Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
An interdisciplinary approach to uncover the mechanisms of progression of cartilage damage at the cellular and tissue levels (INpaCT)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Finland,United States
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-GF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2017-01-01
End date: 2021-08-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 267793.2
EU funding (EUR): 267793.2
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Joint injuries are very frequent, especially among young people. Such injuries seldom heal and over time can lead to cartilage degeneration and ultimately osteoarthritis. Although, it is generally assumed that excessive mechanical loading post-injury can cause or accelerate the progression of cartilage degeneration, the precise mechanisms involved in the pathological processes at different structural length scales are still not fully understood. Thus, novel approaches for understanding structure-function relationships from the cell to tissue level in both health and disease are necessary. The overall aim of this research is to investigate the mechanisms of cartilage damage progression at different levels of tissue organization. The novelty of this research lies in the highly interdisciplinary approach of combining an in vitro model of OA progression with the state-of-the-art materials testing devices, computational modeling and sophisticated microscopic, spectroscopic and molecular biology techniques to carefully assess the mechanics, structure, composition and gene expression on cell and tissue levels. The novel data obtained from this research will shed light on the key mechanobiological pathways by which cartilage cells maintain healthy tissue or mount a healing response following tissue injury and excessive loading. This project is conducted as an international collaboration between University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA. This represents a unique opportunity to bring together the complementary skill sets of Dr. Florea, Dr. Korhonen’s group and Prof. Grodzinsky’s group, with their expertise in biomechanics, computational modeling, biochemistry and cartilage biology. The mutually beneficial collaboration between Europe and USA can advance the field of cartilage research with significant potential to provide novel strategies to reduce/prevent cartilage degeneration for patients in Europe and beyond.

Keywords: biomechanics,atomic force microscopy,cell mechanics,cartilage mechanics,computational modeling,mechanobiology,post traumatic osteoarthritis
The Evolution of Terrestrial Planets: Insights from Models of Planetary Evolution with Coupled Internal, Atmospheric/Surface Development (EvoPlans)

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: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2018, 2018)
Start date: 2020-04-08
End date: 2023-07-07
Duration (months): 39.0
Total project cost (EUR): 212933.76
EU funding (EUR): 212933.76
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

It is critical to integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines in order to gain a better understanding of the Earth and other terrestrial planets evolution, as well as the effects of this evolution on the expression of surface tectonics. While plate tectonics is currently observed on Earth, both its onset and length of activity are uncertain. Here we will use models of planetary evolution to begin to understand the implications for coupled internal/surface processes through changing lid states over planetary timescales (e.g. C, H2O, and O2, cycles, generation of atmosphere, dynamo generation, and coupled lithosphere-asthenosphere evolution). Further, the internal chemical composition, heterogeneities, and initial conditions within the mantle may be critical factors in setting the evolutionary path of a planet, as such we will determine what role these heterogeneities may play in the evolution of the planet. Finally we seek to understand the controls on the dynamics of a transitional episodic-lid, a state suggested for the early Earth, such as its onset, duration, recurrence interval, and location of overturns, and use these results to assess the implications for planetary development (e.g. dynamo heat flow, generation of atmosphere). This work will begin to address the following open questions: (A) What role does the coupling of internal and surface processes have through changing lid-states? (B) What role do heterogeneities (in viscosity, radiogenics and composition) play in the evolution of the planet? (C) What controls the dynamics of the enigmatic transitional episodic-lid?

Keywords: plate tectonics,planetary evolution,dynamics,habitability
Opto-Biomechanical Eye Research Network (OBERON)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Innovative Training Networks (ITN)-European Training Networks
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Physics
Countries involved: Spain,Spain,Switzerland,Belgium,Poland,Netherlands,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,Portugal
Call: Innovative Training Networks (H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020, 2020)
Start date: 2021-01-01
End date: 2024-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3881175.48
EU funding (EUR): 3881175.48
Participants: 9
Project status: SIGNED

