Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Bulk Nanostructured Tungsten for Extreme Environments (BulkNanoWe2)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Austria
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS (ERC-2023-POC, 2023)
Start date: 2024-05-01
End date: 2025-10-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Tungsten possesses the highest melting point amongst metals and exhibits superior characteristics when sustaining extreme environments. Nevertheless, tungsten also has a severe limitation, it is intrinsically brittle and prone to cleavage failure. In our ERC Consolidator Grant TOUGHIT, we are developing strategies to overcome this brittleness while concurrently enhancing the material strength. This is accomplished by refining tungsten to a nanocrystalline state via extreme deformation and strengthening the weak interfaces through segregation-driven grain boundary engineering. In the current Proof of Concept project BulkNanoWe2, we aim to transition this knowledge to industrial application. Our objective is to devise efficient manufacturing procedures to create near-net-shaped bulk parts. We employ spark plasma sintering, using electric heating and applied pressure, to facilitate swift sintering at lower temperatures. The pivotal role of a nanostructured material to ensure the desired properties is realized by commencing with nanopowders. These also aid synthesis by increasing sintering kinetics. Further, the nanopowders will undergo surface modification to retard grain growth and concurrently enhance mechanical properties. Thereby, we chart a course toward creating near-net-shaped components featuring distinctly tailored nanoscale microstructure and modified interfaces. This innovative approach will provide a synergistic combination of desired attributes, including a remarkable strength surpassing conventional bulk tungsten by >100%. Simultaneously, the fracture toughness will at least double for a resource-efficient yet secure design paradigm. Attaining these highly desirable properties in an adapted industrial framework, we also contribute to tungsten sourcing challenges. Finally, we realize an environmentally conscientious and economically appealing exceptional material tailored to endure extreme environments.

Keywords: nanomaterials harsh conditions interface engineering energy materials
Dr. Liz McGloughlin-From Doctor to Healthcare Innovation Leader (Dr. Liz McGloughlin)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
Theme: EU prize
Destination: EU Prize for Women Innovators
Action type: Recognition Prize
Countries involved: Ireland
Call: Horizon-EIT-2024-Prize-EPWI-WomenLeadership (HORIZON-EIT-2024-WomenInnovatorsPrize, 2024)
Total project cost (EUR): 0.0
EU funding (EUR): 0.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) McGloughlin trained as a medical doctor and qualified from one of Ireland’s top medical training schools, University College Dublin with an honours MB, BCh, BAO degree in 2013. Following her specialist training in Anaesthesia and Critical care, she undertook the prestigious BioInnovate Fellowship Programme (an affiliate of the world leading Stanford Biodesign programme) in 2015 and earned a Master of Science in BioInnovation from the University of Galway. While continuing her practice in anaesthesia, she secured grant funding of over €400k to undertake initial research in single use endoscopy and has gone onto raise over €6 million in public and private funding since moving from a career in clinical medicine to impactful technology leadership as Co-Founder and CEO of Tympany Medical. As an anaesthetist and critical care doctor, Liz’s clinical career was focused on the operating room, an area of intense pressure and precision. Through this, Liz was exposed to all the challenges associated with surgical visualisation across several surgical specialties. Having seen first-hand the many challenges of visualisation and handling of rigid endoscopes, she worked with her co-founder Rory O’Callaghan to build a company focus on human centred design of clinically impactful endoscopes to reduce procedure times, improve clinical outcomes, and bring advances in technology to a field starved of innovation for 50 years. Elizabeth is passionate about improving clinical outcomes in healthcare, as well as the development of sustainable medical technologies. Through her work with Tympany Medical, she has been engaged with EIT for several years, having participated in a number of programmes. She is an exemplary leader within the EIT Health network and will continue to raise up women and champion diversity in the sector.

