Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Investigating NMDA Receptor Contributions to Postsynaptic Potentials, Synaptic Integration and Hippocampal Network Dynamics (Syn-to-Sum)

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: United Kingdom
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-06-01
End date: 2027-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 260347.92
EU funding (EUR): 260347.92
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptors, play a critical role in synaptic plasticity and are linked to various neurological disorders. Recent advancements in genetic sequencing have identified numerous variants in the GRIN2A gene, encoding the NMDAR receptor subunit GluN2A, to be associated with severe clinical outcomes, including intellectual disability, epileptic encephalopathy, speech and language impairments, and psychiatric illness. Yet, the specific mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology in these conditions remains elusive. Effective neuronal communication hinges on the precise coordination of synaptic signals. Conventionally, it is believed that the slow decay of NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs), is crucial for temporal summation and synaptic integration. However, my preliminary evidence from a Grin2a-depleted rat model challenges this view, suggesting that NMDA receptors do not contribute to the excitatory post synaptic potentials (EPSPs) of hippocampal pyramidal cells under physiological conditions. As such, this project seeks to further explore the impact of GluN2A depletion on temporal summation in inhibitory hippocampal cell populations. I will combine advanced electrophysiological techniques with ex vivo calcium imaging to assess how channel kinetics influence neuronal function, circuit plasticity and hippocampal network dynamics. Through this research, I aim to deepen our understanding of synaptic function, NMDA receptor physiology and the role of GluN2 subunit-conferred kinetics in neuronal computation and the sculpting of hippocampal network dynamics. By improving our understanding of how GRIN2A variants induce synaptic and network dysfunction, this research aims to provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of GRIN2A-associated disorders and identify novel targets for future development of targeted therapeutic interventions to improve the quality of life for affected individuals.

Keywords: electrophysiology,nmda receptor,synaptic integration
Influential Adolescents (INAD)

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: Netherlands
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-10-01
End date: 2024-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 203464.32
EU funding (EUR): 203464.32
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The INAD (INfluential ADolescents) project addresses an urgent need to understand how to influence adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors regarding key societal problem areas, such as interethnic attitudes, substance use, and environmentally-friendly attitudes. To this end, I aim to identify the most influential adolescents in classrooms who could spread attitudes and behaviors among peers. Studying not only individual-level indicators of social influence but also their interaction with contextual factors could be a key element in identifying the most influential adolescents across a range of contexts and outcomes, potentially solving inconsistencies in the prior literature. Such knowledge would enable the preparation of cost-efficient interventions that would include only a few most influential adolescents, yet, influencing all classroom members. In three interconnected studies, I will investigate how various potential individual-level indicators of social influence 1) identify most influential adolescents across different classroom structures, 2) determine adolescents’ ability to affect the most important norms, 3) taking into account a short and a long-term change in attitudes and behaviors. I will employ computational social science methods, which help to capture complex social processes. In Study 1, I will develop a novel theoretical model based on interdisciplinary research and theories by combining theory-building and agent-based modeling. In Study 2, I will calibrate and empirically test the developed theoretical model using longitudinal social network analysis. In Study 3, I will conduct a computer simulation of how changes in attitudes and behaviors of a few most influential adolescents influence change among all classroom members.

Keywords: social influence adolescence social network agent based modeling longitudinal social network analysis inter ethnic attitudes substance use environmentally friendly attitudes
Control-Oriented INnovations for future wave energy farms (COIN)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Climate, Energy and Mobility
Theme: Energy
Destination: Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Spain,France,Portugal,Denmark,Italy,United Kingdom,Ireland
Call: Critical technologies for the future ocean energy farms (HORIZON-CL5-2024-D3-02, 2024)
Start date: 2025-11-01
End date: 2029-10-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4000741.25
EU funding (EUR): 4000741.25
Participants: 9
Project status: SIGNED

