Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
European Sodium Fast Reactor Safety Measures Assessment and Research Tools (ESFR-SMART)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Euratom
Programme: Nuclear fission and radiation protection
Theme: Nuclear safety
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Spain,Germany,Germany,Italy,Sweden,Belgium,Switzerland,Latvia,France,France,France,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,United Kingdom
Call: Research on safety of fast neutron Generation-IV reactors (NFRP-2016-2017-1, 2016)
Start date: 2017-09-01
End date: 2022-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 9911150.0
EU funding (EUR): 5000000.0
Participants: 20
Project status: SIGNED

To improve the public acceptance of the future nuclear power in Europe we have to demonstrate that the new reactors have significantly higher safety level compared to traditional reactors. The ESFR-SMART project (European Sodium Fast Reactor Safety Measures Assessment and Research Tools) aims at enhancing further the safety of Generation-IV SFRs and in particular of the commercial-size European Sodium Fast Reactor (ESFR) in accordance with the ESNII roadmap and in close cooperation with the ASTRID program. The project aims at 5 specific objectives: 1) Produce new experimental data in order to support calibration and validation of the computational tools for each defence-in-depth level. 2) Test and qualify new instrumentations in order to support their utilization in the reactor protection system. 3) Perform further calibration and validation of the computational tools for each defence-in-depth level in order to support safety assessments of Generation-IV SFRs, using the data produced in the project as well as selected legacy data. 4) Select, implement and assess new safety measures for the commercial-size ESFR, using the GIF methodologies, the FP7 CP-ESFR project legacy, the calibrated and validated codes and being in accordance with the update of the European and international safety frameworks taking into account the Fukushima accident. 5) Strengthen and link together new networks, in particular, the network of the European sodium facilities and the network of the European students working on the SFR technology. Close interactions with the main European and international SFR stakeholders (GIF, ARDECo, ESNII and IAEA) via the Advisory Review Panel will enable reviews and recommendations on the project’s progress as well as dissemination of the new knowledge created by the project. By addressing the industry, policy makers and general public, the project is expected to make a meaningful impact on economics, EU policy and society.

Keywords: generation iv,sodium fast reactor,safety,validation,experiments
An algorithmic framework for reducing bias and polarization in online media (REBOUND)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Computer science and informatics
Panel description: Informatics and information systems, computer science, scientific computing, intelligent systems
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2018-ADG, 2018)
Start date: 2020-03-01
End date: 2025-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2492587.5
EU funding (EUR): 2490087.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Online media is an important part of modern information society, offering a podium for public discourse and hosting the opinions of hundreds of millions of individuals. Online media are often credited for providing a technological means to break information barriers and promote diversity and democracy. In practice, however, the opposite effect is often observed: users tend to favor content that agrees with their existing world-view, get less exposure to conflicting viewpoints, and eventually create information silos and increased polarization. Arguably, without any kind of mediation, current social-media platforms gravitate towards a state in which net-citizens are constantly reinforcing their existing opinions. In this project we will develop theoretical foundations and a concrete set of algorithmic techniques to address deficiencies in today's online media. We will develop methods to discover structure and patterns of segregation, conflict, and closeness in social-media systems. We will address the issues of reducing bias and polarization, breaking information silos, and creating awareness of users to explore alternative viewpoints. We will also study the effect of different design features to the willingness of the users to explore viewpoints that conflict their opinion. The project is structured along three interwined research thrusts: knowledge discovery, exploration, and content recommendation. To accomplish its aims the project will formulate novel problem representations that provide a deeper understanding of the undesirable phenomena observed in online media and allow for effective remedial actions. Strong emphasis will be given on designing algorithms that are scalable to large data, are able to deal with uncertainty, and offer theoretical guarantees. The end result will be a set of new methods and tools that will contribute to increasing exposure to diverse ideas and improving online deliberation.