Keywords: medical devices,female entrepreneurship,innovation,healthcare,leadership
Engineering Metal-Organic Framework-Polymer Binder Interfaces for Carbon Capture (MOFBINDER)

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,United Kingdom,Switzerland
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-03-01
End date: 2028-02-29
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 194074.56
EU funding (EUR): 194074.56
Participants: 3
Project status: SIGNED

Reducing CO2 emissions urgently requires the deployment of large-scale carbon capture technologies, many of which are being developed using innovative materials like porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). However, MOFs are typically synthesized as small crystals or powders, making them unsuitable for adsorption systems due to the high-pressure drops caused by fine particles. To address this issue, MOFs must be shaped into larger particles using polymer binders. While studies have explored MOF materials combined with binders, no clear guidelines exist, and the design process is often based on trial and error. This project aims to develop a computational approach for designing MOF-binder composites with enhanced mechanical properties and controlled porosity. By utilizing parallel molecular simulations, we will predict the interface properties in a high-throughput manner. Machine learning techniques, drawing from both simulated and literature-mined data, will enable the development of a robust screening method. Additionally, our work will be integrated with the state-of-the-art Process-Informed design of tailor-made Sorbent Materials (PrISMa) platform, which connects material design, process optimization, techno-economics, and life-cycle assessment. This integration will allow for the evaluation and comparison of MOF formulations in terms of their greenhouse gas emissions throughout the lifecycle of the carbon capture plant, addressing one of the final steps in the deployment of carbon capture technologies. To achieve these goals, the Researcher will receive training in high-throughput atomistic simulation workflows, materials informatics, and machine learning for material discovery, along with a holistic engineering approach through PrISMa. Moreover, this project offers the Researcher the opportunity to apply her expertise to the field of composite design, bridging fundamental science with industry-oriented perspectives actively pursued at IMDEA Materials Institute

Keywords: metal organic frameworks,material informatics,machine learning,carbon capture
Long-endurance cooperative Robotic tEchnologies for Localisation of targets during Emergency Incidents – Twinning for eXcellence (LORELEI-X)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area
Programme: Widening participation and spreading excellence
Theme: Improved access to Excellence
Destination: Improved access to Excellence
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Panel: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Cyprus,Denmark,Norway
Call: Twinning Bottom-Up (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-02, 2023)
Start date: 2024-10-01
End date: 2027-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1498911.57
EU funding (EUR): 1498911.57
Participants: 3
Project status: SIGNED

The recently updated Smart Specialisation Strategy of Cyprus highlights ‘drones and robots for inspections and repairs’ as well as the ‘design of small zero-emission vessels’ as areas where investments shall be directed and collaborations developed by Cypriot research organisations. At their crossroad, the topic of long-endurance robotic technologies applied to search and rescue (SAR) applications over large areas requires attention, especially for Cyprus, a southeastern Mediterranean nation whose economy largely depends on shipping and where the numbers of marine casualties and incidents signify a pressing challenge for maritime safety, biodiversity preservation and economic development. LORELEI-X aims at boosting the progress of the coordinating partner – CMMI, a H2020 Teaming Centre of excellence in marine and maritime research– towards scientific excellence and innovation leadership in marine robotics by deploying efficient and long-term capacity-building and networking activities with NTNU from Norway and DTU from Denmark whose reputations and track records are international. Beyond scientific skills, the activities will also reinforce administrative, dissemination, and innovation management competencies. CMMI will also benefit from connecting with the innovation ecosystems of DTU and NTNU that allow students, researchers, and faculty to quickly bootstrap entrepreneurial initiatives through start-up incubators. The R&I component will address structural vessel design, autonomous launch and recovery of marine vehicles, dynamic motion model calculation, fault-tolerant propulsion system and COLREGs informed, cyber-resilient marine navigation. It will result in the joint proof-of-concept and validation of a high-potential carrier marine vessel at TRL 5, capable of autonomously launching and recovering a small fleet of micro-Unmanned Underwater Vessels. Over 36 months, LORELEI-X will result in enhanced reputation, attractivity and skills for CMMI and its staff.

