Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Measuring and Mitigating Risks of AI-driven Information Targeting (MOMENTOUS)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Computer Science and Informatics
Panel description: Informatics and information systems, computer science, scientific computing, intelligent systems
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2021-STG, 2021)
Start date: 2022-10-01
End date: 2027-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499953.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499953.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

We are witnessing a massive shift in the way people consume information. In the past, people had an active role in selecting the news they read. More recently, the information started to appear on people's social media feeds as a byproduct of one's social relations. At present, we see a new shift brought by the emergence of online advertising platforms where third parties can pay ad platforms to show specific information to particular groups of people through paid targeted ads. These targeting technologies are powered by AI-driven algorithms. Using these technologies to promote information, rather than promote products as they have been initially designed for, opens the way for self-interested groups to use user's personal data to manipulate them. European Institutions recognize the risks, and many fear a weaponization of the technology to engineer polarization or manipulate voters. The goal of this project is to study the risks with AI-driven information targeting at three levels: (1) human-level--in which conditions targeted information can influence an individual's beliefs; (2) algorithmic- level--in which conditions AI-driven targeting algorithms can exploit people's vulnerabilities; and (3) platform-level--are targeting technologies leading to biases in the quality of information different groups of people receive and assimilate. Then, we will use this understanding to propose protection mechanisms for platforms, regulators, and users. This proposal's key asset is the novel measurement methodology I propose that will allow for a rigorous and realistic evaluation of risks by enabling randomized controlled trials in social media. The measurement methodology builds on advances in multiple disciplines and takes advantage of our recent breakthrough in designing independent auditing systems for social media advertising. Successful execution will provide a solid foundation for sustainable targeting technologies that ensure healthy information targeting.

Keywords: online advertising,micro targeting,cognitive biases,information exposure,online threats and manipulation
Exploitation of extreme cavitation conditions for wastewater treatment (CAVIPHY)

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: Slovenia
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS1 (ERC-2022-POC1, 2022)
Start date: 2022-08-01
End date: 2024-01-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

One of the most pressing global problems is the increasing pollution of surface and groundwater, which threatens the world's clean water supply and public health. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), the last barrier between ever-increasing human activities and the environment, produce huge amounts, up to 13 million tonnes per year in the EU alone1, of unwanted semi-solid by-product - waste activated sludge (WAS). Therefore, upgrading wastewater (WW) processes with new circular economy approaches is crucial to achieve the goals of the EU Green Deal. Considering WAS as a resource rather than an unwanted end-product is the first step towards sustainable WW treatment. CAVIPHY will address this need directly by developing a unique device that exploits cavitation to pre-treat industrial or domestic WAS prior to anaerobic digestion (AD). However, this process, simple in its fundamentals, will never be sufficient to make a substantial contribution to current and future energy needs unless it is extensively modernized and refined to reach its full potential. Based on the knowledge gained within the ERC-CoG CABUM, we have developed a rotating generator for hydrodynamic cavitation (RGHC) - a scalable and cost-effective device that works simultaneously as a cavitation generator and a pump. With CAVIPHY, we will improve the disintegration, settleability and dewatering of WAS, resulting in synergistic effects in terms of lower costs associated with reduced volumes of WAS and environmental burden from its disposal, while producing methane – a renewable bioenergy source. This will have a direct impact on the economics of WWTPs, as the WAS associated costs already account for nearly half of the total WWTP operation expenses and will continue to increase.
A radically new approach to laser additively manufacture metals with periodic coarse-fine grain structures for breaking the strength-ductility trade-off (PLMsBySLM)

