Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Generative Models of Human Cognition (GENMOD)

Framework: FP7 — Ideas
Programme: European Research Council
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: Support for frontier research (ERC)
Panel: Environment and society
Countries involved: Italy
Call:  (ERC-2007-StG, 2007)
Start date: 2008-06-01
End date: 2013-05-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 492200.0
EU funding (EUR): 492200.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

A fundamental issue in the study of human cognition is what computations are carried out by the brain to implement cognitive processes. The connectionist framework assumes that cognitive processes are implemented in terms of complex, nonlinear interactions among a large number of simple, neuron-like processing units that form a neural network. This approach has been used in cognitive psychology - often with some success – to develop functional models that clearly represent a great advance over previous verbal-diagrammatic models because they can produce highly detailed simulations of human skilled performance and its breakdown following brain damage. However, a crucial step for the computational modeling of cognition is to bridge the gap between function and structure. Much of the modeling work has been carried out using connectionist networks that have no biological plausibility beyond the metaphor of “neuron-like” processing. Most models have one, or more often a combination, of the following undesirable features: i) strictly feed-forward spread of activation (e.g., no feedback and/or lateral connections); ii) implausible learning procedures (e.g., error back-propagation); iii) implausible learning environment (e.g., supervised learning). Researchers have chosen to ignore these problems as it was seen as an essential compromise to achieve efficient learning of complex cognitive tasks. The aim of the present research program is to exploit the latest findings in neural network and machine learning research to develop generative connectionist models of cognition. Generative models are appealing because they represent plausible models of cortical learning that emphasize the mixing of bottom-up and top-down interactions in the brain. Moreover, generative models of cognition would offer a unified theoretical framework that encompasses classic connectionism and the emerging Bayesian approach to cognition, as well as a means to bridge the gap between neurons and behavior.

Keywords: computational modeling,connectionist models
Health Effects of Indoor Pollutants: Integrating microbial, toxicological and epidemiological approaches (HITEA)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Environment (including Climate Change)
Destination: Climate change, pollution, and risks
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Finland,Netherlands,Germany,Austria,Sweden,United Kingdom,Spain
Call:  (FP7-ENV-2007-1, 2007)
Start date: 2008-04-01
End date: 2013-03-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3608037.6
EU funding (EUR): 2753694.0
Participants: 8
Project status: CLOSED

Healthy housing and good indoor air quality are important goals of public health. However, biological indoor pollution due to dampness, moisture and mold is an emerging environmental health issue, as recognized in EU indoor air policy documents. Prevalence of dampness is remarkable, and may still increase due to demands of energy savings and extreme weather periods and floods associated with climate change. The exposure may lead to long-term impacts such as asthma. The documentation is strong on association between building mold and health, but the causative agents and disease mechanisms are largely unknown, which impedes recognition of a mold-affected patient in health care. Efficient control and regulation are hampered by the insufficient understanding of these causalities. Understanding of the links between building practices and health is lacking. There is an urgent need for European-wide knowledge to form a basis for establishing building-associated criteria for healthy indoor environments. The aim of this proposal is to clarify the health impacts of indoor exposures on children and adults by providing comprehensive exposure data on biological and chemical factors in European indoor environments, and by combining this information with extensive health data obtained from a field study and from existing population cohorts. Modern microbiological, toxicological and immunological techniques will be used that allow the revealing of the links between the harmful exposures and long term impacts on health, and the mechanisms behind. Data on determinants and distributions of indoor microbial agents will be provided for development of avoidance measures and other dissemination for stakeholders. The study networks experts on environmental epidemiology, microbiology, immunology, toxicology and building sciences. They cover the multidisciplinary field needed for adequate risk assessment. This approach has been successfully applied in the previous research.