Keywords: autonomous launch and recovery operations cybernetics cyber resilient marine navigation long endurance robotics naval engineering search and rescue operations unmanned underwater vessels
Epigenetic profiling of menstrual blood for precision cancer detection and prevention (EpiPrecise)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Austria
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS (ERC-2023-POC, 2023)
Start date: 2024-04-01
End date: 2025-09-30
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Cancer has overtaken cardiovascular disease as the number one cause of mortality in high income countries, cancer incidence is increasing across the globe. Morbidity and mortality from women’s cancers, particularly breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, follow or exceed these general trends in cancer incidence. Tackling this growing cancer burden requires a multifactorial approach including understanding the fundamental drivers of cancer development; improving methods for detecting earlier those forms of cancer with the worst prognosis; predicting a person’s risk of developing cancer; and identifying appropriate targets for preventing cancer. Indeed, one of the biggest obstacles in identifying tailored cancer prevention strategies is a lack of surrogate readout markers reflecting and integrating an individual’s response to the cancer-initiating and cancer-promoting factors that they are exposed to during their lifetime. Our research delivers novel epigenetic tests relating to each of these key areas with an emphasis on women’s cancers and those who are at an increase risk for cancer due to their underlying genetics, such as women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and women with Lynch Syndrome. Central to the discovery and development of the epigenetic tests is a cellular deconvolution algorithm that is used to calculate the proportions of cell types within complex, mixed samples such as cervical swabs. In order to broaden the clinical utility of the tests and explore new applications, refinement and expansion of this cellular deconvolution algorithm is now required. The expansion will include cell types in menstrual blood, which is an important and understudied clinical sample type. The EpiPrecise project will deliver this refined and expanded algorithm and apply it to a test case in an area of high unmet clinical need. The refined algorithm will then be applied across the research portfolio and shared.
Transnationalizing Parliaments? Investigating the Voting Power of Europe's Arab Diasporas (VoPAD)

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: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-08-15
End date: 2026-08-14
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 230774.4
EU funding (EUR): 230774.4
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

As some Arab states are moving towards more open political processes, diasporas have become an increasingly important electoral factor. They contribute to political discourse, and possess the capacity to inject ideas, norms and expectations informed by their host societies into the political sphere of their country of origin. In the European context, these phenomena have been elaborately discussed with respect to the Turkish diaspora among others. However, due to its relative novelty and much greater complexity, Europe’s Arab diasporas, and their ability to influence parliamentary outcomes in their states of origin has comparatively been understudied. VoPAD will fill gaps in current research by examining the influence of diasporic voting on Arab parliaments with a specific focus on the diaspora hailing from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia. This will provide new insight into Europe’s Arab diasporas’ role in the post-Arab Spring parliamentary development – and importantly, shed new light on the potential and limitations for transnational forces from Europe - in the form of external voting - to influence parliaments and parliamentary activity in Arab states. As a case- and country-based, comparative investigation, VoPAD is organised around three, interrelated objectives: (1) Mapping the design, procedures and institutional integration of diasporic voting, and how these influence parliamentary composition, and subsequent outcomes; (2) Identifying the voting preferences of the Europe-based diasporas, and whether residence (or citizenship) in Europe influences voting decisions; and (3) Investigating the competition over diasporas and their political engagement – i.e. how home-countries’ try to solicit support from diaspora communities abroad, and the response this solicits in the public sphere of their countries of residence.

Keywords: arab diasporas elections parliaments citizenship transnationalism
Correspondence through Millions Bodies: a large-scale, functional, and implicit data-driven method for 3D Humans matching (CoMBo)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: Germany
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 (HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-07-01
End date: 2024-07-31
Duration (months): 13.0
Total project cost (EUR): 86923.68
EU funding (EUR): 86923.68
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Interest in Virtual Humans is growing fast in public opinion and in several scientific and economic fields, from entertainment to medicine, from social sciences to ergonomics. The market of Virtual Avatars has a value estimated around USD 10 Billion and is expected to reach more than USD 520 Billion in 2030. To investigate, learn from, and represent fairly the wide variety of human experiences, tools to establish analogies or, namely, correspondence between them are required. Computer Vision and Graphics studied the problem intensely, but so far, no method has affirmed itself as a robust and flexible standard. This ambitious action aims to fill this gap, starting from three observations: 1) few methods rely on implicit representations, despite their flexibility and resilience; 2) especially, well-studied theoretical methods capable of strong regularizations have never been applied to these representations; 3) no method takes full advantage of large-scale datasets. This action will combine these aspects, following a roadmap with three major scientific objectives: a) Collecting dataset of 10 Million bodies with different properties, encoded as implicit representation, equipped with a ground-truth correspondence; b) Developing a novel data-driven framework based on Functional Maps theory for implicit representations; c) Deploying a large-scale neural network for 3D Human Correspondence beneficiary of the previous bullets, usable in real-world scenarios This MSCA will produce substantial scientific, economic, and social impacts in this strategic field thanks to the interdisciplinary union of mathematical tools for functional analysis, the latest advances in deep learning, and domain knowledge of human bodies. This action will carry an intense outreach to a broad audience, informing on bodies digitalization process and the importance of fair representation of the human experience in this fast-changing technology.