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: Ireland
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-08-01
End date: 2027-07-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 268568.64
EU funding (EUR): 268568.64
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Periodic lamellar metals (PLMs) with coarse-to-fine grained microstructures provides a new way to overcome the strength-ductility trade-off through the accumulation of geometrically necessary dislocations and hetero-deformation induced hardening, demonstrating great potential to future engineering applications. As an important component of Industry 4.0, selective laser melting (SLM) has become a powerful industrial tool in EU and worldwide. However, to date, few to no efforts have been devoted into the experimental investigation of PLMs made by SLM. Only one modeling work briefly discussed the strengthening and toughening mechanisms of the PLMs. Thus, the fundamental knowledge associated with the microstructures and properties of SLM PLM parts is still lacking. Such lack of critical knowledge is a hard barrier for the development of high-performance PLM engineering parts. To this end, this project proposes to adopt SLM for the fabrication of novel PLMs through adding alloying elements into starting powders. The key aspects of this proposal are as follows: 1) Design and fabrication of PLMs; 2) Microstructural tailoring and anisotropic tensile evaluation; 3) Characterization of the strengthening and toughening mechanisms; 4) Prediction of anisotropic tensile properties by machine learning. This project aims to evolve the current in-situ alloying strategy employed during SLM, enable the tailoring of heterogeneous microstructures, and provide an excellent strength-ductility balance over the homogeneous-grained counterparts. It is expected that the new knowledge generated from this project will facilitate the 3D printing of high-performance metals. This proposal involves both the transfer of knowledge to the host institution and the training of the candidate in new advanced techniques. The expected results have the potential capacity to increase the competitiveness and provide room for further studies at both the fundamental and applied levels in additive manufacturing.

Keywords: selective laser melting,periodic lamellar metals,heterogeneous microstructures,anisotropic tensile properties,strength ductility synergy,machine learning
Replacement of microglia and tumor-associated macrophages as a novel cell therapy for pediatric high-grade gliomas (REPLACE-TAM)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Panel description: Medical technologies  and tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, therapeutic approaches and interventions , pharmacology, preventative  medicine, epidemiology and public health , digital medicine
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2025-STG, 2025)
Start date: 2026-01-01
End date: 2030-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499987.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499987.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Pediatric high-grade gliomas are aggressive central nervous system (CNS) tumors with poor prognosis and no curative treatment options. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) represent one of the most abundant cell types of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and directly contribute to tumor-promoting and immunosuppressive mechanisms. Novel methods of CNS myeloid cell replacement provide a unique opportunity to effectively modify this critical tumor component. This project aims to overcome current treatment limitations through the preclinical development of adoptive cell therapeutic strategies targeting TAM in high-grade gliomas to reprogram the TME immune state: Through the depletion of TAM and microglia, combined with the transplantation of hematopoietic donor cells, the TME will be repopulated with graft-derived myeloid cells. We will investigate the resulting immunological and clinical impact in different models of high-grade glioma. To further increase the effectiveness of this approach, we will perturb dysfunctional immune pathways in donor cells. Transplanted gene-edited cells will permanently disrupt the immunosuppressive state of the TME and empower an enduring anti-cancer response by the host’s adaptive immune system. In an orthogonal approach, we will engineer donor cells that – after myeloid differentiation in the CNS – are able to specifically recognize tumor antigens and actively eliminate cancer cells. Collectively, my group will pioneer a novel treatment modality against brain cancer by replacing the CNS myeloid niche population with hematopoietic cells that can be engineered to withstand mechanisms of tumor resistance and attack malignant targets. The applicability of this approach in different models of pediatric high-grade glioma will emphasize its translational relevance.

Keywords: central nervous system,brain neoplasms,immunotherapy,cell therapy,gene editing,myeloid cells,microglia,tumor associated macrophages,hematopoietic stem cells,tumor microenvironment,phagocytosis,neuroimmunomodulation
Cloud-native ultrasound imaging (CloudSound)

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: Netherlands
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS (ERC-2024-POC, 2024)
Start date: 2024-09-01
End date: 2026-02-28
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Ultrasound (US) can revolutionize and democratize medical imaging if it offers: (1) access for everyone, and (2) excellent image quality, always. MRI offers (2) but is expensive and will thus not likely be able to provide (1). Low-cost US hardware will enable (1) in the future but is not expected to yield the needed breakthrough for (2). Any solution that addresses both will have a huge impact. The biggest adversaries for US image quality stem from patient- and user-specific factors. I therefore strongly believe that achieving (2) requires closed-loop, goal-directed imaging through systems that actively pursue information gain, in-situ. My ERC stg project “US-ACT” develops this new closed-loop US paradigm, with deep generative models governing beliefs about anatomy and function. This, however, gives rise to a new dilemma: How to embrace high-performant, but complex, algorithms to achieve (2), while at the same time lowering cost to achieve (1)? Our recent result shows that US-ACT enables breaking the cost-complexity trade-off, through a new approach that is rooted in the closed-loop proposition itself. I propose CloudSound, a fully cloud-native US imaging paradigm, unlocking access to virtually unlimited computational power, memory, and storage for raw US sensor data. We will move all the computational complexity away from the local device to a remote server. To achieve this with minimal latency and high frame rates, CloudSound introduces a new holistic rate control strategy for the entire transmit-receive scheme, based on algorithms developed in US-ACT. This will drive rate control of the full solution under a time-varying information bottleneck: the network channel. Ultimately, CloudSound will disrupt ultrasound business models and unlock unprecedented image quality and ease of use, making advanced medical imaging affordable and globally accessible.

