Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Developmental Speed of Species-Specific Thalamocortical Synchronization (NEUROSYNC)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System
Panel description: Nervous system development, homeostasis and ageing , nervous system  function and dysfunction , systems neuroscience  and modelling , biological basis of cognitive processes and of behaviour, neurological and mental disorders – In humans and all other organisms
Countries involved: Netherlands
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2025-STG, 2025)
Start date: 2026-10-01
End date: 2031-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499941.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499941.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Developmental timing in brain formation has traditionally been studied independently across regions; however, spatial and temporal synchronization between regions is essential for the formation of functional neural circuits. In humans, the cerebral cortex develops slower, allowing for the formation of complex circuits that enhance cognitive abilities. Yet, not all brain regions follow the same developmental pace. The thalamocortical system, in particular, shows accelerated synchronization in humans, with thalamic connections reaching the subplate and cerebral cortex at early neurogenic phases. This early synchronization suggests a unique human specialization that remains largely unexplored. Such divergence may offer an extended window for distinct specializations to arise, facilitating cellular diversity and complex circuit formation, key drivers of evolutionary advantage. This raises the intriguing possibility that the thalamus, a subcortical structure, plays a critical role in driving novel specializations within the human subplate and cortex earlier than thought. Here, I aim to uncover the fundamental principles governing species-specific synchronization and developmental timing in the thalamocortical system, and their impact on human brain development. To achieve this, we will generate novel human stem cell-derived models replicating the self-emerging properties of thalamic-subplate communication. By employing multi-omic comparative approaches, we will investigate human-specific specializations and diversification of subplate dynamics, while exploring the consequences of disrupted synchronization in human and mouse models. In sum, our work will reveal the molecular and cellular consequences of accelerated thalamic-subplate synchronization in human development. This project could establish a link between altered time dynamics and neurodevelopmental disorders, offering a fresh perspective on the critical role of precise synchronization in human brain development.

Keywords: developmental neuroscience,thalamus,cerebral cortex,subplate,thalamocortical system,human evolution,brain organoids,organoid models,human specializations,human diversification,neurons
Single Metal Atom catalysts electrochemical Reduction of CO2-To-CO (SMART-CO) (SMART-CO)

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: Germany
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01, 2024)
Start date: 2026-09-01
End date: 2028-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 202125.12
EU funding (EUR): 202125.12
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Achieving net zero CO2 emissions requires replacing fossil fuel-derived precursors in the chemical industry, driving the rise of the Power-to-X electrochemical sector. CO2 can be electrochemically reduced into valuable products at cost-competitive prices. Earth abundant single metal atoms coordinated to N-doped C (M-N-C, M = Fe, Ni) can selectively reduce CO2 to CO (an important precursor to Fischer-Tropsch and fermentation), with the same activity and efficiency as current commercially used thick Ag and Au electrode. M-N-C therefore present a cheaper, accessible, and sustainable alternative. However, their practical implementation is restricted by their synthesis bottlenecks, poorly understood CO2 reduction mechanism and long term (≥100 h) degradation at practical current densities (≥200 mA cm-2). To solve these problems, I will introduce automated M-N-C synthesis innovatively adapted from the food industry. State-of-the-art operando NMR will uniquely resolve the metal cation solvation and impact on CO2 reduction, while emerging electrochemical techniques and in-situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy will probe the active site density. I will calculate catalyst lifetimes for the first time, based on the rate of active site loss, and establish catalyst properties limiting stability. I will use these insights to develop an accelerated stress test for M-N-Cs in CO2 electrolysers, facilitating faster screening and establishing a benchmarking tool for academia and industry. Thus, the proposed project will solve the three major challenges of catalyst scalability, selectivity, and stability and would equip me with scientific, technical and managerial skills to become a leading independent researcher in electrochemical technologies. The world-leading M-N-C synthesis, reaction mechanism expertise and state-of-the-art equipment available with Dr. Fellinger (host); and the wide scientific community at BAM, provide a synergistic environment to successfully host my project.

