Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Structural evolution at the nano- and mesoscale (STREAM)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Materials and Synthesis
Countries involved: Germany
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-05-01
End date: 2017-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2407400.0
EU funding (EUR): 2407400.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal aims to establish a novel type of kinetic experiment by combining microfluidics with micro-x-ray technology to develop a fundamental understanding of nucleation and growth of organic and inorganic nanoparticles, thus aiming to help producing these particles more efficiently in times of constraint materials resources. The methodology maps particle growth kinetics form the time- to the length scale. The proposed combination with microbeam x-ray diffraction extends the temporal resolution, determined by the spot-size of the microbeam, into the microsecond regime. This enables to elucidate nanoparticle nucleation and growth from early nucleation states to late growth states during which the shape of the particles is decided, thus opening pathways to new particle morphologies and improving existing synthetic procedures. The method is applied to the investigation of amphiphile self-assembly kinetics, inorganic nanocrystal growth and ultrafast polymer nanoparticle formation, where any improvement in the understanding of the growth mechanism is expected to directly lead to a more rational design of the synthesis, extending the range of morphologies and applications. That way, it is expected that STREAM can clarify particle nucleation and growth to expand the possibilities of nanoparticle synthesis to provide new and better materials for energy, information and medical technology.

Keywords: self-assembly,micelles,vesicles,nanoparticles,scattering,microfluidics
BLOW UP, DISPERSION AND SOLITONS (BLOWDISOL)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Mathematical foundations
Countries involved: France
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-04-01
End date: 2017-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2079798.0
EU funding (EUR): 2079798.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Many physical models involve nonlinear dispersive problems, like wave or laser propagation, plasmas, ferromagnetism, etc. So far, the mathematical under- standing of these equations is rather poor. In particular, we know little about the detailed qualitative behavior of their solutions. Our point is that an apparent com- plexity hides universal properties of these models; investigating and uncovering such properties has started only recently. More than the equations themselves, these univer- sal properties are essential for physical modelisation. By considering several standard models such as the nonlinear Schrodinger, nonlinear wave, generalized KdV equations and related geometric problems, the goal of this pro- posal is to describe the generic global behavior of the solutions and the proﬁles which emerge either for large time or by concentration due to strong nonlinear eﬀects, if pos- sible through a few relevant solutions (sometimes explicit solutions, like solitons). In order to do this, we have to elaborate diﬀerent mathematical tools depending on the context and the speciﬁcity of the problems. Particular emphasis will be placed on - large time asymptotics for global solutions, decomposition of generic solutions into sums of decoupled solitons in non integrable situations, - description of critical phenomenon for blow up in the Hamiltonian situation, stable or generic behavior for blow up on critical dynamics, various relevant regularisations of the problem, - global existence for defocusing supercritical problems and blow up dynamics in the focusing cases. We believe that the PI and his team have the ability to tackle these problems at present. The proposal will open whole ﬁelds of investigation in Partial Diﬀerential Equations in the future, clarify and simplify our knowledge on the dynamical behavior of solutions of these problems and provide Physicists some new insight on these models.

Keywords: dispersion,blow-up,soliton,non linear schrodinger equation,nonlinear wave equation,korteweg-de vries equation,qualitative properties,asymptotic behavior
Novel combustion principle with inherent capture of CO2 using combined manganese oxides that release oxygen (NOCO2)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Products and process engineering
Countries involved: Sweden
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-03-01
End date: 2017-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Conventional CO2 capture processes have significant cost and energy penalties associated with gas separation. Chemical-looping combustion (CLC), an entirely new combustion principle avoids this difficulty by inherent CO2 capture, using metal oxides for oxygen transfer from air to fuel. The process has been demonstrated in small scale with gaseous fuels. However, with solid fuels it would be difficult to reach high fuel conversion, with the oxygen-carrier materials used so far. But a new type of combined oxides based on manganese has the ability not only to react with gaseous fuel, but also to release gaseous oxygen, which would fundamentally change the concept. The programme would provide 1) new oxygen-carrier materials with unique properties that would make this low-cost/high-efficiency option of CO2 capture possible, 2) cold-flow model investigation of suitable reactor system configurations and components, 3) a demonstration of this new combustion technology at the pilot plant level, 4) a model of the process comprising a full understanding, including kinetics, equilibria, hydrodynamics of fluidized reactors, mass and heat balances. The basis of this programme is the discovery of a number of oxygen-releasing combined manganese oxides, having properties that can make a CLC with solid fuels a break-through process for CO2 capture. The purpose of the programme is to perform a comprehensive study of these materials, to demonstrate that they work in real systems, to achieve a full understanding of how they work in interaction with solid fuels in fluidized beds and to assess how this process would work in the full scale. Climate negotiations and agreements could be significantly facilitated by this low cost option for CO2 capture which, in principle, should be applicable to 25% of the global CO2 emissions, i.e. coal fired power plants. It would also provide a future means of removing CO2 from the atmosphere at low cost by burning biofuel and capture CO2. .