Keywords: virtual humans,deep learning,shape matching,3d shape analysis,functional maps
Evaluating how pleiotropy influences genetic and developmental evolution by using rodent teeth (PLEIOTROPY)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Environmental B iology, Ecology  and E volution
Panel description: For all organisms : Ecology, biodiversity, environmental change , evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, microbial ecology , marine biology, ecophysiology, theoretical developments and mod elling
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2022-COG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-12-01
End date: 2028-11-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1992395.0
EU funding (EUR): 1992395.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Pleiotropy is the phenomenon of one gene affecting several phenotypic traits, such as different organs. Mutations advantageous in one organ often have antagonistic effects in others. Recent theoretical and empirical data suggest adaptation proceeds with such pleiotropic mutations if they are compensated during development. I think that pleiotropy may promote the fast divergence of developmental gene expression and cis-regulatory regions while selecting for such compensations. To test this, my lab’s model, the upper and lower molars in rodents, will be ideal to: -Link variation in genes, development and shape, and track compensations in developmental processes. -Focus on a tractable case of pleiotropy with two organs. -Compare the evolution for different pleiotropy constraints. We have established a collection of rodents and methods to compare their genomes and developing molars.PLEIOTROPY’s originality is to contrast 3 types of species: Ancestor-like molars (controls), and derived molars that evolved either in line with pleiotropy constraints (higher crowns in both molars), or against them (extra cusps only in the upper molar). Our hypothesis implies that gene expression and cis-regulatory regions evolve faster in the latter case. We will: 1) Compare how developmental gene expression in tooth germs evolve, and search for compensatory changes in developmental mechanisms. We will scan gene expression at spatial resolution in 7 focal species. 2) Survey how regulatory regions evolve, and test compensatory mutations. We will annotate regulatory regions from epigenomic data and infer their phylogenetic history in 67 species. We will screen and validate compensatory mutations. 3) Model the joint evolution of upper and lower molars development to predict rates of genome evolution and compensatory mutations.PLEIOTROPY exploits my unique expertise, examining genome evolution in connection with developmental evolution, to tackle the puzzling question of pleiotropy in evolution

Keywords: comparative transcriptomics and genomics evo devo integrative biology
Gatekeepers to International Refugee Law? – The Role of Courts in Shaping Access to Asylum (ACCESS)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems
Panel description: Political science, international relations, law
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2022-STG, 2022)
Start date: 2023-11-01
End date: 2028-10-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499788.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499788.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Pushbacks, walls, fences, detention measures and externalisation of asylum proceedings are the most widespread barriers that States around the globe implement to keep refugees out, and consequently prevent their access to international protection. In a global refugee context lacking an international court to interpret the 1951 Refugee Convention (RC), the burden of assessing the compatibility of these barriers with the RC lies on domestic and supranational courts. These separate jurisdictions are interpreting the same treaty, are often presented with similar factual circumstances, and have a duty to uphold the rule of law. Yet, we do not know if courts around the globe have systematically yielded similar or different interpretations on the compatibility of State-developed barriers with the RC; and if common patterns have developed, whether or not they uphold those barriers in light of the RC. Despite these overarching problems, the literature has, so far, had a piecemeal approach; we thus lack an empirically driven socio-legal comparative analysis of the role of courts in interpreting the right to access asylum. ACCESS will introduce an empirically driven theoretical model of how domestic and supranational courts develop international refugee law (IRL) and advance the executive driven model of migration governance in response to State-developed barriers. More specifically, we will investigate: 1) how do judges apply the same legal treaty (RC) and related international norms in different political and socio-legal contexts?; 2) to what extent are there any discernible patterns in the courts’ decisions related to barriers to asylum (either restricting or expanding access to asylum)?; 3) what are the socio-legal factors influencing adjudication?; and 4) how have courts developed IRL in response to these barriers? Given that we are faced with the highest displacement figures on record and the increasing barriers to asylum, ACCESS is of topical importance.

Keywords: asylum,migration control,barriers to accessing asylum,courts,international refugee law