The importance of an increased exploitation of renewable energy sources is highlighted by the recent geo-political events with their impact on energy security and pricing, together with the global efforts to mitigate anthropogenic climate change. The European Union acknowledges this importance and sets forth ambitious targets for the installed renewable energy capacity in the farmwork of the SET plan. Ocean energy, and wave energy, in particular, can contribute to achieving the targets by diversifying the exploitable (marine) renewable energy sources. However, ocean energy is relatively far from commercial operation, facing techno-economic challenges both during device/component design (strategic stage) as well as concerning monitoring, control, and maintenance (operational stage). The COIN project (Control Oriented Innovations for future ocean energy farms) aims to provide solutions to challenges in both stages. In particular, COIN provides three control-oriented innovations: (1) Innovative connector (mooring and electrical) to subsea infrastructure, enabling (active) peak load limiting and damage prevention, developed based on control co-design. Considering relevant control action in the design loop, secures optimal performance; (2) Innovative AI-based real-time wave prediction algorithm using hybrid wave sensing techniques, enabling second-by-second (non-linear) prediction as input to control frameworks; (3) Innovative digital-twin based health monitoring and health-aware control framework, developed to maximise performance while minimising down-time and failure, thereby maximising (remaining) useful life. Being paired with a holistic techno-economic, multi-level, multi-objective optimisation framework, COINs technology development results in more performant ocean energy technology and, thus, to a more efficient, clean, sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply.

Keywords: ocean energy,wave energy,energy maximising control,health monitoring,wave prediction,techno economic optimisation
GeO and weather multi-risk impact Based Early warning and response systems supporting rapid deploYment of first respONders in EU and beyonD (GOBEYOND)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Civil Security for Society
Theme: Civil Security for Society
Destination: Disaster-Resilient Society for Europe
Action type: Innovation actions
Countries involved: Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,France,Greece,Portugal,Germany,Switzerland,Morocco
Call: Improved impact forecasting and early warning systems supporting the rapid deployment of first responders in vulnerable areas (HORIZON-CL3-2022-DRS-01, 2022)
Start date: 2023-10-01
End date: 2027-09-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 5521046.25
EU funding (EUR): 5000040.0
Participants: 28
Project status: SIGNED

GOBEYOND is an innovation action that will develop and test Multi-Risk Impact-based Early Warning System (MR-IEWS) platforms for geohazards and weather/climate events adapted to support Civil Protection Authorities and first responders in their situational awareness and rapid deployment in Europe, countries of the Union for Mediterranean (UfM), and beyond. For this end, GOBEYOND will capitalise on the legacy of EWS for high-impact geo and weather/climate events, and on the impact-forecasting algorithms from previous projects of the consortium. GOBEYOND will identify most innovative algorithms for geohazards and incorporate them with available weather/climate impact-based algorithms into a common IEWS. These algorithms will be integrated with high-resolution vulnerability, exposure and risk information at regional and local levels to describe the severity of the hazards in terms of the expected socio-economic impacts to evolve towards a real-time DSSs. MR-IEWS will be co-designed in a participatory framework in which authorities, citizens, and civil society representatives can feel listened to, and actively engaged in co-design and co-creation roles. GOBEYOND will test the MR-IEWS platforms developed for international (Europe and UfM countries), regional and municipal environments. This will be done through the 5 regional demonstrations in Andalusia (ES), Attica (EL), Campania (IT), a Canton in Switzerland and the Al Hoceima province (Morocco). A sixth demonstration in 4 EU municipalities will test advanced capabilities as communication services based on the latest developments on Site Specific Warnings, crowdsourcing techniques, artificial intelligence, SMS Cell Broadcast, and capacities to trigger actions from regional emergency and self-protection plans. The platforms will run in 6 real-time 24/7 operational demonstrations during 24 Months of the project to test them in real-time under conditions of operational use, achieving TRL 7 and 8.

Keywords: impact forecasting,sites specific warning,multi risk impact based early warning system mr iews eu platform
Design rules for disruptive spintronic materials based on coordination networks (SpinQc)

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: Italy
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-03-28
End date: 2028-03-27
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 193643.28
EU funding (EUR): 193643.28
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

