Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
What quantum gravity teaches us about the origin of the universe: Extension of early universe cosmology by using non-perturbative quantum gravity. (COSMOLOGY FROM QG)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF, 2013)
Start date: 2014-10-01
End date: 2016-09-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221606.4
EU funding (EUR): 221606.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This project connects two seemingly distinct areas of theoretical physics, non-perturbative quantum gravity and early universe cosmology. Using techniques the applicant has recently developed with his collaborators, nearly homogeneous universes like ours can be described as states in a full quantum gravity theory (group field theory). The effective dynamics of these universes will be calculated and compared with existing cosmological theories such as inflation, varying speed of light cosmologies, or loop quantum cosmology. The new approach has several advantages: First, the use of a certain cosmological model is motivated much better if it can be derived from a fundamental quantum gravity theory. Second, it seems quantum gravity is needed to complete the standard cosmological models, since cosmological perturbations that we see in cosmic structure today started out with wavelengths smaller than the Planck length before inflation, where quantum gravity cannot be ignored. Third, a fundamental theory of quantum gravity will provide a new picture of the beginning of space and time at the Big Bang; one possibility is that the Big Bang singularity in classical cosmology could be replaced by a phase transition from a pre-geometric quantum phase to a geometric classical phase. This would revolutionise our ideas about the origin of the universe. The project has a great potential for outreach and for attracting the public and sponsors to physics. It also has the potential to start a new line of research at the interface of quantum gravity and cosmology of which Europe will be at the forefront. The applicant brings in his experience from postdoctoral training in Germany and Canada and will receive further important training in order to establish himself as a leading figure in these new developments in Europe.

Keywords: early universe cosmology,non-perturbative quantum gravity,lorentz violation in cosmology,alternatives to inflation,group field theory,phase transitions in the early universe
Morphology and Molecular Packing in Polymer-Nanocrystal Hybrid Solar Cells Revealed with Synchrotron X-ray Characterization and Other Techniques (HYBRIDSOLAR)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Spain
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IIF, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2016-02-29
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 173370.6
EU funding (EUR): 173370.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Polymer-nanocrystal hybrid solar cells offer promise as a low-cost alternative to traditional solar cells due to their potential to combine the advantages of organic and inorganic materials to produce lightweight, flexible, and high-performance solar cells using low-cost solution processing. This project, which includes the first detailed synchrotron study of polymer-nanocrystal hybrid solar cells, will advance the understanding and performance of hybrid solar cells by demonstrating control of molecular packing and morphology in hybrid solar cells, correlating molecular packing and morphology with solar-cell properties and performance, and using the obtained knowledge to fabricate high-efficiency solar cells. The results will be of interest to researchers in a variety of fields and will be published in a series of high-impact journal articles and presented at materials science and chemistry conferences. The researcher will join the Solution-Processed Nanophotonic Devices (SPNP) group led by Professor Gerasimos Konstantatos at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Castelldefels, Spain to complete this project. The SPNP group, an interdisciplinary team of physicists, chemists, and engineers, will share its knowledge of the design, synthesis, and modification of nanocrystals with the researcher. The researcher has extensive experience with organic solar cells and synchrotron characterization due to her research at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) as a PhD candidate at Stanford University and a postdoctoral researcher at Robert Bosch, LLC. The researcher will use her experience to perform the host group’s first synchrotron experiments and form lasting collaborations with SSRL and ALBA, a third generation synchrotron source less than 40 km from ICFO.