Keywords: co2 capture,combustion,chemical-looping combustion,solid fuel
Biomimetics for Functions and Responses (MIMEFUN)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Materials and Synthesis
Countries involved: Finland
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-04-01
End date: 2017-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2296320.0
EU funding (EUR): 2296320.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Energy efficiency and sustainability encourage to develop lightweight materials with excellent mechanical properties, combining also additional functionalities and responses. Therein nature allows inspiration, as e.g. pearl of nacre and silk show extraordinary mechanical properties due to their aligned self-assemblies. However, biological complexity poses great challenges and in biomimetics selected features are mimicked using simpler concepts. Previously artificial nacre has been mimicked by multilayer and sequential techniques and ice-templating. However, concepts for aligned spontaneous self-assemblies are called for scalability. We will develop toughened nacre-inspired materials by templating functionalized polymers on colloidal sheets in suspension, followed by self-assembly by solvent removal. Similarly, we will develop silk-mimetic materials using aligned organic fibrous reinforcements in soft dissipative matrix. Nanofibrillated cellulose will be wet-spun using extrusion into coagulant bath, followed by post drawing, drying and functionalization to allow silk-like fibers with high mechanical properties. In another route, cellulose rod-like whiskers will be decorated with soft functional polymers allowing energy dissipation, followed by alignment and interlinking to mimick silk-assemblies. The colloidal routes allow also new functionalities by using functional polymers, e.g. electroactive and conjugated polymers and nanoparticles. Importantly, redox-active polymers are bound on the colloidal sheets. Incorporating in a planar electrochemical cell with flexible electrodes, electrochemical switching of stiffness is obtained using a small voltage, as the intercolloidal interaction is controlled by the charge state of the redox-active layers. This would allow a new class of material, eg. to interface users and devices. In summary, we present a colloidal self-assembly platform for biomimetic materials with exciting mechanical, functional, and switching properties.

Keywords: biomimetics,self-assembly,mechanical properties,switching
Concurrency Made Easy (CME)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Computer science and informatics
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-04-01
End date: 2018-09-30
Duration (months): 78.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2482957.16
EU funding (EUR): 2482957.16
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

The “Concurrency Made Easy” project is an attempt to achieve a conceptual breakthrough on the most daunting challenge in information technology today: mastering concurrency. Concurrency, once a specialized technique for experts, is forcing itself onto the entire IT community because of a disruptive phenomenon: the “end of Moore’s law as we know it”. Increases in performance can no longer happen through raw hardware speed, but only through concurrency, as in multicore architectures. Concurrency is also critical for networking, cloud computing and the progress of natural sciences. Software support for these advances lags, mired in concepts from the 1960s such as semaphores. Existing formal models are hard to apply in practice. Incremental progress is not sufficient; neither are techniques that place the burden on programmers, who cannot all be expected to become concurrency experts. The CME project attempts a major shift on the side of the supporting technology: languages, formal models, verification techniques. The core idea of the CME project is to make concurrency easy for programmers, by building on established ideas of modern programming methodology (object technology, Design by Contract) shifting the concurrency difficulties to the internals of the model and implementation. The project includes the following elements. 1. Sound conceptual model for concurrency. The starting point is the influential previous work of the PI: concepts of object-oriented design, particularly Design by Contract, and the SCOOP concurrency model. 2. Reference implementation, integrated into an IDE. 3. Performance analysis. 4. Theory and formal basis, including full semantics. 5. Proof techniques, compatible with proof techniques for the sequential part. 6. Complementary verification techniques such as concurrent testing. 7. Library of concurrency components and examples. 8. Publication, including a major textbook on concurrency.