Keywords: asthma,children cohort,health,exposure,impact,indoor air,mechanisms,microbial agents,schools
Integration of particulate abatement, removal of trace elements and tar reforming in one biomass steam gasification reactor yielding high purity syngas for efficient CHP and power plants (UNIQUE)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Energy
Destination: Renewable electricity generation
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Italy,Austria,Romania,Spain,Poland,Italy,Germany,France,Germany,Austria
Call:  (FP7-ENERGY-2007-1-RTD, 2007)
Start date: 2008-01-01
End date: 2010-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3721305.2
EU funding (EUR): 2693627.8
Participants: 10
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal aims at a compact version of a gasifier by integrating the fluidized bed steam gasification of biomass and the hot gas cleaning and conditioning system into one reactor vessel. Such arrangement will guarantee the conversion of tar, elimination of trace elements and an efficient abatement of the particulate, delivering high purity syngas, suitable to assure a substantial share of power generation even in small- to medium-scale (few MWth) CHP and power plants, and to increase the overall economic revenue, in line with the FP7 energy directives. It is expected that this innovation will provide a concrete contribution to the target fixed in the work programme of reducing the cost of electricity obtained by means of advanced gasification systems below 0.04 €/kWh in 2020. The strategy of the work plan is designed to: (i) carry out systematic investigations into the development of catalytic and sorbent materials and verify their effectiveness to improve gas quality at real gasification conditions with tests at bench- to pilot-scale (up to 100kWth); (ii) evaluate the purity of syngas against existing cleaning and conditioning systems, by means of a “proof of concept” in the Güssing gasification plant, and the compatibility towards advanced power generation systems, by means of electricity production tests with a SOFC unit; (iii) assess technical feasibility of process simplification and intensification actions by means of design and operation of an integrated gasification and hot gas cleaning and conditioning fluidized bed prototype reactor (1 MWth), at a significant scale to provide sufficient and reliable information for industrial applications. This ambitious project relates well to the complementary expertises of applicants. Consortium also includes the stakeholders relevant to assure the necessary impact for dissemination and exploitation of the results, and to promote in the medium term industrial applications for the commercialisation of the innovation.

Keywords: hot gas cleaning and conditioning,biomass gasification,efficient and cost-effective electricity generation
Integrated system of data collection technologies for mapping soil properties (DIGISOIL)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Environment (including Climate Change)
Destination: Environmental technologies
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: France,Belgium,Germany,European organisations area,Romania,Hungary,Italy,Sweden
Call:  (FP7-ENV-2007-1, 2007)
Start date: 2008-09-01
End date: 2011-08-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4739078.41
EU funding (EUR): 3401258.0
Participants: 10
Project status: CLOSED

The multidisciplinary DIGISOIL consortium intends to integrate and improve in situ and proximal measurement technologies for the assessment of soil properties assessment and soil degradation indicators, going from the sensing technologies to their integration and their application in (digital) soil mapping (DSM). In addition, our SMEs experience will allow to take into account the feasibility of such developments based on economical constraints, reliability of the results and needs of the DSM community. In order to assess and prevent soil degradation and to benefit from the different ecological, economical and historical functions of the soil in a sustainable way, there is an obvious need for high resolution and accurate maps of soil properties. The core objective of the project is to explore and exploit new capabilities of advanced geophysical technologies for answering this societal demand. To this aim, DIGISOIL addresses four issues covering technological, soil science and economic aspects: (i) the validation of geophysical (in situ, proximal and airborne) technologies and integrated pedo-geophysical inversion techniques (mechanistic data fusion) (ii) the relation between the geophysical parameters and the soil properties, (iii) the integration of the derived soil properties for mapping soil functions and soil threats, (iv) the evaluation, standardisation and sub-industrialization of the proposed methodologies, including technical and economical studies.

Keywords: geophysics,mapping tool,data collection,soil properties
European Life-science Infrastructure for Biological Information (ELIXIR)

Framework: FP7 — Capacities
Programme: Research Infrastructures
Destination: Support to new research infrastructures
Action type: Combination of CP & CSA
Countries involved: Germany,Germany,Spain,Spain,Italy,Italy,Finland,Denmark,Netherlands,Hungary,Germany,France,Sweden,United Kingdom,Netherlands,Iceland,Netherlands,United Kingdom,Switzerland,Germany,France,Sweden,France,Israel
Call:  (FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES-2007-1, 2007)
Start date: 2007-11-01
End date: 2012-12-31
Duration (months): 62.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5868924.92
EU funding (EUR): 4500000.0
Participants: 33
Project status: CLOSED