Keywords: electrochemical co2 reduction,operando characterisation,electrocatalysis,electrolyzer,degradation
New physics in parity violation. From the Thomson limit to the energy frontier (Zeptometry)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Advanced grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Fundamental Constituents of Matter
Panel description: Particle, nuclear, plasma, atomic, molecular, gas, and optical physics
Countries involved: France,Germany
Call: ERC ADVANCED GRANTS (ERC-2023-ADG, 2023)
Start date: 2024-10-01
End date: 2029-09-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 3202849.0
EU funding (EUR): 3202849.0
Participants: 3
Project status: SIGNED

The theory of elementary particle physics, the Standard Model (SM), provides a successful description of the basic constituents of matter and the forces acting between them. However, it explains only about 15 % of the total mass in the universe, not accounting for the dark matter postulated in the face of astrophysical and cosmological data. The study of the universe at large shows that our theory of the smallest entities of Nature must be extended. In the absence of a direct observation of new particles it becomes increasingly important to determine the parameters of the SM with the highest possible precision, as new particles and forces would modify their values through quantum effects. The existence of the W and Z bosons, and later the top quark, the tau neutrino, and the Higgs boson - the ultimate discovery of the SM - were all inferred from precision measurements before their direct observations. A cornerstone parameter of the SM is the so-called weak mixing angle, which relates different sectors of the theory and is particularly sensitive to new physics. The objective of this project is to greatly improve its determination, at energy scales spanning four orders of magnitude, combining information from the LHC with low-energy data from the MESA accelerator. Detector techniques developed for the LHC will be used to optimise the measurements at low energy. The combination of all measurements will test the energy dependence of the weak mixing angle, below the Z peak, on the resonance, and for the first time above the Z, towards the weak scale. Reaching these objectives requires improving theoretical predictions in the SM beyond the current state of the art, reducing the associated uncertainties. The simultaneous interpretation of the weak mixing angle determinations at all energies will test the SM, and probe new physics with sensitivity to mass scales ranging from 70 MeV up to the order of 100 TeV, corresponding to length scales of a zeptometer.
Diverse Knowledges and Sensing Practices in Peatlands for Inclusive Climate Futures (PEATSENSE)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: The Soci al World and Its Interactions
Panel description: Sociology, social psychology, education  sciences , communication  studies
Countries involved: United Kingdom
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2024-COG, 2024)
Start date: 2025-05-01
End date: 2030-04-30
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2223255.0
EU funding (EUR): 2223255.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

PEATSENSE will devise and test a ground-breaking approach to decision-making in peatland sites designated priority areas in recent climate assessments, redefining the meaning and practices of inclusion for future global climate mitigation. The project is contextualised by an important ecological challenge: we now know that although peatlands cover only 3-4% of the earth’s surface, they hold 33% of its carbon reserves. Following paradigm-shifting findings in biophysical research on the role of peatlands in the global carbon cycle, a suite of policy pathways and governance initiatives have been proposed to incentivise and monitor peatland conservation. However, many of the proposed interventions have been shaped without a clear understanding of why and how ecological degradation occurs in the first place, or how interventions will affect those living in and near peatlands. By imagining peatlands as places without people, or as inaccessible sites people do not depend upon, policymakers frame the problem of peatland conservation as a technical one. Yet the question of how to conserve peatlands is political because it is a matter of ‘who gets to decide’ how environments are managed, and in whose interests. Multinational corporations and banking institutions are major players in the investment packages on the table, and private investors stand to gain considerably from new governmental subsidies. Meanwhile, even ‘nature-based’ restoration practices such as rewetting impact on local agricultural and cultural practices in important ways. PEATSENSE will provide the missing investigation into the politics of knowledge surrounding peatland conservation to combat social exclusion and diversify decision-making processes. By analysing configurations of climate expertise in relation to proposed interventions, this project will model processes for valuing Local and Indigenous knowledge in climate futures and redefine inclusion for future mitigation strategies.