Keywords: concurrency,object-oriented programming,design by contract
Mechanically Responsive Polymers (MERESPO)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Materials and Synthesis
Countries involved: Switzerland
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-05-01
End date: 2017-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1992493.2
EU funding (EUR): 1992493.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

“Intelligent” polymers which change their properties “on command”, that is upon exposure to a pre-defined stimulus in a highly selective and reversible manner, are of considerable academic interest and attractive for countless technologically relevant applications. Many examples of chemically, thermally, electrically, optically, or electrically responsive materials are known, but only few polymers have been studied, which respond in a useful and predictable manner to the exposure of mechanical stress. The here-proposed program targets the design, synthesis, processing, exploration and exploitation of a radically new family of bio-inspired, mechanically responsive polymers in which mechanical stress provides the activation energy to trigger specific pre-programmed chemical reactions. These reactions, in turn, will be used to bestow polymers with unusual and previously unavailable functionalities, such as mechanical morphing, mechanically induced generation of light, mechanically controlled cell growth, auto-lubricating behavior, and the ability to release small molecules such as drugs, fragrances and antiseptics. A three-pronged research approach is proposed. Thrust 1 will investigate carefully selected model systems with the aim to advance the predictive understanding for the relationships between the chemical structure of the mechanically responsive motifs or “mechanophores”, their connectivity with a matrix polymer, the morphology and mechanical properties of the system, and the mechanoresponse. Thrust 2 focuses on the exploration of new mechanophores and mechanochemical transduction schemes. Thrust 3 will apply the knowledge generated for the creation of novel materials that offer a wide variety of new and interesting functionalities. The knowledge generated through these efforts will provide a broad intellectual basis for the future design, of advanced functional materials based on mechanochemical transduction schemes.

Keywords: polymers,mechanically responsive,mechanophore,smart material
Local Structure of Sets, Measures and Currents (LOCALSTRUCTURE)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Mathematical foundations
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-05-01
End date: 2017-09-30
Duration (months): 65.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2068147.0
EU funding (EUR): 2068147.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The objective of this research proposal is to develop new methods to answer a number of fundamental questions generated by the recent development of modern analysis. The questions we are interested in are specifically related to the study of local structure of sets and functions in the classical Euclidean setting, in infinite dimensional Banach spaces and in the modern setting of analysis on metric spaces. The main areas of study will be: (a) Structure of null sets and representation of (singular) measures, one of the key motivations being the differentiability of Lipschitz functions in finite dimensional spaces. (b) Nonlinear geometric functional analysis, with particular attention to the differentiability of Lipschitz functions in infinite dimensional Hilbert spaces and Banach spaces with separable dual. (c) Foundations of analysis on metric spaces, the key problems here being representation results for Lipschitz differentiability spaces and spaces satisfying the Poincar\'e inequality. (d) Uniqueness of tangent structure in various settings, where the ultimate goal is to contribute to the fundamental problem whether minimal surfaces (in their geometric measure theoretic model as area minimizing integral currents) have a unique behaviour close to any point.

Keywords: analysis on metric spaces,tangent cones and measures,differentiability,lipschitz functions,varifolds,minimizing currents
ILLUMINATING DARK ENERGY WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF COSMOLOGICAL REDSHIFT SURVEYS (DARKLIGHT)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Universe sciences
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-05-01
End date: 2017-10-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1723600.0
EU funding (EUR): 1723600.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Galaxy redshift surveys have been central in establishing the current successful cosmological model. Reconstructing the large-scale distribution of galaxies in space and time, they provide us with a unique probe of the basic constituents of the Universe, their evolution and the background fundamental physics. A new generation of even larger surveys is planned for the starting decade, with the aim of solving the remaining mysteries of the standard model using high-precision measurements of galaxy clustering. These entail the nature of the “dark sector” and in particular the origin of the accelerated cosmic expansion. While data accumulation already started, the needed analysis capabilities to reach the required percent levels in both accuracy and precision are not ready yet. I propose to establish a focused research group to develop these tools and optimally analyze the new data, while being directly involved in their collection. New techniques as redshift-space distortions and well-known but still debated probes as galaxy clusters will be refined to a new level. They will be combined with more standard methods as baryonic acoustic oscillations and external data as CMB anisotropies. Performances will be validated on mock samples from large numerical simulations and then applied to state-of-the-art data with enhanced control over systematic errors to obtain the best achievable measurements. These new capabilities will be decisive in enabling ongoing and future surveys to tackle the key open problems in cosmology: What is the nature of dark energy? Is it produced by an evolving scalar field? Or does it rather require a modification of the laws of gravity? How does it relate to dark matter? What is the role of neutrinos? The answer to these questions may well revolutionize our view of physics.