Keywords: solar cells,hybrid organic-inorganic materials,conjugated polymers,nanocrystals,morphology,atomic packing,synchrotron x-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,atomic force microscopy
Elucidating pathways from hereditary Alzheimer mutations to pathological tau phenotypes (APPTOTAU)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Outgoing Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IOF, 2013)
Start date: 2015-01-01
End date: 2018-05-31
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 270312.9
EU funding (EUR): 270312.9
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, manifested by a progressive loss of synaptic connectivity, neuronal death and memory impairment. AD affects 1 out of 10 Europeans aged over 65. There are no effective therapies for AD, in part because there is no proven molecular explanation of the steps leading from initial neuronal changes to synaptic defects and cognitive consequences. The two major hallmarks of AD pathology, Abeta plaque deposition and neurofibrillary tangles, arise from increased proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and microtubule destabilization due to tau hyperphosphorylation, respectively. Recent data indicates that generation of a beta-C-terminal fragment (b-CTF) of APP acts as a signalling event that induces tau phosphorylation and pathological redistribution of tau from axons to dendrites of neurons. This proposal tests the contribution of proteolytic APP processing, tau phosphorylation and synaptic dysfunction to AD in a human disease-relevant system using neurons generated from human induced-pluripotent stem cells (hIPSC) of AD patients. This hypothesis will be addressed by the following objectives 1) identifying the trafficking and signalling events that control b-CTF to tau signalling 2) define molecular interventions that inhibit b-CTF to tau signalling 3) asses downstream effects of b-CTF induced tau-phosphorylation on tau redistribution, dendritic function and synaptic connectivity. I will use state of the art microscopy and biochemical analysis combined with a short-hairpin screening approach in established neuronal lines (hereditary AD patient neurons) to identify key pathways involved in abnormal tau phosphorylation, and molecular and electrophysiological techniques to asses dendrite function and synaptic connectivity. This project will contribute to a better understanding of molecular events in AD pathogenesis and will potentially identify novel molecular targets for the treatment of AD.

Keywords: alzheimer,neurodegeneration,induced pluripotent stem cell,synaptic connectivity,axon,dendrite,microtubule,short-hairpin screening,tau,neurofibrillary tangles,app,neurobiology,cell biology
Increasing safety of offshore wind turbines operation: Study of the violent wave loads (SAFEMILLS)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF, 2013)
Start date: 2014-04-24
End date: 2016-04-23
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 309235.2
EU funding (EUR): 309235.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The use of offshore wind turbines in coastal zones is the most promising method for clean energy production from the environment. They amplify the advantages of land based turbines due to the greater wind potential in the unprotected coasts and the vast areas of coastlines, whilst, in addition, avoid the disadvantages associated with deep water installations at the open sea (e.g. wind turbines mounted on Tension Leg Platforms) such as difficult accession, costly maintenance, lengthy cabling etc. Shallow water installations however involve a significant risk that originates from breaking wave trains at decreasing depths. This is the only devastating impact which might threaten the integrity of the pillars and hence it must be properly investigated. Wind turbine pillars can be considered as slender structures, the hydrodynamics of which for years has been investigated by simplistic methods, such as Morison’s formula that was developed in fifties and admittedly is not valid always. The existing studies often ignore the all-important violent impact due to breaking waves. The present project aims at enhancing the existing state-of-the-art by proposing the deep and comprehensive investigation of the three-dimensional water impact problem for vertical wind turbine pillars using approaches such as Wagner’s theory and the steep wave slamming concept. The goal of the involved scientists is to extend the research on the task by considering alternative structural bases for wind turbines such as truss type structures which further enhance the advantages of offshore wind turbines due to the lower construction cost, easier removal, repair and maintenance, increased safety, accession of deeper fields etc. To this end, a novel approach will be adopted that relies on the slamming impact on perforated structures. The expected theories, formulations and solution methods will be generic and in that sense will be versatile allowing their employment to a range of water impact problems.

Keywords: wind turbines,sustainable resources,safety,coastlines,slamming impact,breaking waves,truss structures,perforated structures,wagner-steep impacts,nonlinear dynamics,overturning moments
Conservation and Ecosystem Services In the New biodiversity Economy (CESINE)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-15
End date: 2016-08-02
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 299558.4
EU funding (EUR): 299558.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

The overarching project aim is to analyse how biodiversity conservation in the EU is being reconstructed around the measurement of the economic values of nature using the UK as a case study. The project will address three key research gaps: a) the limited amount of interdisciplinary research on recent trends in market environmentalism to recognize and describe the values of ecosystems and biodiversity, (b) the fact that the UK’s global lead in the application of a market-based approach to conservation is under-researched, and (c) the limited amount of critical empirical research in the developed world and especially the EU. The project will describe the regulatory framework and science underpinning the establishment of an ecosystem services framework and biodiversity offsets in the UK and identify their social and conservation outcomes. It will explain how the establishment of these policies is interlinked with governance rescaling processes influencing the distribution of conservation costs and benefits while analyzing how different actors are enrolled into these policy developments. The result will be evidence-based recommendations for the preconditions and sustainability of the biodiversity economy creating insights into the development of social-ecologically resilient policies. The theoretical approach involves biological and social sciences drawing on the interdisciplinary field of political ecology. The methodological approach is based on social science research methods. This project is innovative with potential to transform interdisciplinary scholarship and policy at what may well be a critical point of cultural transformation in conceptions about relationships between humans and the non-human world, their value, management and governance. The variety and quality of the competencies that the Researcher will acquire will have a major impact on reaching a position of professional maturity and research independence inside and outside academia.