The eye is a biological tissue with optical and biomedical properties that govern the way the eye refracts light, focuses that light onto the retina and can dynamically alter that focus over a range of distances. This impressive flexibility results from the delicate way in which the mechanical properties of the eye very precisely affect its optics. These properties vary considerably between individuals and can alter over time in response to visual demands, as well as with eye growth, ageing and pathology. The origins of these biomechanical changes over time are very poorly understood, however, and point at a need for answers, given the increase in life expectancy and in societal demands for high quality vision. To address these issues, we present the first European collaboration that brings together a group of scientists that work on the optics and biomechanics of the eye, cover a broad range of disciplines and skills. This highly interdisciplinary consortium will also create a training network to give young researchers the opportunity to learn from renowned experts on ocular optomechanics, share their learning experiences and take advantage of placements in Universities, hospitals and industry. This will give them a wide and novel skill set to translate their research to scientific, industrial, or clinical applications, such as a new generation intraocular implants for cataract surgery, biologically relevant eye models that mimic the eye at any age, and novel treatment therapies that can control, reduce or ultimately prevent refractive error from occurring. These anticipated innovations will lead to wide-reaching and pioneering advances to enhance our understanding of the interrelationship between ocular optics and biomechanics. From this, the young researchers will emerge with multi-disciplinary, versatile skills, be highly employable, able to address skills shortages, be leaders in vision science and pioneer new industries in optical design and modelling.

Keywords: physiological optics,eye modelling,ocular optical aberrations,biomechanics,refractive error,accommodation,keratoconus,myopia,intraocular lenses
Get strong to fight childhood cancer: an exercise intervention for children and adolescents undergoing anti-cancer treatment (FORTEe)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Treating and managing disease
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Germany,Germany,Germany,Spain,Italy,Germany,Germany,Germany,Romania,Slovenia,France,United Kingdom,Denmark
Call: New interventions for Non-Communicable Diseases (H2020-SC1-2020-Two-Stage-RTD, 2020)
Start date: 2021-03-01
End date: 2026-08-31
Duration (months): 66.0
Total project cost (EUR): 6293856.34
EU funding (EUR): 6293854.82
Participants: 16
Project status: SIGNED

Cancer is the first leading cause of death by non-communicable diseases in children in Europe. During cancer treatment, patients’ morbidity is increased due to physical inactivity, cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Adapted exercise training in cancer patients, called exercise oncology, is an increasingly recognised, promising health care intervention. In adults, exercise oncology revealed notable effects on tolerance and completion rate of cancer treatment. However, in childhood cancer patients, strong evidence for exercise efficiency is lacking. Thus, precision exercise training is not part of standard care in paediatric oncology and does not reach the majority of patients. By pooling the leading expertise on a European and cross-Atlantic level, the FORTEe project aims to evaluate a personalised and standardised exercise intervention for children and adolescents undergoing anti-cancer treatment. In the randomised, controlled FORTEe trial, high evidence for an innovative, patient-centred exercise treatment will be generated. FORTEe promotes exercise oncology that aims at making patients “stronger to fight childhood cancer”. Supervised exercise training intents to increase muscle strength and reduce muscular atrophy due to bedrest. CRF and HRQoL can be improved and in the future, these benefits may help to fight childhood cancer by increasing therapy efficiency and survival rate. Within the project, digital, innovative technologies such as augmented reality will be developed and applied to make the exercise training more effective, age-adapted and personalised. Moreover, FORTEe will stimulate translational research to provide access to paediatric exercise oncology as a new health care intervention. As a progress beyond the current state-of-the-art, FORTEe has the ambition to implement paediatric exercise oncology as an evidence-based standard in clinical care for all childhood cancer patients across the EU and beyond.