Keywords: peatlands,climate mitigation,biodiversity conservation,climate justice
Tunable Interactions in 2-dimensional Materials for Quantum Matter and Light (TuneInt2Quantum)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Consolidator grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Condensed Matter Physics
Panel description: Structure, electronic properties, fluids, nanosciences, biological physics
Countries involved: Germany
Call: ERC CONSOLIDATOR GRANTS (ERC-2021-COG, 2021)
Start date: 2023-11-01
End date: 2028-10-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2597500.0
EU funding (EUR): 2597500.0
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Interactions amongst a macroscopic number of constituents leads to emergent, collective phenomena such as magnetism and superconductivity. Quantum confinement enhances interactions between electrons leading to a wide variety of many-body quantum phases. Atomically thin layered materials such as monolayer semiconductors are prime candidates to study the effect of interactions due to extreme quantum confinement. Moreover, they offer unique features such as heterostructure assembly aided by van der Waals interactions allowing for engineered electronic properties. Recently, electronic transport measurements have uncovered correlated electronic phases such as Mott-insulator and superconductors in heterostructures of seemingly ordinary semiconductors such as MoSe2 and WSe2. This begs the question whether correlated phases of optical excitations such as excitons can be realized in such heterostructures. In addition to being generated on demand, such out-of-equilibrium phases should have a richer phase diagram. Moreover, correlations amongst optical excitations could translate to emission of non-classical light. Despite these attractive features, a solid-state system which exploits all the aforementioned properties is currently lacking. This proposal aims to realize a versatile 2D materials platform with tunable attractive and repulsive interactions amongst optical excitations and use it create spontaneously ordered phases such as excitonic ferromagnet and dipolar crystals. We will also explore these phases for exotic light generation. Finally, we will exploit the interplay between strong interactions and the underlying geometry and topology of electronic states to hunt for elusive topological correlated phases such as fractional quantum Hall states of excitons. The achievement of these objectives will uncover design-principles for exotic quantum phases and enable the discovery of novel quantum matter and light – a fundamental goal of condensed matter physics.

Keywords: 2d materials,van der waals materials,light matter interactions,excitons,optical spectroscopy,semiconductor optics,interacting photons,many body interactions of optical excitations
Decarbonized Titanium Recovery from Aluminium and Titanium Production Residues (EURO-TITAN)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Digital, Industry and Space
Theme: Industry
Destination: Increased Autonomy in Key Strategic Value Chains for Resilient Industry
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Germany,Bosnia and Herzegovina,France,Greece,Netherlands,Türkiye,Cyprus,Poland,Switzerland
Call: Innovative technologies for sustainable and decarbonised extraction (RIA) (HORIZON-CL4-2023-RESILIENCE-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2027-12-31
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 6062561.67
EU funding (EUR): 4999995.07
Participants: 18
Project status: SIGNED

EURO-TITAN will be a pioneer in unlocking continuous Ti resources from metallurgical waste streams from alumina and Ti-dioxide production, developing 54 ktpy of Ti metal making Europe totally independent from Russian Ti-metal sponges imports crucial for alloy production in the transport and medical sectors. On this purpose an industrial driven consortium gaining experience from previous and ongoing projects for metals exctraction from industrial wastes (Scavanger,Scale, Scale Up,Valore) will develop a >90% lower CO2 emission (compared to the conventional Kroll process which produces 10tn per tn of Ti) green hydrogen sourced(ref-hyd) direct Ti reduction process will be scaled to demonstration in the industrial environment at the Bosnian Al-plant to produce tailor-made Ti-metal products for ingots or alloying. Our Ti-metal price will be 15% lower compared to imported ones (rough estimate 6800 €/t Ti compared to current prices from Russia and China at 8500 €/t). Process optimization will be achieved through integration of inline-real time data monitoring, establishing repository of high-quality and trusted datasets, and embedding Artificial Intelligence. This will lead to a 10% reduction of on-site energy and water consumption, while at the same time minimizing production interruption. Finally, circularity is ensured, as the remaining residues are converted into innovative (30% lower co2 emissions compared to cement based) construction materials while water will be recycled, and excess heat energy will serve local households.