Keywords: data mining,graph mining,social network analysis,social media analysis,information networks,combinatorial and probabilistic algorithms
Corrosion Initiation Mechanisms at the Nanometric/Atomic Scale (CIMNAS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Physical and analytical chemical sciences
Panel description: Analytical chemistry, chemical theory, physical chemistry/chemical physics
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC Advanced Grant (ERC-2016-ADG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-09-01
End date: 2023-02-28
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1657055.52
EU funding (EUR): 1657055.52
Participants: 3
Project status: CLOSED

The failure of metallic materials caused by corrosion strongly impacts our society with cost, safety, health and performance issues. The mechanisms of corrosion propagation are fairly well understood, and various means of mitigation are known even if research is still necessary to improve this knowledge or to develop corrosion protection for the application of new materials. The vision of CIMNAS is that a major breakthrough for corrosion protection lies in a deep understanding and control of the initiation stage triggering corrosion. Corrosion initiation takes place at the atomic/molecular scale or at a scale of a few nanometres (the nanoscale) on metal and alloy surfaces, metallic, oxidised or coated, and interacting with the corroding environment. The mission of CIMNAS is to challenge the difficulty of understanding corrosion initiation at the nanometric/atomic scale on such complex interfaces, ultimately aiming at designing more robust metallic surfaces via the understanding of corrosion mechanisms. The project is constructed on new ideas to achieve three knowledge breakthroughs, each answering a key question for the understanding of corrosion initiation on metal and alloy surfaces. It is envisioned that the model approach used and the achieved breakthroughs will open up a new horizon for research on corrosion initiation mechanisms at the nanoscale, and new opportunities for a knowledge-based design of novel corrosion protection technologies. Technologies presently at low TRL (Technology Readiness Level) will benefit from these breakthroughs. Resources will include a team of highly experienced and recognised researchers headed by the PI, a unique apparatus recently installed at the PI’s lab, integrating surface spectroscopy, microscopy, and electrochemistry for in situ measurements in a closed system, novel experimental approaches, and a strong complementarity of experiments and modelling.
Bringing to the market a new generation of AI-powered Media Monitoring Tools (MONITIO)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,United Kingdom,Denmark,Portugal
Call: Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) (H2020-EIC-FTI-2018-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-03-01
End date: 2023-05-31
Duration (months): 27.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2615060.0
EU funding (EUR): 2050216.25
Participants: 4
Project status: SIGNED

Media Monitoring is the systematic recording of media output related to a specific target, its activities and topics of interest. With the galloping growth of sources, many media monitoring companies have addressed this issue by increasing human resources. However, human expertise which should be focused in advanced analysis is being wasted on time-consuming mechanical tasks. Current commercial solutions peddle the use of “Artificial Intelligence”, but they are still highly dependent on human expertise to filter out irrelevant content. The worldwide market for media monitoring is valued at US$2.23 bn (2017), with a CAGR of 13,6% until 2022. Building on 3 years of cutting-edge AI research funded by H2020, Priberam is developing a real-time crosslingual global media monitoring platform that delivers actionable insight beyond human capabilities. Our system, based on a scalable SaaS business model, continuously ingests massive multilingual data sources and automatically translates, filters, categorizes and generates reports for media monitoring professionals. MONITIO will be co-created with end-users at Deutsche Welle and improved with cutting-edge technology from Cambridge University, focusing on GDPR and the new EU Copyright legislation, making it the first media monitoring tool copyright compliant-by-design (in opposition to the majority of competitor solutions, which are US-based and not centred in these issues). Priberam is a Portuguese SME that provides cutting-edge Natural Language Understanding and Artificial Intelligence technologies to companies in the media, legal and healthcare industries, and exports its technologies to international top companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Kobo, and the main media publishers in Portugal, Spain and Brazil. Our team of 24 generated a turnover of 1,4M€ in 2018. We believe that MONITIO will bring Media Monitoring to a new disruptive level, and place European technology in the lead of AI-powered Media Monitoring services.