Keywords: ultrasound,cloud,closed loop,perception action,data compression,real time
Unlocking data content of Organ-On-Chips (UNLOOC)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Digital, Industry and Space
Theme: Public-private partnerships
Destination: Chips for Europe Initiative
Action type: Innovation actions
Partnership: CHIPS (JU-JTI)
Countries involved: Germany,Netherlands,Belgium,Spain,Ireland,Portugal,Hungary,Italy,Romania,Switzerland
Call: General according to ECS-SRIA 2022 (IA) (HORIZON-KDT-JU-2023-1-IA, 2023)
Start date: 2024-05-01
End date: 2027-04-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 49313139.03
EU funding (EUR): 14323709.3
Participants: 52
Project status: SIGNED

The launch of a novel drug to the market is preceded by clinical testing and validation both on animal in vitro and in vivo models. Animal models used in drug development have known methodological drawbacks leading to the failure of drugs. Further, animal tests are associated with ethical issues. Moreover, a strong bias in in-human testing still overlooks major population groups e.g. children, women, different ethical groups. It is estimated that 197,000 deaths per year in the EU are caused by Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) and the total cost to society of ADRs is €79 billion. The emerging Organ-on-Chip (OOC) field, an alternative to animal test, brings great potential for safe testing and validation: An OOC-systems consists of a 3D-microstructured channel network embedded on a small plastic device that simulates the mechanics and physiological response of an entire organ or organs. Project UNLOOC will develop, optimize, and validate a multitude of ECS-based tools to build OOC-models to replace animal and in-human testing. UNLOOC aims to combine three important characteristics for routine use of OOC models, i.e platforms that combine ECS-based technologies with established biological material, capitalize on AI, parallelized test set-ups allowing efficient high-throughput demands, and standardized procedures enabling reliable results. UNLOOC will develop ECS-based hardware and software tools and validate them in five Use Cases (UCs) performed in 10 European countries. The applications developed and validated will be used by academia and pharma industry to drive drug development, create cosmetics without animal test, personalized medicine and gain new insights into disease. Given the large OOC market, these solutions have great economic value, on average it would result in cost reduction of up to $169M and $706M per new drug reaching the market and will put Europe at the forefront of this booming research field (see impact section for details).

Keywords: organ on chip,physiological system,ai assisted algorithm,embedded software,micro physiological systems,hybrid integration,software security,multi sensor systems,automation,pilot lines
Harnessing RARA signalling for curative AML therapies (RARA AML)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Prevention,  Diagnosis and T reatment of Human Diseases
Panel description: Medical technologies  and tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, therapeutic approaches and interventions , pharmacology, preventative  medicine, epidemiology and public health , digital medicine
Countries involved: France
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2023-ADG, 2023)
Start date: 2025-01-01
End date: 2029-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2500000.0
EU funding (EUR): 2500000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

In acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), retinoic acid (RA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) bind the PML/RARA fusion to promote its degradation, derepressing unknown master regulatory genes and activating a PML/P53 checkpoint which is required for APL cure. APL initiation deregulates Retinoic Acid Receptor a (RARA) signalling. These deregulations are likely shared with a sizable subset of non-APL acute myeloid leukaemia (AML): the 30% that overexpress normal RARA and exhibit some RA-sensitivity ex vivo. Clinical trials have demonstrated some benefit of RA addition to conventional therapies in non-APL AML patients, but have not resulted in the incorporation of RA into standard therapies. Thus, modulation of RARA signalling is an unrealized target for treatment of non-APL AMLs. Of importance, RARA serves a dual function in APL by promoting leukemogenesis in the unliganded state, but also by enforcing RA-response. We made the striking observation that overexpression of RARA suffices to confer cell self-renewal ex vivo and RA-sensitivity in several AML models. We propose to i) define the actual effects (differentiation, self-renewal) and cellular mechanisms (senescence, apoptosis, growth arrest) underlying RA action on a variety of primary myeloid cells over-expressing RARA ii) delineate the mechanism(s) underlying RARA overexpression in some human AMLs iii) identify the RARA downstream targets that drive self-renewal iv) discover novel RA-containing drug combinations exhibiting synergies for AML clearance in RA-sensitive transformed myeloid cells. This proposal is based on our previous modelling of APL therapy and recent disruptive observations. This renewed exploration of RARA-driven progenitor self-renewal will allow us to define novel curative RA-containing strategies and biomarkers for many AML patients unfit for chemotherapy, who are currently not eligible for cure.

