Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
CIRCular bio-based products for the BUILT environment (CIRCBUILT)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Mission
Theme: Other missions
Destination: Other missions
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Finland,France,Switzerland,Austria,Italy
Call: Exploiting the potential of secondary bio-based products (HORIZON-MISS-2024-NEB-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-05-01
End date: 2028-04-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3999295.75
EU funding (EUR): 3999295.75
Participants: 12
Project status: SIGNED

The building and construction sector accounts for 37% of global emissions (2023). To mitigate the environmental impact of this sector, bio-based products are a promising solution especially when they are sourced from secondary bio-based materials. The CIRCBUILT project will gather 7 academic partners and 5 industries (SMEs mainly) for 36 months to propose a novel high value-added pathway for bio-based waste/residue sources of lignocellulose from the agricultural, agrofood and forestry industries, while being aligned with the cascading principles. Three novel intermediate components will act as main building blocks: foam-formed materials manufactured using two novel resource-efficient processes; first-of-a-kind thermochromic nanocellulose-based films and coatings; isocyanate- and formaldehyde-free bio-based binders as unique selling point on the adhesive market. This will serve as basis to the development and validation at TRL5 of four different types of products 100% made from secondary bio-based materials for the construction sector: 1) thermal insulation panels, 2) construction panels, 3) adapting cooling windows, and 4) indoor acoustic panels. Their technical performances will be comparable to their respective fossil-based benchmark, while unlocking the potential of circular value chains. A mock-up integrating the four products will be created for dissemination purposes, even to young generations of end-users. CIRCBUILT will engage with key stakeholders from the construction sector, as well as the broader cultural and artistic sector for going way beyond alignment with stakeholders’ requirements and NEB values; key stakeholders will be gathered in a Stakeholder Forum from the project’s beginning and actively participate in the products’ development and design creative processes. Novel circular business models will serve as basis to the overall project’s exploitation, preparing the industrialisation and commercialisation of the CIRCBUILT products.

Keywords: secondary bio based materials,ligno cellulosic products,construction,thermal insulation,acoustic absorption,covering,adapting cooling,foam,binder,film,biorefinery,stakeholders engagement
Nano-oxygenation in water treatment by ambient-pressure air-fed, ultra-low-energy nanobubble generation (AQUA BUBBLES: Nanobubbles for water treatment)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Open to supporting projects in all areas of science, technology,...
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Ireland
Call: EIC Accelerator Open (HORIZON-EIC-2022-ACCELERATOR-01, 2022)
Start date: 2022-12-01
End date: 2024-11-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3571428.5
EU funding (EUR): 2499999.95
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Spun out of UCD Chemical Engineering, AquaB's ambitious mission is to no less than clean up the world's water. The ‘intellectual machinery’ embedded in our nanobubble-generation and controlled release. This is based on an electric-field-inducing electrostriction, which serves to create a transient negative-pressure region, thereby 'sucking in' gas into the liquid in the form of many nano-bubbles, which are kinetically metastable, typically for many weeks and longer. The energy costs of this additive-free, non-contact method are an order of magnitude lower than 'classical' approaches, e.g., involving massive pressure drops from pumping across Venturi tubes, etc - with a far longer lifetime and smaller, more uniform size range. In this project, we will revolutionise the low-energy and low-maintenance aeration of water. The novel NB generator will be tested in three use cases - wastewater treatment, aquaculture and agriculture, and prepared for full commercialisation.