Keywords: media monitoring,media intelligence,horizon scanning,technology watch,natural language understanding,machine translation,crosslingual clustering,real time,text summarisation,semantic search
Learning and Anxiety in Amygdala-based Neural Circuits (LearnAnx_CircAmyg)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Panel description: Nervous system development, homeostasis and ageing, nervous system function and dysfunction, systems neuroscience and modelling, biological basis of cognitive processes and of behaviour, neurological and mental disorders
Countries involved: Israel
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2016-COG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-09-01
End date: 2022-07-31
Duration (months): 59.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1981175.0
EU funding (EUR): 1981175.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Major advances were made in understanding circuits that underlie aversive emotional learning. The majority gained by using classical associative models, mainly tone/context-shock conditioning. Failure to extinguish the response or to discriminate from other safe stimuli (generalization), form two main animal models for human anxiety-disorders and post-traumatic-stress. These simple yet powerful approaches enabled cutting-edge techniques in rodents to unveil amygdala circuitry and its connectivity with the medial-prefrontal-cortex. Yet, we have less understanding of the mechanisms that underlie elaborated behavioural models of mal-adaptive behaviour, as well as less understanding of neural codes and computations in the evolutionary-expanded primate amygdala. Our lab recently embarked on exploring these venues by pioneering physiological studies of generalization and extinction protocols in primates. The goal of the current project is to develop behavioural models of complex learning and maladaptive behaviour, and then examine and shed light on the underlying computations in primate amygdala-PFC circuit. We design a novel rule-based learning task, and examine its acquisition, extinction, generalization and exploration-exploitation trade-off in dangerous environments. Specifically, the concepts of rule learning and exploration-exploitation tradeoff form novel insights and aspects of [mal-]adaptive behaviours, and will suggest new animal models of learned anxiety. We record dozens of neurons in the amygdala and prefrontal-cortex simultaneously using deep multi-contact arrays, supplemented by stimulation to address functional connectivity, and development of modelling approaches for the behaviour and neural codes. We posit that the development of more [complex] models is crucial and the next logical step in achieving translation of animal models of anxiety disorders, as well as in understanding basic mechanisms behind the rich repertoire of emotional behaviours.

Keywords: amygdala,aversive learning,anterior cingulate cortex,anxiety disorders,electrophysiology,safety
Deciphering the evolution and roles of cytosine DNA methylation across eukaryotes (METHYLEVOL)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Panel description: Ecology, biodiversity, environmental change, evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, microbial ecology, marine biology, ecophysiology, theoretical developments and modelling
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2020-STG, 2020)
Start date: 2021-09-01
End date: 2026-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499965.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499965.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Cytosine DNA methylation is a major component of eukaryotic chromatin, yet extensive variation of methylation patterns occurs throughout eukaryotes. So far, the roles of DNA methylation have been mostly characterized in vertebrates, plants and fungi, where two common patterns have emerged as potentially ancestral within eukaryotes: methylation of silent transposable elements and methylation of constitutively transcribed genes (gene body methylation). However, the genes responsible for depositing methylation are not always orthologous across divergent lineages, so these common patterns could instead be the product of convergent evolution. To discern between these alternatives, we first need to correct the taxon sampling bias that hampers our understanding about the evolution of DNA methylation. In this project we will determine the roles of DNA methylation across vastly underexplored eukaryotic diversity. We will use state-of-the-art genomic techniques, experimental manipulations and computational analyses to trace the evolutionary conservation of methylation-dependent transposable element silencing across a wide range of unicellular eukaryotes, using methylation-depleting drugs and bisulfite sequencing. We will then assess the roles of gene body methylation in an invertebrate to unveil similarities with plants and shed light on why vertebrates transitioned to hypermethylated genomes. Finally, we will study the evolution of proteins able to bind and interpret DNA methylation across disparate eukaryotes, since ultimately these proteins link DNA methylation and its regulatory functions. Through linking experimental epigenomics to macro-evolutionary comparative genomics this project will reveal how different functions of DNA methylation assembled throughout evolution. In turn, this evolutionary perspective will allow a better understanding of the genome regulatory roles of this base modification and its impact on genome composition in plants and animals.

Keywords: dna methylation,eukaryotic evolution,macro evolution,transcription factor,evolutionary developmental biology,chromatin evolution,comparative genomics
Strong interactions for precision nuclear physics (PrecisionNuclei)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Fundamental constituents of matter
Panel description: Particle, nuclear, plasma, atomic, molecular, gas, and optical physics
Countries involved: Sweden
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2017-STG, 2017)
Start date: 2018-02-01
End date: 2023-01-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499085.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499085.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Nuclear physics is a cornerstone in our scientific endeavour to understand the universe. Indeed, atomic nuclei bring us closer to study both the stellar explosions in the macrocosmos, where the elements are formed, and the fundamental symmetries of the microcosmos. Having access to a a precise description of the interactions between protons and neutrons would provide a key to new knowledge across 20 orders of magnitude; from neutrinos to neutron stars. Despite a century of the finest efforts, a systematic description of strongly interacting matter at low energies is still lacking. Successful theoretical approaches, such as mean-field and shell models, rely on uncontrolled approximations that severely limit their predictive power in regions where the model has not been adjusted. In this project I will develop a novel methodology to use experimental information from heavy atomic nuclei in the construction of nuclear interactions from chiral effective field theory. I expect this approach to enable me and my team to make precise ab initio predictions of various nuclear observables in a wide mass-range from hydrogen to lead as well as infinite nuclear matter. I will apply Bayesian regression and methods from machine learning to quantify the statistical and systematic uncertainties of the theoretical predictions. The novelty and challenge in this project lies in synthesising (i) the design of nuclear interactions, (ii) ab initio calculations of nuclei, and (iii) statistical inference in the confrontation between theory and experimental data. This alignment of methods, harboured within the same project, will create a clear scientific advantage and allow me to tackle the following big research question: how can atomic nuclei be described in chiral effective field theories of quantum chromo dynamics?

