Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
In-situ fabricated hydrogen evolution catalysts for alkaline water electrolysis (HyCat)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Synthetic Chemistry and Materials
Panel description: New materials and new synthetic approaches, structure-properties relations, solid state chemistry, molecular architecture, organic chemistry
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC Proof of Concept Grant (ERC-2019-PoC, 2019)
Start date: 2020-12-01
End date: 2022-05-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 150000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Hydrogen could replace fossil fuels, and electrolytic water splitting using renewable energy sources is a promising way to obtain it. The most active hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts to date are platinum group metals (PGM), mainly Pt and its alloys, deposited onto a carbon support. Pt is however costly and the catalysts degrade over time, due to aggregation of metal nanoparticles over the support. Also, no valuable contenders to Pt group metals have been identified for the alkaline HER. To address these issues, we propose to focus again on PGM based catalysts, but with solutions that reduce the amount of noble metal and that ensure catalyst stability by preventing aggregation. In our recently completed ERC project TRANS-NANO, we have prepared a highly active and stable HER catalyst, composed of a nanostructured Cu-Pt porous layer, directly grown onto a Ti current collector by in-situ slow electrodeposition of Pt. This catalyst delivers high hydrogen evolution current and outperforms the benchmark Pt/C in terms of activity at high overpotentials, and solves the most critical issue of Pt/C: its low long-term stability under operational conditions. Our catalyst can achieve the same performances of the Pt/C catalyst, but with a much lower Pt loading. For Ru, the process delivers a Cu-Ru/Ti catalyst with even better performance than the Cu-Pt/Ti system. In this POC project, we will upscale the production of Cu-Pt and Cu-Ru catalysts, starting from large area Ti substrates. Their HER activity will be tested under industrially relevant conditions. Such electrode architecture will enable the fabrication of high-performance alkaline water electrolysers for large-scale applications. Our team is best suited to take this challenge, having a consolidated expertise in developing nanoscale materials and catalysts, and in their exploitation for both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions. The proposal envisages a strong collaboration with the industry sector.

Keywords: catalysis,hydrogen evolution reaction,nanomaterials,water electrolysis
Power and Information Integration Technologies in Microgrids (PAINTING)

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: Information Science and Engineering
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019, 2019)
Start date: 2021-02-01
End date: 2023-01-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 212933.76
EU funding (EUR): 212933.76
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project aims at training a talented researcher, Dr Ruichi Wang by an interdisciplinary international research program which is focused on developing advanced power and information integration technologies (PAINT) for microgrids. PAINT is urgently demanded from industry and scientific research for the better use of green power. The Fellow will be trained on a series of theories and technical skills related to advanced power electronics, communication and microgrids control at the main host Loughborough University and a number of EU hosts including the University of Strathclyde, TU Delft and the University of Malaga. Capitalizing upon her original power and communication interdisciplinary background and expertise in integrated communication, the Fellow will make her a unique asset to the EU for developing novel PAINT for sustainable energy system. As demonstrated in her CV, Dr. Wang has proven track record in integrated communication with interdisciplinary background and her achievement has been outstanding though very young. The skills and technologies she will grasp during this Fellowship will allow her to diversify her capability significantly, including power electronics modelling, power/data integrated modulation/demodulation, distributed impedance analysis and microgrids control. Besides, the Fellowship will allow her to transfer the knowledge she gains through the research to the benefit of her hosts and regional industrial liaisons together with her existing knowledge on integrated communication. Starting from power electronics modelling with high frequency small signal injected through power conversion process, this project will develop a novel PAINT to achieve integrated communication at converter control layer and distributed power tracing for energy management in microgrids. Fostered by the Fellowship, a leading expert in power/information integration technologies is expected and will contribute greatly to EU industries and academic communities.