Keywords: paediatric exercise oncology,precision exercise training,childhood cancer,randomized controlled trial,quality of life,augmented reality,social participation,exercise technology
Beyond Massive MIMO: Living at the Interface of Electromagnetics and Information Theory (BEATRICE)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Systems and communication engineering
Panel description: Electrical, electronic, communication, optical and systems engineering
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2020-COG, 2020)
Start date: 2021-06-01
End date: 2026-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1997797.0
EU funding (EUR): 1997797.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MaMi) is now a core technology for 5G networks. With MaMi, we refer to systems with an unconventionally large number (e.g. hundreds or even thousands) of base station antennas simultaneously serving tens (or even hundreds) of users. To date, the development of MaMi has been exclusively based on information theory (IT) tailored towards cellular communications. While IT is undoubtedly a versatile mathematical tool, it is based on mathematical logic. This theoretical framework now needs to be extended and reshaped to: (i) account for the unique electromagnetic (EM) properties and (ii) incorporate the main feature of future MaMi-based communication systems, namely their capability of sensing the system’s response to the radio waves, and thereby informing its modification. Looking ahead, MaMi will have far more general applications: optical communications, radar, and wireless power transfer to name a few. The grand question that the proposed research will address is: Are the existing IT tools sufficient to understand the physical phenomena and develop the upcoming generation of MaMi-based systems in ten years from now? BEATRICE will address this fundamental question by unifying EM theory and IT and pave the way for an extended range of applications supported by massive antenna arrays after 2025. The specific project objectives are to: O1) Redefine the information theoretic modelling of concurrent and future MaMi-based systems using knowledge of unique EM characteristics, thereby quantifying their realisable potential. O2) Develop new topological designs and modulation techniques for robust communication by harnessing knowledge about the EM properties of the transceivers and the propagation medium. O3) Leverage the world-class T&M facilities at QUB, to design, fabricate and measure novel array topologies which will be able to support a plethora of MaMi-based applications.

Keywords: massive mimo,information theory,electromagnetic theory
Newcomers at the University. Welcome practices and staff involvement in the UK (WELCOME-UNIVERSITY)

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: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-05-23
End date: 2019-05-22
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

European universities have significantly changed the way of dealing with newcomers in the last thirty years. As a consequence of the explosion of enrolments, educators, professional staff, and authorities have suddenly been confronted to new categories of students. In addition, the university's governance has experienced rapid changes concerning internationalisation and mobility. The issues that primarily concern researchers and authorities regard the dropout of first-year students (FYS) and the utility of mobility programmes to reinforce a “European identity”. With the MSCA, I aspire to better understand how universities welcome and take actions to integrate FYS and students in mobility with diverse background. These organisational conditions have not been sufficiently considered by educational researchers and practitioners yet. Most works focus only on teaching, admission process, or material conditions of life outside the university. My programme has three main objectives: (1) to give an account of the concrete functioning of policy concerning FYS and students in international mobility in British universities, including informal ways of welcoming, backdrop material conditions and institutional communication; (2) to conceive a theoretical framework suitable for comparative research regarding welcome policies for newcomers that reinforce teaching and learning processes; (3) to make a contribution to practitioners and European policy-makers who seek to enrich newcomers’ experience and retention. The UK is the most suitable place to carry out my research and training activities. First, its universities have been among the pioneers in carrying out initiatives for first-year students and students in mobility. Second, there exists a more robust academic tradition in the UK exploring the first-year experience, compared to most states in Europe. Dissemination and communication actions will be implemented in the UK, France, and Belgium with staff and potential users.

Keywords: transition into higher education,first year students,non traditional students,retention,international mobility,newcomers,interculturality,ethnographic and praxeological approaches,cat gorisation
Microsatellite Barcoding: reconstructing the family tree of hematopoietic cells (MicroBar)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy
Panel description: The immune system, related disorders and their mechanisms, biology of infectious agents and infection, biological basis of prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, innovative immunological tools and approaches, including therapies
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC Starting Grant (ERC-2017-STG, 2017)
Start date: 2018-08-01
End date: 2024-07-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 1500000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

While murine hematopoiesis has been considered as resolved science, recent results using barcoding, which allows the tracing of single cells in vivo, clearly show that the topology of the murine hematopoietic tree needs revisions. In parallel, human hematopoiesis has been overlooked and is widely considered as following the same tree as in mice. To leverage our understanding of normal human hematopoiesis, tools for barcoding in humans are urgently needed. This research program seeks to meet this need by taking advantage of recent developments in next generation sequencing to provide an improved barcoding method for in vivo use in human. Our microsatellite barcoding method exploits the fact that microsatellites in various loci undergo length changes during cell division, to create a natural barcode for each cell, and reconstruct the overall differentiation tree using a phylogenetic algorithm. Our technique, which is highly detailed with respect to current versions of microsatellite barcoding, provides high dimensional characterization of the cells and will allow the inference of important properties such as new phenotypic markers and key molecular regulators. Therefore, we will provide insights into both cell lineage and the molecular mechanisms involved in differentiation. With this method, we will provide the first in vivo description of the human hematopoietic tree and identify new progenitors and key molecular factors involved in human hematopoiesis. This knowledge will allow us to test whether cells with different origins have different functions, a key question in immunology in particular during infection and inflammation, and it will help design ways of therapeutically manipulating the hematopoietic system. More generally it will impact our understanding of stem cell differentiation for which hematopoiesis is used as an exemplar.