Keywords: ecosystem services,biodiversity offsetting,biodiversity governance,green economy,biodiversity conservation policy,market-based instruments,neoliberalization of nature,political ecology
Novel minimal-damage steel seismic-resistant frame (MINDAMSEISMICFR)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF, 2013)
Start date: 2014-03-01
End date: 2016-02-29
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 221606.4
EU funding (EUR): 221606.4
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Conventional seismic-resistant structures are designed to experience significant damage in structural members and residual storey drifts under moderate-to-strong earthquakes. The losses associated with damage and residual storey drifts are repair costs and costly downtime during which the building is repaired and cannot be used or occupied. Under very strong rare earthquakes, conventional structures may be also vulnerable to collapse (life safety issue). In addition, past earthquakes showed significant damage in non-structural elements (walls, storage racks, acceleration-sensitive medical equipment, etc) due to large storey drifts and total floor accelerations. The aforementioned socio-economic risks highlight the need for minimal-damage structures with increased collapse resistance and the inherent potential to reduce structural and non-structural damage. The ambitious main objective of the proposal is the development of a novel minimal-damage steel frame that has the potential to: (a) address all the disadvantages of previously developed seismic-resistant steel frames; (b) experience minimal damage that can be rapidly repaired, and so, offer immediate return to building use or occupation after strong earthquakes; and (c) eliminate the probability of collapse (i.e., protection of human life) under very strong rare earthquakes. The project will develop fundamental knowledge, design details and criteria, and performance-based seismic design methods for the proposed novel steel frame by conducting state-of-the-art integrated experimental and analytical research. The project directly responds to the global need of societies for structures which are less vulnerable to earthquakes; drastically reduces the economic losses related to repair of structural and non-structural seismic damage; and eliminates barriers towards the widespread implementation of minimal-damage structures which are often thought of as being at the high-tech end of earthquake engineering.

Keywords: earthquakes,seismic design,steel structures,self-centering,dampers,post-tensioning
Sustainable Asymmetric Catalysis with Iron (ASYMM.FE.SUSCAT)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF, 2013)
Start date: 2014-04-01
End date: 2016-05-15
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 175974.6
EU funding (EUR): 175974.6
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

This proposal addresses a clearly urgent need to develop novel homogeneous catalysts for the asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones with hydrogen gas, as a green, energy- and cost-efficient alternative to the currently used protocols. Instead of precious metals, we attempt to utilize transition metal complexes based on environmentally benign, inexpensive and non-toxic iron. First examples in the asymmetric hydrogenation using iron complexes are a promising indication that efficient systems might in principle become viable with further catalyst development and by careful selection of ligands and reaction conditions. Based on an extensive initial catalyst screening, well-defined complexes of two different classes will be designed and synthetized: 1) Complexes of general formula [Fe(P-P)(N-N)X2], which feature two bidentate ligands structurally related to the known PNNP tetradentate systems; 2) Piano-stool Fe complexes containing pendant H-donor groups as well as strongly electron-donating chiral carbene ligands. Recognizing and addressing the expected challenges, mainly related to transitioning from precious metals such as ruthenium or rhodium to a first row alternative will largely contribute to the basic scientific knowledge in this field. The most promising catalysts will be subsequently applied in the transformation of biomass-derived ketones originating from the oxidative disassembly of lignin, therefore this proposal offers various multidisciplinary aspects while relying on solid background in classical asymmetric catalysis. In case of success this research will contribute to the transition towards a sustainable society in multiple ways.