26 EU nations have signed a declaration on 5th December 2023 to make Europe a global leader in quantum technology. Spintronics, a key component to the advancement of quantum computation, are mainly explored in inorganic solids which suffer from high density and limited chemical tunability. Through SpinQc with Politecnico di Milano as my host, I aim to develop a ‘quantitative superexchange (SE) model’ to establish new rules that go beyond classical Goodenough-Kanamori-Anderson (GKA) rules-applicable only to ceramics. These rules will explain SE mechanism mediated by ligands that interact with metals through ionic/covalent bonding in magnetic coordination polymers (CP). In SpinQc, I will study parameters such as ground spin-state of metal, frontier molecular orbital (FMO) of ligand and framework topology and their respective control over SE in magnetic CPs through the following steps- i) Synthesis of high-quality single crystals and pure powder samples of reported magnetic CPs, ii) Determination of unprecedented experimental wavefunction on CP single crystals from X-ray wavefunction refinement method using accurate high resolution single crystal X-ray diffraction data. From these experimental wavefunctions, I will determine precise number of electrons exchanged due to overlap between metal d-orbitals and ligand FMO; iii) Modification in the magnetic nature of CP upon pressure application. I will use high-pressure X-ray crystallography to investigate changes in framework topology that can affect the SE coupling and hence modifies the overall magnetic ordering. Further, I will employ high-pressure neutron diffraction to study the changes in magnetic moment under compression. I will exploit the research outcomes from SpinQc to formulate updated GKA rules and subsequently use them to design new spintronic materials. Through SpinQc, I will mark my contribution in the field of spintronics and start an independent research career in coordination network-based materials.
Performance of alkali-activated slag binder in immobilizing heavy metals (PASS)

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: Spain,Switzerland
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-08-16
End date: 2027-08-15
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 209914.56
EU funding (EUR): 209914.56
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

It is commonly known that Portland cement production causes tremendous environmental impacts. In this context, sustainable binders are desired. Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) have attracted increasing attention due to their lower embodied energy and 25-60% less CO2 emission. The most widely used precursors to synthesise AAMs are ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), fly ash and metakaolin. Among these, alkali-activated GGBFS (AAS) is the dominant class of AAMs in large-scale production. However, the availability of GGBFS is becoming limited due to the policy changes related to green transition of the iron and steel industry, which consequently impedes the commercial scale production and use of AAS. To deal with this issue, researchers are searching for alternative metallurgical slags, such as ferronickel slag, copper slag, lead-zinc slag and electrolytic manganese residue. Although many efforts have been made, the current utilization of these metallurgical slags as precursors is still restricted. One of the biggest obstacles is the considerable amounts of heavy metals (HMs) in these metallurgical slags. Effective immobilization of HMs within AAS has become a critical issue for utilizing these metallurgical slags. Against this background, we aim to determine the performance of AAS binder in immobilizing HMs under in-service conditions. The effects of slag chemistry and alkaline activator on solidification as well as ions leaching, cracking and redox condition in slag on stabilization of HMs in AAS will be elucidated. Moreover, a novel reactive-transport model considering the binder chemistry and shrinkage-induced cracking will be established for the first time to predict solidification/stabilization of HMs in AAS. The results of this project will provide a solid foundation for assessing the performance of AAS in immobilizing HMs, which is essential for the sustainable development of AAS and efficient treatment of hazardous wastes by using AAS binder.

Keywords: low carbon concrete,sustainable development,alkali activated slag,heavy metals,immobilization,reactive transport model,leaching,in service conditions,solidification stabilization mechanism
Nomad Movements and Digital Impacts in Cities (NOMADIC)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Staff Exchanges
Action type: Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions
Panel: Social Sciences and Humanities
Countries involved: Spain,Italy,Portugal,Argentina,United States,Mexico
Call: MSCA Staff Exchanges 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-SE-01, 2023)
Start date: 2025-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1389200.0
EU funding (EUR): 1389200.0
Participants: 8
Project status: SIGNED

Over the past decade, the expansion of the so-called platform economy has accelerated the digital transformation of our daily lives. At the same time, a cohort of new workers linked to these platform economies, characterized by high levels of geographical mobility, are central actors in the transformation of consumption patterns, urban lifestyles, leisure activities, and work culture in numerous cities across the globe. NOMADIC is a training and policy-oriented project involving an international, cross-sectoral, and interdisciplinary network that aims to promote an adaptive, inclusive, sustainable, and equitable urban future, thereby reducing inequality and segregation in the selected cities (and beyond). Objectives: - To understand the dynamics and impact of digital nomadism in urban environments. - To build a network of stakeholders and experts. - To develop policy guidelines and best practices to design strategies that promote sustainable and inclusive urban environments. - Provide excellent training and supervision. NOMADIC raises: a) explore and characterize the lifestyle, consumption, and everyday life of high-tech and gig workers and their connection to socio-cultural urban change; b) analyze how these new social practices are related to the platformisation of urban life; c) formulate digital-related engagement and empowerment actions for community liveability and social inclusion, seeking an adaptive, inclusive, sustainable, and equitable urban future that aims to reduce inequality and segregation. NOMADIC is an international, intersectoral, and interdisciplinary network from across Europe and the Americas that will join forces to develop a cross-cutting study that explores and understands the multiple impacts of digitalization, platformisation, and the emergence of technological nomads on urban life.