Keywords: hematopoiesis,lineage tracing,single cell
Human Evolution at the Crossroads (CROSSROADS)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: The study of the human past
Panel description: Archaeology, history and memory
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2016-COG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-04-01
End date: 2022-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1999250.0
EU funding (EUR): 1999250.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The most important open questions in European paleoanthropology concern the timing, number and origin of early human dispersals into the continent, the identity and number of taxa present, and their possible interactions. These issues remain unresolved partly due to the lack of research in South-East Europe, a region at the crossroads between continents and a refugium for fauna, flora and possibly human populations during glacial times. The PI’s previous work there (ERC StG PaGE) aimed to add new evidence to further our understanding of human evolution on the continent. PaGE led to the discovery of several new Paleolithic sites, including the oldest radiometrically dated archaeological site from South-East Europe, placing the region squarely in the Paleolithic map of Europe. CROSSROADS is an ambitious, groundbreaking research program that builds on the foundation of PaGE to take Paleolithic research in the region to a new level. In contrast to the exploratory goals of PaGE, it focuses on the early part of the Paleolithic targeting the following questions: Can human presence in South-East Europe, considered a major dispersal route into the continent from Africa and the Near East, be documented beyond the current known chronology of ca. 500 ka BP, as shown in the West? Is there a gap between the earliest human arrival and subsequent human activity in the region, or was human habitation continuous, as would be expected in a refugium? What was the environmental backdrop of the early human dispersal and subsequent evolution? How did behavioral / biological change correlate with environmental changes, chronology and landscape use? Can we document a higher level of diversity in the human fossil record of the region than would be expected under evolutionary scenarios developed on Western European evidence, suggesting that different evolutionary processes were at work? The answers to these questions will be essential for testing hypotheses about human evolution in Eurasia.

Keywords: human evolution,early human dispersal,south east europe
Detection and Integrated Assessment of Non-authorised water Abstractions using EO (DIANA)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Space
Theme: Enabling exploitation of space data
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,Italy,Spain,Italy,Romania,Belgium,Greece,Portugal
Call: Downstream applications (H2020-EO-2016, 2016)
Start date: 2017-01-01
End date: 2019-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2478968.75
EU funding (EUR): 1937890.63
Participants: 9
Project status: CLOSED

DIANA is aimed at co-designing and openly demonstrating a commercial service platform that will empower water managers and authorities to optimise the identification and inspection of non-authorised water abstractions for irrigation as well as improve their water management policies and practices, especially in extreme conditions such as drought. DIANA will leverage EO data provided by Copernicus and other data sources as well as state-of-the-art models for the identification of (illegally) irrigated areas and the estimation of abstracted water volumes in order to offer a value added suite of data products and services, that will be affordable and cost-effective. The value propositions of DIANA will be co-created and defined along with users and stakeholders so as to be shaped according to their needs and requirements. Three pilots will be deployed in order to put them to the test in real operational environments of Spain, Italy and Romania. All pilots will be integrated with the work flows of the users and their results will be co-evaluated and validated with them through a multi-layer methodology, fostering the acceptance of DIANA as a marketable solution. In order to ensure the demand-driven design of the DIANA service platform as well as set the stage for its market launch and uptake following the end of the project, a customer-driven business modelling process will be followed during the project, validating its business case and producing an effective business plan to serve as the roadmap for its post-project commercialization. Finally, DIANA is implemented by a transnational and well-balanced consortium, consisting of innovative SMEs and pioneering authorities, all of which possess the complementary expertise as well as the motivation and commitment required to ensure not only the creation of meaningful project outcomes but also their successful commercial exploitation and sustainability.

Keywords: non authorized water abstraction,earth observation,copernicus programme,irrigation,water management,commercial service platform,earth observation applications