Keywords: asymmetric hydrogenation,sustainable catalysis,iron complexes,homogeneous catalysis,biomass derived substrates,chirality
Twinned Enzymatic and Metal CATalysis - Overcoming bottlenecks in the electrocatalysis of the carbon and nitrogen cycles (TEAMCAT)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Intra-European Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF, 2013)
Start date: 2014-04-01
End date: 2016-03-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 231283.2
EU funding (EUR): 231283.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Electrocatalysis is a branch of catalysis dealing with the enhancement of chemical reactions occurring at an electrode (known as electrocatalyst). Electrocatalytic materials are designed to overcome reaction bottlenecks affecting the kinetics (sluggish reaction rate), and to steer selectivity to the desired product(s). Transition metals and enzymes have been widely investigated as individual electrocatalysts. The aim of TEAMCat is to tap into the synergistic catalytic effect of metals and enzymes by designing a twinned catalyst, in the form of metal nanoparticles and enzymes co-deposited on carbon. The twinned catalysts will act as in a relay: the selected enzyme will produce in situ the substrate of the metal catalyst, thus sidestepping the rate-determining step of the latter. This cascade action is expected to accelerate the overall reaction rate. In parallel, mechanistic studies are crucial in pinpointing the molecular basis of electrocatalysis. In this respect, TEAMCat aims to investigate the reaction intermediates and products by combining electrochemistry with infrared spectroscopy. This will exploit a specific IR configuration (ATR-IR) for addressing carbon supported catalysts, developed in the Vincent group for immobilised biocatalysts, and now extended to supported metal nanoparticles. Not only will the project provide mechanistic insight, but the extension of this technique will represent significant progress in terms of the in situ study of supported electrocatalysts, such as those applied in fuel cells. The first reaction targeted by TEAMCat will be electrocatalytic nitrate reduction, which plays a key role in environmental chemistry, since electrocatalysis is a promising tool for the remediation of nitrate-laden water. After showing proof-of-concept twinned catalysis, TEAMCat will move on to investigate the catalysis of carbon dioxide reduction, aiming to make further inroads to efficient conversion of the greenhouse gas into useful hydrocarbons.

Keywords: electrocatalysis,biocatalysis,in situ infrared spectroscopy,supported electrocatalysts,bioelectrochemistry,water treatment,co2 fixation,nitrate reduction
Spark Plasma Sintering Nanostructured Thermoelectric Sulphides (NANOTESULPHIDE)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: International Incoming Fellowships
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IIF, 2013)
Start date: 2014-07-31
End date: 2016-07-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 309235.2
EU funding (EUR): 309235.2
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Thermoelectric (TE) power generation, which offers potential for converting waste industrial heat into useful electricity, is foreseen to become increasingly important in the near future because of the need for alternative energy sources. How big this role is likely to be depends not only on the efficiency of TE materials but also on the crustal abundance and toxicity of their raw materials. BiSbTe intermetallic compounds, PbTe and SiGe alloys have served as the most widely used TE materials in the past half century. However, the key constituent elements, such as Te (0.001 ppm by weight), Sb (0.2 ppm), and Ge (1.4 ppm) are rare in the Earth’s crust, and Te and Pb are toxic. In this project, TE sulphides operating in the medium temperature ranges, instead of tellurides are chosen as the research starting point to explore TE materials with high figure of merit zT, which requires higher Seebeck coefficient, higher electrical conductivity, and lower thermal conductivity. A combination of band structure engineering and nanostructuring will be simultaneously investigated as an effective approach for improving TE performance. We will identify promising optimized compositions and sinter powders by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) to produce three kinds of TE metal (Cu, Bi, Ti) sulphides. Also, grain size and morphology controllable bulk nanomaterials will be fabricated by nonequilibrium routes, for example, melt spinning or mechanical alloying followed by SPS. The main objective of this work is to develop high performance nanostructured TE sulphides and modules to replace current commercial materials that use costly, scarce and toxic elements. Moreover, this project will help to clarify the physical mechanisms behinds the two strategies, band structure engineering and nanostructuring. The effect of thermodynamic process of the nonequilibrium preparation route on the electrical and thermal properties will be studied and the mechanisms involved will be established.

Keywords: thermoelectric material,sulphide,band structure engineering,nanostructure,transport property,spark plasma sintering,melt spinning