Keywords: urban environments,human geography,nomadic movements,work culture,impact digitalization,consumption habits,lifestyle choices
Photochemical Desymmetrization for Stereoselective C(sp³)-H Functionalization via HAT Catalysis (DESY-HAT)

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: Italy
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-09-01
End date: 2027-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 193643.28
EU funding (EUR): 193643.28
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

A pressing challenge in synthetic chemistry is developing sustainable methods to convert abundant feedstocks into valuable chiral products. The DESY-HAT project addresses this by pioneering new catalytic techniques, powered by visible light, to achieve stereoselective functionalization of carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds, the most ubiquitous moiety in organic molecules. Specifically, the project aims to access complex chiral molecules directly from readily available C–H substrates, including natural products, through enantioselective C–H functionalization via Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) processes. The DESY-HAT project focuses on using HAT to selectively target C(sp³)–H bonds in symmetrical and meso substrates. The resulting desymmetrization processes will provide direct access to highly enantioenriched chiral products. This innovative approach, combining HAT with enantioselective organocatalysis, is a largely unexplored frontier in the field. The project will develop HAT desymmetrization strategies and apply them for enantioselective C(sp³)–C(sp³) and C(sp³)–heteroatom bond formation. The project benefits from the Melchiorre group’s expertise in radical photochemistry and organocatalysis and will receive industrial guidance from Bayer AG Pharmaceuticals to identify suitable C–H substrates and assist with scaling up processes to practical applications. Through this interdisciplinary research, DESY-HAT will generate chiral compounds with biologically relevant frameworks, advancing the field of asymmetric synthesis while providing me with crucial skills for the next stage of my career.

Keywords: radicals,asymmetric catalysis,organocatalysis,hydrogen atom transfer,photocatalysis,desymmetrization
Sustainable Formulation of Emulsion Drops and their Spreading on Complex Surfaces (EdropSpread)

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: Physics
Countries involved: Germany
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2025-10-01
End date: 2027-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 202125.12
EU funding (EUR): 202125.12
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Pesticides are critical to enhance crop production, with global usage reaching 4.3 million tons, double the amount used in 1990. They are typically formulated as oil-in-water emulsions, where active ingredients are dissolved in oil and stabilized with surfactants to improve adhesion to plant surfaces. After deposition, the water phase of the emulsion evaporates rapidly (<1 minute), while the dispersed oil droplets coalesce to form continuous films that spread outward, a process significantly slower than evaporation. However, less than 1% of the pesticides are absorbed by biological targets, with the majority lost during wetting and spreading on leaf surfaces, contributing to substantial environmental risks. This project, aligned with the goals of the European Green Deal, aims to develop a deeper understanding of the dynamics of emulsion drops at surfaces to optimize pesticide-emulsion formulations and handling protocols, thereby increasing their efficiency. The properties of pesticide-emulsion drops at biomimetic surfaces will be explored for key variables such as surfactant concentration, oil-to-water ratio, and dispersed droplet size. The macroscopic behaviour of emulsion drops during evaporation shall be investigated by optical observations including the internal movement and coalescence of dispersed oil droplets and the formation and spreading of a nanoscopic oil layer by fluorescence microscopy and interference techniques. The microscopic properties of the tested emulsion formulation, like dynamic surface tension, micelle size, and disjoining pressure of the spreading micellar film shall be determined by methods such as dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy and force-distance curves. By quantitatively linking the nanoscopic emulsion properties to the macroscopic behaviour, a predictive model shall be developed, providing a foundation for optimizing the formulation of pesticide emulsions enhancing pesticide uptake and minimizing environmental impact.

Keywords: emulsion drop evaporation droplet coalescence thin film dynamics wetting and dewetting surfactants