Keywords: power electronics,integrated communication,power tracing,microgrids
SUSTAINABLE STORAGE OF GRAINS BY IMPLEMENTING A NOVEL PROTECTANT AND A VERSATILE APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY (novIGRain)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy
Theme: Sustainable agriculture and forestry
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Hungary,Belgium,Belgium,Hungary,Belgium,France,Czechia
Call: Integrated health approaches and alternatives to pesticide use (H2020-SFS-2020-1, 2020)
Start date: 2020-10-01
End date: 2025-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 6947711.74
EU funding (EUR): 4997110.88
Participants: 9
Project status: SIGNED

Within the novIGRain project the aim is to start from a scientific resistance assessment and develop a new type of Plant Protection Product (PPP) for larvicide treatment in combination with a versatile application technology. It has to be researched whether or not this larvicide active substance – that is assumed to be applied in ultra-low volumes (ULV) – is in line with the overall legal framework so that it can be used as grain storage Grain Production Product. The benefits of this new product are multiple, but most important are: (i) it will broaden the available active substance spectra in the field of PPPs, which is important for the prevention of the development of increased insecticide resistance in the EU, (ii) as it is a larvicide, it has a unique mode of action and allows precise targeting of insect development stages, (iii) it has improved health safety characteristics, which is important for the product users and grain consumers, (iv) as it has less hazardous residues (v) the product is highly effective, (vi) it would represent economic benefits for the EU, as there are lower export restrictions given the product’s characteristics. The new application technology will aim to allow the combination of multiple PPP’s (larvicides simultaneously with adulticides) which is expected to not only have a positive impact on the risk of resistance development, but will also lower the amount of adulticides required for proper management, which results in less human and environmental exposure and cost savings. The combination of the larvicide and adulticides will be tested (field trials), which will provide the up-to-date information on the area of use for integration in IPM systems. Once the tools, product and technology have been developed, a detailed impact assessment will be performed, in combination with several stakeholders’ interaction and demonstration activities, which assure the broad dissemination of the project results.

Keywords: resistance assessment,tool development,ulv larvicide,impact assessment,stakeholder interaction
New Innnovative and cost effective metal cleaning machine (METALCLEAN)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Industrial Leadership
Programme: Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, and Biotechnology
Theme: Nanotechnologies
Action type: SME instrument
Countries involved: Italy
Call: Accelerating the uptake of nanotechnologies, advanced materials or advanced manufacturing and processing technologies by SMEs (H2020-SMEINST-1-2015, 2015)
Start date: 2016-02-01
End date: 2016-05-31
Duration (months): 4.0
Total project cost (EUR): 71429.0
EU funding (EUR): 50000.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

METALCLEAN is an innovative equipment for high precision cleaning of metal parts based on the engineered tailoring of several operational parameters. Cleaning is an unavoidable stage of the production process in industries manufacturing or assembling metal parts. During the different machining processes, organic substances, dust or small metal chips can attach to the surface of the manufactured goods. In this way, parts need to be cleaned after metal fabrication and assembly and prior to painting and coating. Therefore metalworking industries and their clients demand cost-effective cleaning systems with low energy and solvent consumption. The unique design and operational parameter of METALCLEAN, without the need for vacuum and with a unique solvent recovery and distillation system enable energy savings of up to 52% compared to the other metal-cleaning machines currently in the market. The first METALCLEAN units will reach the market in May 2018. Through its market deployment we aim to impact into the market of metal-cleaning devices by commercializing a final product that will help our customers improve the performance, reduce operational costs (thanks to reduced energy consumption and increased solvent recovery) and reduce the environmental impact of the cleaning process, reducing the waste treatment of the solvents thanks to its recirculation system. Moreover, it will also imply savings for our customers (as our solution will have an initial target price 33% lower than current solutions in the market) and hence for the final end-users, e.g. –watch manufacturers, automotive and aircraft industries or electronic devices manufactures) who will benefit from an improved cleaning of their products at a competitive price. According to our preliminary forecasts, we expect sales of METALCLEAN to reach €18.4 million revenues by 2022, showing a ROI of 2.71 and reaching the pay-back by September 2020.

Keywords: metal cleaning,degreasing,recirculation,operational parameters,cost effective
ACANTO: A CyberphysicAl social NeTwOrk using robot friends (ACANTO)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Societal Challenges
Programme: Health, demographic change and wellbeing
Theme: Active ageing and self-management of health
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Austria,Spain,Italy,Italy,Greece,France,United Kingdom
Call: Advancing active and healthy ageing with ICT: service robotics within assisted living environments (H2020-PHC-2014-single-stage, 2014)
Start date: 2015-02-01
End date: 2018-07-31
Duration (months): 42.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4295755.0
EU funding (EUR): 4295755.0
Participants: 10
Project status: CLOSED