Keywords: retinoids,aml,biomarkers,
Kiel Training for Excellence (KiTE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Co-funding of regional, national and international programmes
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Countries involved: Germany
Call: MSCA COFUND 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-COFUND-01, 2021)
Start date: 2023-01-01
End date: 2027-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2292480.0
EU funding (EUR): 2292480.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Kiel University is a mid-sized and research-intensive university offering the full spectrum of academic disciplines, which at the same time has pursued a path of internal differentiation. The concentration and interconnection of disciplinary knowledge spaces has given rise to four interdisciplinary Priority Research Areas (PRAs): Nano, Surface and Interface Science; Life Science; Marine Science; and Societal, Environmental and Cultural Change. Their trans-faculty research cultures integrate knowledge from different fields and actors to study complex challenges and contribute to their solution. Kiel University is convinced that knowledge at interfaces will shape future generations of researchers. The KiTE fellowship programme offers an excellent training programme with the highest standards of research integrity in the truly interdisciplinary environments of the PRAs to 16 experienced, internationally mobile researchers post their doctorate. Fellows will be recruited in open topic calls applying merit-based criteria, gender-fair and transparent selection procedures. Chosen according to the interdisciplinary potential of their project and their individual excellence, they will find competitive working conditions and excellent infrastructure in Kiel. The fellows will be awarded a three-year full-time employment contract with a training programme that will broaden their skills through hands-on research experience and integration within the university’s international and intersectoral networks. They will each complete two secondments of three months at partner institutions from the PRAs' networks to gather new work experience inside and outside academia. Accompanied by an advanced training programme to broaden their transferable skills, they will be given outstanding opportunities to develop their careers further. KiTE will set new standards for and thus transform postdoc training at Kiel University, and as a best-practice example enrich the European Research Area.

Keywords: training,career development,interdisciplinary,international,intersectoral,gender,diversity,research integrity,transferable skills,ethics,mobility
CIRCular valorisation of industrial ALGAE waste streams into high-value products to foster future sustainable blue biorefineries in Europe (CIRCALGAE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Theme: Bio-Environment
Destination: Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,Germany,Norway,France,Belgium,Portugal,Estonia,Ireland,Sweden,Croatia,Iceland
Call: Unlocking the potential of algae for a thriving European blue bioeconomy (HORIZON-CL6-2021-CIRCBIO-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-10-01
End date: 2026-09-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 10266550.05
EU funding (EUR): 8507457.25
Participants: 24
Project status: SIGNED

Algae biomass is highly underexploited and its efficient utilization is one of the main challenges in current and future EU marine policies towards sustainability. CIRCALGAE will boost the blue bioeconomy by applying an integrated biorefinery concept to valorise the massively produced (over 36 Mt of algae biomass annual world production) and vastly underexploited algae industrial waste streams (which can add up to 95% of the initial biomass) from the main existing sources to date: the phycolloid production from macroalgae and protein/lipid microalgae industries. CIRCALGAE’s simple, water-based technologies, will transform these waste streams into value-added ingredients to be used in specific texturized vegan foods, health-promoting food ingredients, protein rich feed, and cosmetic formulations incorporating texturizing or highly bioactive ingredients for topical use. 3 blue biorefinery schemes up-scaled to hundreds of kg will be demonstrated throughout CIRCALGAE project. 12 demonstrator products will be developed by food, feed and cosmetic industry partners validating the great potential of novel algae ingredients in these key sectors. Additionally, 2 final products will be qualified for market including their studies in consumer acceptance assessments. Through co-creating and co-learning, CIRCALGAE will connect all algae cross-sectional actors, including industrial end-user partners, RTOs, technological and consultancy SMEs, for the validation of all health-promoting effects and claims, regulatory aspects and environmental, economic and social impacts, engaging all relevant stakeholders in the primary sector to re-shape the current industrial network for a future thriving blue bioeconomy.

Keywords: algae based ingredients,bioactive molecules,food,feed,cosmetic ingredients