The objective of the ELIXIR preparatory phase is to produce a memorandum or memoranda of understanding between organisations (government agencies, research councils, funding bodies and scientific organisations) within the member states, with the purpose of constructing a world class and globally positioned European infrastructure for the management and integration of information in the life sciences. To achieve this, we will address the following tasks and issues: 1 Define the scope of the infrastructure, its role and benefits 2 Define an appropriate governance and legal structure 3 Define a long term funding structure to provide a sustainable infrastructure 4 Define the requirements for the European Data Centre in the next 5-10 years and makes plans to meet these needs 5 Involve all relevant stakeholders, including users, data providers, tools providers to ensure that the infrastructure meets their needs 6 Explore integration and interoperability between core and specialised data resources and the development of standards in newly emerging fields 7 Define the critical interdisciplinary links that need to be forged between the ‘biological’ and related scientific disciplines, including medicine, agriculture and the environment 8 Define the needs of related European industries 9 Define a training strategy to ensure that Europe effectively exploits all the available information The specific activities of the preparatory phase will include: A Holding stakeholder meetings to bring together national representatives, key scientific opinion and funding organisations. B Establishing working parties, supported by technical feasibility studies where appropriate, to address the tasks and issues above with final reports at month 18. C Consolidating these reports into a management and funding proposal to be sent to member states and funding agencies with draft MoU by month 38 and to seek agreement on the MoU and establish an Interim ELIXIR Board by month 50. D To establish the detailed organization of ELIXIR; and to draft and work toward the signing of the ELIXIR International Consortium Agreement

Keywords: esfri,embl_ebi. bioinformatics
Macrophage Systems Biology Applied To Disease Control (MACROSYS)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology
Destination: Sustainable production and management of biological resources from land, forest, and aquatic environment
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Italy,Ireland,United Kingdom,United Kingdom,Germany,Italy,Finland
Call:  (FP7-KBBE-2007-1, 2007)
Start date: 2008-11-01
End date: 2013-04-30
Duration (months): 54.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3943581.34
EU funding (EUR): 2999108.0
Participants: 9
Project status: CLOSED

Cattle-farming is one of the most important agricultural activities in the EU. This project will address issues of the health and welfare of cattle and the safety of cattle products, focussing on diseases that are on the increase in European cattle population and are aware of growing concern elsewhere. Two related diseases will be targeted, bovine tuberculosis (TB) and bovine para-tuberculosis (Para-TB or Johnes disease). The objective of the project is to use a combined functional and classical genomics and system biology approaches (system genetics) to investigate host-pathogen interactions and the host immune response to mycobacterium infection. The outcome will be 1) increased knowledge of macrophage function the application of this knowledge will be to develop tests to identify infected animals, and 2) the identification of genes that regulate the response of an individual to infection: information that could be applied in selective breeding programmes. Specifically the project will use functional, comparative genomics and in silico analysis to understand the genetic control of variation in the outcomes of disease challenge to develop molecular diagnosis tools to improve disease surveillance and to assist in selective improvement of breeding of cattle to control these diseases. Hence the project will impact directly on improved animal health. Healthy livestock are more productive and so the improvements achieved will contribute to improved efficiency and profitability of animal production and competitiveness of animal production and hence the sustainability of farming systems. The work will contribute both to improved animal health and welfare and also to the improved safety of animal products and to safeguarding human health. The market requirements will be assessed in order to lead the development of project outcomes to commercially viable products to ensure that the research is appropriately and efficiently exploited.

Keywords: cattle tb mycobacterium,health,functional genomics
New Sources of Employment to Promote the Wealth-Generating Capacity of Rural Communities (RURALJOBS)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology
Destination: Sustainable production and management of biological resources from land, forest, and aquatic environment
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Hungary,Romania,Spain,France,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Lithuania,Italy
Call:  (FP7-KBBE-2007-1, 2007)
Start date: 2008-02-01
End date: 2010-10-31
Duration (months): 33.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1400173.0
EU funding (EUR): 1197104.0
Participants: 8
Project status: CLOSED

RuralJobs will quantify the employment needs and potentials in different typologies of pilot areas within contrasting reference areas in six EU countries, evaluating the effectiveness of past and current policies in addressing these needs and potentials, and by systematic analysis of the results, providing guidelines on the better targeting of future rural development measures. The main objective is to provide a clearer understanding of the factors influencing the employment potentials of different typologies of rural areas to support the future evolution of rural development policies. This will be backed up by the identification of good practice and a support network for implementation. The consortium consists of eight partners, one from each of Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Spain and UK. The seven work packages are: WP1. Project management WP2. Assessment of labour market policies and programmes WP3. Assessment methodologies and indicators WP4. Typology for regions WP5. New strategies for employment in pilot areas WP6. Synthesis of recommendations WP7. Dissemination and technical assistance for mainstreaming The beneficiaries will include policy makers at EU, national and regional levels, rural development practitioners including public sector agencies, SMEs and trade groups, NGOs etc. and academics. The deliverables will be: reports on past and current policies and programmes, assessment methodologies, rural typologies, labour market scenarios for pilot areas and regional foresight scenarios; a synthesis of recommendations for future rural development strategies, four regional conferences/workshops; a two-day international conference in Brussel; academic publications; training materials and a website. The sustainable outcome of RuralJobs will be the greater capacity of actors to better target rural development measures, supported by the RUR@CT network and reference area reports on mainstreaming good practice.