Despite its recognised benefits, most older adults do not engage in a regular physical activity. The ACANTO project proposes a friendly robot walker (the FriWalk) that will abate a some of the most important barriers to this healthy behaviour. The FriWalk revisits the notion of robotic walking assistants and evolves it towards an activity vehicle. The execution of a programme of physical training is embedded within familiar and compelling every-day activities. The FriWalk operates as a personal trainer triggering the user actions and monitoring their impact on the physical and mental well-being. It offers cognitive and emotional support for navigation pinpointing risk situations in the environment and understanding the social context. It supports coordinated motion with other FriWalks for group activities. The FriWalk combines low cost and advanced features, thanks to its reliance on a cloud of services that increase its computing power and interconnect it to other assisted living devices. Very innovative is its ability to collect observations on the user preferred behaviours, which are consolidated in a user profile and used for recommendation of future activities. In this way, the FriWalk operates as a gateway toward a CyberPhysical Social Network (CPSN), which is an important contribution of the project. The CPSN is at the basis of a recommendation system in which users' profiles are created, combined into "circles" and matched with the opportunity offered by the environment to generate recommendations for activities to be executed with the FriWalk support. The permanent connection between users and CPSN is secured by the FriPad, a tablet with a specifically designed user interface. The CPSN creates a community of users, relatives and therapists, who can enter prescriptions on the user and receive information on her/his state. Users are involved in a large number in all the phases of the system development and an extensive validation is carried out at the end.

Keywords: human robot interaction and interfaces,social networks,artificial intelligence
Competition between the enteric pathogen Clostridium difficile and the commensal members of the gut microbiota for mucosal sugars (MUCDIFF)

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: Life Sciences
Countries involved: Austria
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-09-01
End date: 2017-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 166156.8
EU funding (EUR): 166156.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Clostridium difficile is a Gram-positive, anaerobic bacterium that relies on the disturbance of the normal gut microbiota to colonize the human intestinal tract and cause infection and disease. In the last decade new strains of C. difficile have emerged to cause outbreaks of increased disease severity and higher recurrence and mortality rates. C. difficile infection (CDI) is becoming refractory to the conventional antibiotic treatments and probiotic-based approaches are viewed as promising alternative therapies to effectively treat CDI. The development of such bacterial-based treatments requires the identification of the mechanisms by which the commensal members of the gut microbiota are able to eradicate C. difficile, as well as of the identity of the members of the gut microbiota that orchestrate those mechanisms. Since nutrient competition is an important mechanism by which the colonic microbiota suppresses the growth of many enteric pathogens, I focus here on competition for limited nutrient sources, such as the gut mucosal sugars N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and sialic acid, as a mechanism by which the members of the gut microbiota can eradicate C. difficile. I will investigate in detail the importance of GlcNAc catabolism, both alone and in combination with the catabolism of sialic acid, for C. difficile expansion in the gut. Furthermore, by combining stable isotope probing (SIP) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with high resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) I propose to identify commensal members of the gut microbiota that can efficiently catabolize these mucosal carbohydrates in vivo and to evaluate the ability of the identified organisms to outcompete C. difficile. Thus, this work will contribute to elucidate the mechanisms by which the gut microbiota prevents C. difficile colonization and to identify members of the gut microbiota that can be the basis for an effective, safe and standardized treatment to cure CDI.

Keywords: clostridium difficile infection,gut microbiota,mucosal sugars,nutrient competition,stable isotope probing,nanosims
Paleo-ecogenomics in Daphnia: developing a model for studying evolutionary impacts of climate and environmental change (PALECOEVOL)

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: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2015-06-01
End date: 2017-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 195454.8
EU funding (EUR): 195454.8
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

PALECOEVOL is a highly multidisciplinary study combining population genomics with paleoecology, and is firmly embedded in the theoretical framework of evolutionary ecology. This transformative research is based on the direct observation of evolution in the past 2000 years in the highly endangered Arctic environment. By recording population genomic parameters before and after environmental shifts, a pioneering dataset unprecedented in genomic detail will be supplied and rigorously combined with historic environmental data. The overarching goal is to study, across millennia, the genomic responses of the ecological and genomic model organism Daphnia, an aquatic keystone herbivore, to repeated shifts in temperature and related environmental parameters, and to lay the foundation for establishing a novel model system to study the effects of environmental change at the population level. This and future work will transform our current understanding of the magnitude and the constraints of population adaptation to the rapid environmental changes our planet is now facing. The overall impact of this fellowship results from cross-fertilizing the gained ecological and genomic expertise with training the prospective fellow in its application towards environmental regulation and policymaking that will qualify her to provide leadership for academics and legislators alike.