Keywords: ab initio nuclear theory
Tuning electronic properties in twisted 2D transition metal dichalcogenides heterostructures. (2DTWISTMDs)

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: Australia,Finland
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2022-05-01
End date: 2025-04-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 266813.76
EU funding (EUR): 266813.76
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The emergence of graphene in 2004 gave rise to the isolation of a new myriad of 2D materials with many different properties. In addition, the stacking of different 2D layers, forming Van der Waals heterostructures, has shown the possibility to modify and expand the features of the final hybrid materials. An important ingredient for the final attributes of these heterostructures is the alignment of its constituents. As a consequence of the difference in lattice constant and the relative angle between the 2D layers, a moiré pattern arises. This moiré pattern can give rise to new physics not present in the original materials. This has already being proven in twisted graphene heterostructures, and its study is exploding in popularity these days. On the other hand, twisted heterostructures of semiconducting TMDs have received less attention. This project aims to realise and understand new correlated electronic phases of matter in twisted heterostructures of atomically thin semiconductors. Specifically, the project aims to: (1) thoroughly characterize the electronic structure of twisted semiconductor heterostructures; (2) understand how correlated electronic phases arise from interactions in twisted semiconductor heterostructures; and (3) search for new electronic phases such as spin liquids and topological phases. These new electronic phases will radically alter the conductivity of the heterostructure, and are expected to be highly sensitive to the electron density in the moiré superlattice and hence can be tuned via electronic gates, creating novel low-energy switches. The heterostructures will be characterised using electronic measurements, and low temperature scanning probe microscopy and spectroscopy measurements. While this fellowship would allow the experienced researcher to learn new techniques and expand his knowledge and networks, the topic of this proposal is also in line with the goals of Horizon 2020, Graphene Flagship and Quantum Flagship EU programmes.

Keywords: 2d materials,transition metal dichalcogenides,heterostructures,devices
Characterization of the role of netrin-1 in the regulation of the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition during tumor progression. (NetriCan)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Individual Fellowships (IF)-Reintegration panel
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Life Sciences
Countries involved: France
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2020-12-01
End date: 2022-11-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 196707.84
EU funding (EUR): 196707.84
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Recent data coming from both basic research and clinical trials converge toward the importance of the epithelial/mesenchymal status of a tumor to respond to conventional chemotherapies and immune-checkpoint inhibitors. These observations set the Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) program at the centre of cancer biology. Besides its multiple roles in development and during adulthood, EMT is activated during tumor progression not only to allow metastatic dissemination of cancer cells, which is responsible for the vast majority of patients’ death, but also to provide cells with stem-like properties and resistance mechanisms to survive chemotherapy. It is now widely accepted that future therapies will have to target and/or block the EMT process and allow conventional therapies to efficiently kill the differentiated, epithelial cells to treat patients with advanced solid tumors. NetriCan will analyse for the first time the implication of netrin-1 and its dependence receptor UNC5B in the regulation of EMT, either directly or via its cell death-related function. Moreover, the re-epithelialization effect of the anti-netrin-1 monoclonal antibody observed in tumors in vivo and in a preliminary cohort of patients shows that netrin-1/UNC5B may not only be involved in the direct regulation of maintenance of EMT but also serve as a survival mechanism for metastatic tumor cells. To achieve this, Netrican will first analyse how the upregulation of netrin-1 and UNC5B is regulated during EMT. It will then investigate the role of the netrin-1/UNC5B axis in the establishment and maintenance of the EMT program needed for cell dissemination and metastasis. Finally, this project will elucidate the therapeutic potential of the anti-netrin-1 strategy for both triggering primary tumor re-epithelialization and killing mesenchymal tumor cells. In summary, NetriCan will provide innovative findings to develop novel promising therapeutic approach for patients with advanced solid tumors.

Keywords: netrin 1,unc5b,dependence receptors,epithelial to mesenchymal transition,cancer