Keywords: nanobubbles,water treatment
The Politics of Wildfires: A Comparative Study of Norms, Power and Conflict in the Global South (FIREPOL)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Human Mobility, Environment, and Space
Panel description: Human geography, demography, health, susta inability science, territorial planning, spatial analysis
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): 1499993.84
EU funding (EUR): 1499993.84
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Extreme wildfires have been on the rise across the globe due to climate change and other human actions. Despite the abundant literature on fire ecology and a recognition of the linkages of wildfires to global warming, a patchy understanding of the relationship between fire and anthropogenic actions and their political drivers persists. Social sciences scholarship has mostly focused on fire mitigation and management in the Global North, while complex relationships between societies and fires in the Global South remain broadly unexplored. These two gaps in the academic literature in terms of scope and geography are reflected in a narrow public understanding of wildfires as ‘risks’ and ‘natural disasters’. FIREPOL goes beyond the state of the art by leading the most rigorous, cross-continental study of the political drivers of wildfires in the Global South. Through a radical multi-methods approach and a comparative perspective, my team and I will combine and analyse newly compiled fire policy and remote sensing data with qualitative case studies and ethnographic research. The aim will be to understand and explain how a range of political factors linked to formal policies and institutions, actor-driven power dynamics, and social contention shape the geographical distribution and social impact of wildfires, and public narratives about them. FIREPOL is an ambitious, high-risk/high-gain project that will deliver a new framework to understand and explain the connections between politics and wildfires, at a timely moment when wildfires have been identified as crucial socio-ecological challenges within the global climate change agenda. It will develop a new theoretical framework around the concept of ‘wildfire commons’ as a way of engaging the academic community, policy stakeholders and the general public in the co-production of alternative pathways for the sustainable, equitable and politically engaged management of wildfires.

Keywords: wildfire politics political drivers of wildfires wildfire commons global south mixed methods
GEOtechnical deRisk by Genetic Inverse Analysis (GEORGIA)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Innovative Europe
Programme: The European Innovation Council (EIC)
Theme: EIC Accelerator
Destination: Open to supporting projects in all areas of science, technology,...
Action type: EIC actions
Countries involved: Spain
Call: EIC Accelerator Open (HORIZON-EIC-2022-ACCELERATOR-01, 2022)
Start date: 2022-11-01
End date: 2024-10-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2104071.25
EU funding (EUR): 1472849.88
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Mainly funded by taxpayers' money, the construction industry has a poor track record in sustainability, efficiency and safety, which are in many cases linked to the lack of understanding of ground behaviour. The construction industry is responsible for 11% of global carbon emissions from construction embodied carbon, 9 out of 10 projects experience cost overruns (+45% of project cost) and 60,000 fatal accidents in construction yearly. Geotechnical uncertainty translates to over-designs, unforeseen events, and impacts overall safety. GEORGIA responds to the opportunity to reshape the Capital Infrastructure and Large Building Projects market by introducing and consolidating the concept of interactive design. GEORGIA will enhance the development and commercialization of DAARWIN as the pioneer end-to-end digital platform based on Adaptive Genetic Algorithm to address the ground uncertainty problem and reduce carbon footprint, cost overruns and increase the safety of construction projects.

Keywords: genetic algorithms,observational method,engineering and technology,machine learning,statistical data processing and,data analysis,high performance computing,ground information,geotechnical data,sensitivity analysis,back analysis
Econometrics for Macroeconomic Policy Evaluation (POLICYMETRICS)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Individuals, Markets and Organisations
Panel description: Economics, finance , management
Countries involved: Spain
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2021-STG, 2021)
Start date: 2022-09-01
End date: 2025-08-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 614900.0
EU funding (EUR): 614900.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Traditionally, the evaluation of macroeconomic policy has relied on analyzing specific economic models which often do not correspond to the complex and data-rich environments in which real world policy decisions are made. To this extent, I propose to develop a new framework for evaluating macroeconomic policy decisions ---policymetrics--- that is inspired by the robust inference literature in econometrics and makes minimal assumptions on the underlying economic model. The methodology detects optimization failures, i.e. instances in which policy decisions do not minimize the (welfare) loss function, and determines the causes and dynamics of such failures, all while fully respecting the limitations imposed by the Lucas critique. Part 1. The detection of optimization failures is based on the gradient of the loss function evaluated at the proposed policy choice. The key insight is that for large classes of macroeconomic loss functions the gradient only depends on known or estimable sufficient statistics such as forecasts, dynamic causal effects and preferences. I will tailor the methodology to allow for constrained policy problems, risk aversion and the real-time detection of optimization failures. Part 2. The methodology for understanding optimization failures is inspired by the forecast evaluation literature and aims to infer which trade-offs, across mandates and horizons, dynamics and variables were overlooked when setting policy. Among others, I will develop methods that test for systematic optimization failures, optimization encompassing and breaks in policy performance. I will apply the framework to evaluate contemporaneous and historical monetary, fiscal and climate policy decisions from different governments and institutions around the world, hereby providing a unique non-model based assessment of modern macroeconomic policy.