Keywords: wealth-generating capacity,rural typologies,employment strategies,mainstreaming good practice
Basic Research for Innovative Fuels Design for GEN IV systems (F-BRIDGE)

Framework: FP7 — Euratom
Programme: Nuclear fission and radiation protection
Theme: Research infrastructure
Destination: Reactor Systems
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: France,France,France,Germany,Hungary,United Kingdom,Latvia,European organisations area,France,Netherlands,Switzerland,Belgium,Germany,United Kingdom,Belgium
Call:  (FP7-Fission-2007, 2007)
Start date: 2008-03-01
End date: 2012-02-29
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 10204706.0
EU funding (EUR): 5450000.0
Participants: 19
Project status: CLOSED

Up to now fuel development and qualification has been a long and expensive process essentially based on an empirical approach. European experts currently have an adequate knowledge of conventional fuel manufacturing and its behaviour under operating conditions encountered during 50 years of industrial application and R&D activities. For innovative fuel systems, however, the empirical approach has reached its limit and cannot be easily extrapolated to new materials, new environments, or new operating conditions because the basic underlying mechanisms governing manufacturing, behaviour and performance remain largely poorly understood. One of the challenges for the next years is to supplement the empirical approach by a physically based description of ceramic fuel and cladding materials. To do so, the F-BRIDGE project, which stands for Basic Research for Innovative Fuels Design for GEN IV systems, intends to develop a new approach to fuel development by building a bridge (integration and transfer) between basic research activities and technological applications for the Generation IV fuel-cladding systems. Besides a general approach on ceramic materials, the project will focus on the improvement of a promising composite ceramics concept, the sphere-pac fuel, which exhibit significant advantages for Generation IV. F-BRIDGE aims at: - obtaining data, mechanisms and models from basic research for an improved description of fuel and ceramic cladding materials under irradiation, in a multi-scale approach coupling separate effect experiments and modelling, - ensuring the transfer between basic research and technological issues related to Generation IV systems and illustrating the integration effort through a multi-scale modelling exercise on UO2, - assessing the technological implications of sphere-pac fuels for the GEN IV systems, - ensuring dissemination of results, education and training in the field of R&D on fuel behaviour.

Keywords: nuclear particle fuel generation iv spherepac sfr gfr lfr scwr vhtr
Evaluating and controlling the risk of African swine fever in the EU (ASFRISK)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology
Destination: Sustainable production and management of biological resources from land, forest, and aquatic environment
Action type: Collaborative project
Countries involved: Portugal,Spain,France,Italy,Germany,United Kingdom,Sweden,South Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,China,Viet Nam,United Kingdom,Belgium
Call:  (FP7-KBBE-2007-1, 2007)
Start date: 2008-04-01
End date: 2011-09-30
Duration (months): 42.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3981457.54
EU funding (EUR): 2984713.0
Participants: 17
Project status: CLOSED

African swine fever (ASF) in EU member states is currently confined to Italy (Sardinia), it was recently introduced to Caucasian regions and it is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan African countries. In both the EC and Africa changes in the epidemiology of the disease have recently been observed, related to newly emerging strains of ASFV, emphasising the serious threat this disease represents to the growing pig farming sector in Africa and Europe. This project will provide new tools and strategies for the control of ASF in Africa and reduce the risk of importation and/or spread of the disease in EU member states The project will evaluate the current ASF epidemiology in Africa, develop and validate a generic risk assessment for the introduction of ASF into EU countries and subsequent control strategies. The project will also develop and validate new antibody and nucleic acid-based diagnostic tools for ASF, including front line and pen-side tests, which will be supplied to diagnostic facilities in Africa and the Animal Health Laboratories in the EU for the early detection of potential ASFV incursions, in particular by the newly emerging strains. Additionally the project will study the interaction of ASFV and host genes following experimental infection with a view to obtaining attenuated recombinant virus strains that may be potential future candidates for a vaccine and the characterization of pig immune mechanisms relevant for survival following infection with ASFV. The new strategies and the tools developed within this project will be transferred to African partners, and other interested countries, and established in these countries through local training/workshops and technology transfer.

Keywords: africa,asf,asfv,epidemiology,risk assessment,molecular diagnostics,antibody detection,vaccine,immunity