science
Panel description: Physical geography, geology, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, climatology, cryology, ecology, global environmental change, biogeochemical cycles, natural resources management
Countries involved: United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2014-STG, 2014)
Start date: 2015-06-01
End date: 2022-11-30
Duration (months): 90.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1482818.0
EU funding (EUR): 681354.23
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

What processes shape vertebrate diversity through deep time? Approaches to this question can focus on many different factors, from life history and ecology to large-scale environmental change and extinction. To date, the majority of studies on the evolution of vertebrate diversity have focused on relatively simple metrics, specifically taxon counts or univariate measures, such as body size. However, multivariate morphological data provides a more complete picture of evolutionary and palaeoecological change. Morphological data can also bridge deep-time palaeobiological analyses with studies of the genetic and developmental factors that shape variation and must also influence large-scale patterns of evolutionary change. Thus, accurately reconstructing the patterns and processes underlying evolution requires an approach that can fully represent an organism’s phenome, the sum total of their observable traits. Recent advances in imaging and data analysis allow large-scale study of phenomic evolution. In this project, I propose to quantitatively analyse the deep-time evolutionary diversity of tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals). Specifically, I will apply and extend new imaging, morphometric, and analytical tools to construct a multivariate phenomic dataset for living and extinct tetrapods from 3-D scans. I will use these data to rigorously compare extinction selectivity, timing, pace, and shape of adaptive radiations, and ecomorphological response to large-scale climatic shifts across all tetrapod clades. To do so, I will quantify morphological diversity (disparity) and rates of evolution spanning over 300 million years of tetrapod history. I will further analyse the evolution of phenotypic integration by quantifying not just the traits themselves, but changes in the relationships among traits, which reflect the genetic, developmental, and functional interactions that shape variation, the raw material for natural selection.

Keywords: palaeobiology,morphological evolution,phenomics,biodiversity,mass extinction,radiations