Keywords: optimal policy,hypothesis testing,robust inference,forecast evaluation
Probing the timescales of cyanobacterial photoprotection in vitro with the novel PHOTOactivation VISible Transient Absorption spectroscopy (PhotoVISTA)

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,France
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-04-01
End date: 2026-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 181152.96
EU funding (EUR): 181152.96
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Photosynthesis sustains life on Earth by turning sunlight into fuel for other biological processes. However, photosynthetic organisms can face a lethal threat when they suddenly receive too much light. In cyanobacteria, key photoprotection against excessive illumination involves the Orange Carotenoid Protein (OCP) and the light-harvesting pigment-proteins, Phycobilisomes (PBs). When photoactivated OCP binds to a PB, surplus solar energy absorbed by the PB is safely dissipated, and photosynthesis can continue despite dangerous conditions. While our understanding of the OCP-related mechanism has improved over the last years, its dynamic aspects and the intermediate steps of activation remain largely elusive due to the lack of appropriate experimental techniques. In this interdisciplinary project, I will explore the OCP-related mechanism in vitro using a novel spectroscopic approach: the PHOTOactivation VISible Transient Absorption spectroscopy (photoVISTA) and isolated OCPs & PBs. With photoVISTA, I will dissect the activation of this molecular mechanism across multiple timescales with the femtosecond temporal resolution, from the earliest photophysical and photochemical reactions taking place at the order of femtoseconds to processes beyond the seconds. I will reveal the intermediate steps between the initial absorption of a photon by the OCP and its photoactivation, up to its binding and docking on a PB and energy dissipation in the OCP-PB complex. Being a multipulse technique, photoVISTA will provide unprecedented control over OCP’s photoactivation and will let me propose a comprehensive molecular model of photoprotection beyond the reach of conventional pump-probe spectroscopy. The breakthroughs in this project, further explaining how cyanobacteria manage the flow of excitation energy in their photosynthetic apparatus, will give us crucial know-how for improving photosynthesis and impacting green biotechnology and food production.

Keywords: photosynthesis photoregulation and photoprotection ultrafast absorption spectroscopy orange carotenoid protein light harvesting cyanobacteria photobiology photochemistry
BlastChip: Decoding Early Embryonic Development Through Microfluidics (BlastChip)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-04-01
End date: 2027-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 217076.16
EU funding (EUR): 217076.16
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Early human embryonic development is a complex process characterized by precise cellular interactions and environmental cues. The blastocyst stage, marked by the formation of the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE), is pivotal for subsequent embryonic development and implantation. While mechanical factors are increasingly recognized as influencing cell fate determination, their role in early embryogenesis remains largely unexplored. Human embryo research is fraught with ethical and practical challenges due to stringent regulations and limited availability. To circumvent these limitations, this project leverages the potential of blastoids, derived from pluripotent stem cells, as ethical and controllable models of early human development. These blastoids recapitulate key aspects of the blastocyst, including the formation of ICM- and TE-like structures. By integrating advanced microfluidic technologies, computational modeling, and biomaterials, this research aims to elucidate the impact and role of mechanical cues on blastocyst development. Through the development of microfluidic platforms capable of generating and culturing blastoids under controlled conditions, I will investigate the effects of mechanical forces on their growth, cell fate and maturation. Additionally, by encapsulating blastoids in zona pellucida mimicking hydrogels, we will explore the role of this unique mechanical environment on early embryonic development. This research has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of early human embryogenesis, with implications for improving in-vitro fertilization techniques and developing novel therapeutic strategies for infertility and other reproductive disorders.