Keywords: climate change,environmental change,daphnia pulex,genomic model,evolution,adaptation,population genomics,paleolimnology,paleogenomics,resurrection ecology,arctic
The role of complement in the induction of autoimmunity against post-translationally modified proteins (AUTOCOMPLEMENT)

Framework: Horizon 2020 — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment 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: Netherlands
Call: ERC Consolidator Grant (ERC-2016-COG, 2016)
Start date: 2017-09-01
End date: 2023-08-31
Duration (months): 72.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1999802.5
EU funding (EUR): 1999802.5
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

In many prevalent autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) autoantibodies are used as diagnostic and prognostic tools. Several of these autoantibodies target proteins that have been post-translationally modified (PTM). Examples of such modifications are citrullination and carbamylation. The success of B cell-targeted therapies in many auto-antibody positive diseases suggests that B cell mediated auto-immunity is playing a direct pathogenic role. Despite the wealth of information on the clinical associations of these anti-PTM protein antibodies as biomarkers we have currently no insight into why these antibodies are formed. Immunization studies reveal that PTM proteins can induce antibody responses even in the absence of exogenous adjuvant. The reason why these PTM proteins have ‘autoadjuvant’ properties that lead to a breach of tolerance is currently unknown. In this proposal, I hypothesise that the breach of tolerance towards PTM proteins is mediated by complement factors that bind directly to these PTM. Our preliminary data indeed reveal that several complement factors bind specifically to PTM proteins. Complement could be involved in the autoadjuvant property of PTM proteins as next to killing pathogens complement can also boost adaptive immune responses. I plan to unravel the importance of the complement–PTM protein interaction by answering these questions: 1) What is the physiological function of complement binding to PTM proteins? 2) Is the breach of tolerance towards PTM proteins influenced by complement? 3) Can the adjuvant function of PTM be used to increase vaccine efficacy and/or decrease autoreactivity? With AUTOCOMPLEMENT I will elucidate how PTM-reactive B cells receive ‘autoadjuvant’ signals. This insight will impact on patient care as we can now design strategies to either block unwanted ‘autoadjuvant’ signals to inhibit autoimmunity or to utilize ‘autoadjuvant’ signals to potentiate vaccination.
Energy Futures of the High North: Assessing Intermediary Expertise and New Valuation Practices that Guide Arctic Hydrocarbon Development (FUTURES)

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: Finland
Call: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF-EF) (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014, 2014)
Start date: 2016-06-01
End date: 2018-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 179325.6
EU funding (EUR): 179325.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

I will undertake research assessing the role of intermediaries (consultants) in creating Arctic energy futures and utilize a training plan of Professor Markku Kivinen, Director, Aleksanteri Institute, U Helsinki, in order to transition into a globally recognized leader of Cultures of Expertise frameworks for scholars involved in the anthropologies of finance, futurity and expertise, linked to Science and Technology Studies-related genealogies. I want to improve the state of theory and knowledge in relation to how intermediaries engage in valuation practices that drive the location and content of pivotal conversations on Arctic oil and gas extraction. Two patterns of development will be addressed: the increasing visibility of Arctic energy futures as detailed expectations that represent strategic resources for attracting attention from (financial) sponsors to stimulate agenda-setting processes; and, the rise of intermediaries suggesting a trend towards greater control over access to Arctic knowledge that is privatized via commodification. Research objectives include building a conceptual terminology and typology of the kinds of assessments that consultants produce, further developing alignments at the intersection of proprietary practice and multidisciplinary analysis. I will combine data collection at two consulting firms and at six key networking events with a training secondment at Regional Council of Lapland in order to pilot industry and policy relevance. My US National Science Foundation research will create EU knowledge transfers for the systematized study of intermediary experts and Arctic energy futures through graduate supervision and symposiums leading to four peer-reviewed journal articles and a co-edited volume. Supervised training on science management involving Institute decision-making procedures, raising my profile through high h-index journal publications and advisory responsibilities will increase my prospects for securing a tenured professorship.

Keywords: cultures of expertise,energy forecasting,arctic oil and gas development,intermediary experts,energy policy and knowledge,ritual and performance,restructured energy market scenarios