Keywords: galaxy redshift surveys,clustering,modelling
Nonlocality in space and time (NLST)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Fundamental constituents of matter
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-03-01
End date: 2018-02-28
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1664126.0
EU funding (EUR): 1664126.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Quantum mechanics is our most successful theory of nature. Yet more than eight decades after its inception there is a general agreement that a deep and intuitive understanding of it is still missing; we know how to compute quantum effects but we clearly do not have the full story. Even to this day, surprising and even paradoxical quantum effects continue to be frequently discovered. They are paradoxical only because our understanding of quantum behaviour is not yet good enough to have anticipated them. However, for the first time there are glimmers of hope. It is the main thesis of this project that what makes quantum mechanics so counterintuitive is the fact that it is nonlocal. One nonlocal phenomenon, namely Bell-type nonlocality, is at present investigated intensively. It is by now universally accepted that it holds at least part of the key to truly understanding quantum behaviour. However, it is the main point of this project that there exist two other types of nonlocality, namely dynamic nonlocality and nonlocality in time. Dynamic nonlocality is the nonlocality of the quantum equations of motion, discovered in the context of the Aharanov-Bohm effect. Nonlocality in time is the ability to impose independent initial and final boundary conditions on the evolution of a quantum system. In contrast to Bell-type nonlocality, these two other types of nonlocality have received far less attention. Research into temporal-nonlocality (pre- and post-selection) has been evolving slowly over the last twenty years, whilst dynamical nonlocality has been virtually untouched. I believe that only by understanding all three types of nonlocality can the key to quantum behaviour be found. This project will develop an intensive research program on dynamical and temporal nonlocality whilst pursuing a vigorous investigation into the many fundamental open questions related to Bell-type nonlocality.

Keywords: quantum mechanics,nonlocality,entanglement,foundations of quantum mechanics
Electric Currents in Sediment and Soil (COULOMBUS)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Earth system science
Countries involved: Denmark
Call:  (ERC-2011-ADG_20110209, 2011)
Start date: 2012-03-01
End date: 2017-02-28
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2155300.0
EU funding (EUR): 2155300.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

With COULOMBUS I will explore the new electronic world I recently found in marine sediment; a living world featuring transmission of coulombs of electrons over long distances through a grid of unknown origin and composition. This is a great challenge to science, and I will specifically - Unravel function, expansion, resilience, and microbial engineering of the conductive grid - Identify microbial and geological processes related to long distance electron transfer today and in the past - Introduce the electron as a new element in biogeochemical and ecological models. - Map the range of sediment and soil habitats featuring biogeoelectric currents Incubations of marine sediment will serve as the “base camp” for the surveys. Here I consistently observe that current sources extending centimetres down deliver electrons for most of the oxygen consumption, and here my array of advanced microsensors and biogeochemical methods works well. My team will record electric currents and biogeochemical changes as we manipulate mechanical, chemical, and biological conditions, thereby getting to an understanding of the interplay between conductors, microorganisms, electron donors, electron acceptors, and minerals. Next we take the methods out in the sea to evaluate biogeoelectricity in situ using robots. Other aquatic environments will also be screened. The ultimate outdoor challenge will come as I lead the team into soils where surface potentials suggest biogeoelectric currents deep down. All observations, experiments, and models will be directed to answer the groundbreaking questions: What physics and microbial engineering can explain long distance electron conductance in nature? How do electric microbial communities evolve and how do they shape element cycling? What signatures of biogeoelectricity are left in the geological record of earth history? If I succeed I will have opened up many new exciting research routes for the followers.

Keywords: nanowires,extracellular electron transfer,sediment,soil,geochemistry,geophysics