Keywords: microfluidics,mechanical stimulation,blastoid,in vitro fertilization,hydrogels,embryogenesis,synthetic zona pellucida,mechanical stimulation,cell fate,artificial embryo models
Projecting the GDR on Screen. Film Festivals and Cultural Diplomacy in Cold War Germany (PGDRS)

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: Germany
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2023-09-01
End date: 2026-08-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 173847.36
EU funding (EUR): 173847.36
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

This project explores how the German Democratic Republic used film festivals in the West as a form of cultural diplomacy between 1949 and 1989. For the first time in scholarship, this project considers the different ways in which governments, artistic bodies and individuals viewed the opportunities of the Berlin Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival as ways for the GDR to achieve cultural prestige and political capital in the West. Instead of presenting cultural diplomacy as a ‘top-down’ process instigated and tightly controlled by state officials, this research foregrounds the roles of artistic institutions, filmmakers and festival organisers in establishing lines of communication in-between and outside of formal channels. The significance of this extends beyond the Cold War: by focusing on the role of state and non-state actors, the research allows for better understandings of how cultural events can be used to transcend political impasses today and in so doing also speaks directly to the European Commission’s 'New European Agenda for Culture'. Led by an outstanding researcher with a proven publication record, this project will allow Dr Ward to develop further the core research, training and professional skills needed as leading international academic in the humanities and emerge as an independent researcher. By working with sector-leading cultural historians at Leipzig University, Dr Ward will hone her specialist research skills and undertake a targeted training programme to equip her with key research and professional skills needed to excel in academia. These skills will be complemented by a carefully designed communication and dissemination strategy to ensure that, upon completion of the fellowship, she has the key markers of academic success (publications), interdisciplinary collaboration (the organisation of an international workshop) and public engagement (public film screenings, publishing for non-specialist audiences).

Keywords: cold war,germany,german democratic republic,film festivals
Quantum-Resistant Cryptography in Practice (QARC)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Civil Security for Society
Theme: Civil Security for Society
Destination: Increased Cybersecurity
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Czechia,Estonia,Spain,Slovakia,Latvia,Norway,Netherlands,Switzerland,Ukraine,France,Ireland
Call: Post-quantum cryptography transition (HORIZON-CL3-2024-CS-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5716952.5
EU funding (EUR): 5716952.5
Participants: 18
Project status: SIGNED

QARC is a targeted proposal that aims at the practical deployment of post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) technologies into real-world applications and infrastructures. It is focused on implementing PQC to open-source software and on specific platforms, such as embedded constrained devices and hardware platforms, such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). For these platforms, where secure implementations of PQC algorithms are still lacking, the consortium will develop novel prototypes and evaluate them in realistic pilots designed in collaboration with National Cyber Security Authorities (NCSAs). The focus will be devoted to 1) the design and implementation of hybrid schemes guaranteeing security even if legacy or some PQC families fail, 2) cryptographic agility providing easy cryptographic updates, and 3) implementation security and resistance to side-channel attacks. Using secure implementations, pilots on eGovernment, Cloud infrastructures, NCSAs’ services, and open-source software will be run across the EU to obtain exemplary deployment strategies and create good practices for the transition from legacy to PQC cryptography. A major component of QARC is the strong involvement of National Cyber Security Authorities as consortium partners. This will ensure coordinated transition strategies and aligned national roadmaps. The project includes activities for building the NCSA network, creating policy briefs, conducting comparative studies of multiple roadmap implementations in different countries, identifying lessons learned, and facilitating scientific, commercial, and community support in these transitions. A particular focus is given to small-to-medium countries with agencies with limited resources. In addition to technical tasks, the QARC project also includes activities focused on standardization and legislation updates and the training and awareness-raising activities that are necessary components of successful PQC transition.

Keywords: cybersecurity,post quantum cryptography,hybrid schemes,transition roadmaps,deployment,governance,agility,side channels,hardware implementations,national agencies,standards