Keywords: ti extraction,low emissions,close loop process
Vertical Seed-biopriming by Selected Endophyte Community Transmission (VertiSeed SelECT)

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: 2025-09-01
End date: 2028-02-29
Duration (months): 30.0
Total project cost (EUR): 325434.9
EU funding (EUR): 325434.9
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Global crop yield losses caused by fungal pathogens are estimated to range from 10% to 20%, amounting to $100-$200 billion per annum. The widespread use of fungicides has a significant negative impact on the environment, and the growing resistance to fungicides is further exacerbating the problem. Adopting sustainable agricultural practices is crucial for effectively combating fungal pathogens while also remaining environmentally friendly. Natural microbiome-based anti-fungal approaches are both more sustainable and less subject to development of fungal resistance. As an MSCA PostDoc Fellow, Dr. Aqueel will investigate the Brassica microbiome in Dr. Devlin’s lab at Royal Holloway University of London. The microbiomes of susceptible and resistant cultivars have different microbial communities and metabolic pathways, reflecting disease resistance mechanisms. Through disease incidence assays we will isolate Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) responsible for the disease suppressing capabilities combating fungal pathogens like Alternaria and Fusarium. As the main outcome of our research, we present a novel strategy for application of these PGPB SynComs via vertical transmission as endophytes, developing stable bio-primed seeds. The researcher will also receive training under a 6-month non-academic placement at Tozer Seeds Ltd where extensive field trials will test the efficacy of these bio-primed seeds in the field as well as their stability and seed storage stability. Dr. Aqueel has an outstanding research track record, publishing in well-reputed international journals, presenting internationally and developing long-term collaborations. Dr Devlin has extensive experience in the field of plant-microbiome interaction as well as in mentoring early career professionals. In addition to developing ground-breaking innovation, the experience gained by the researcher at RHUL and Tozer Seeds Ltd. will greatly benefit her in her future career in industry and academia.

Keywords: plant microbiome,sustainable agriculture,disease suppression,vertical transmission,alternaria,fusarium
ICE³: Modelling the global multi-century evolution of glacier ICE in 3D (ice cubed)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Earth System Science
Panel description: Physical geography, geo logy, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, climatology, cryology, ecology, global environmental change, biogeochemical cycles, natural resources management
Countries involved: Belgium
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2023-STG, 2023)
Start date: 2024-01-01
End date: 2028-12-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1496941.0
EU funding (EUR): 1496941.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Glaciers are key contributors to sea-level rise and are critical water resources that supply fresh water to hundreds of millions of people around the world. It is therefore of paramount importance to accurately simulate the future evolution of these precious ice bodies. Despite recent progress in modelling the global evolution of glaciers, existing simulations suffer from vast uncertainties related to (i) model input, (ii) a simplified representation of glacier processes, and (iii) an important mismatch between the timescales over which models are calibrated (multi-annual to decadal) and those over which the future glacier projections occur (century timescale). ICE³ will revolutionise the regional- to global-scale modelling of glaciers, by (i) strongly reducing uncertainties in model input through innovative inversion of climatic information, (ii) developing new approaches to model glacier processes in 3D, and (iii) for the first time simulating past glacier evolution globally over centennial time scales with an ice-dynamic model. These improvements will culminate in new global glacier evolution projections under a range of future emission scenarios, which will in turn inform the next generation of sea-level rise and water availability projections. While redefining the landscape of large-scale glacier modelling, ICE³ will also ensure that the novelties it produces are incorporated in climate change impact models to guide policymakers and practitioners in adapting to a changing environment.

Keywords: glacier climate change modelling
Temperature-responsive microsensors for kinetic selectivity toward atmospheric CO2 in functional porous materials. (TRACE)

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: Belgium
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): 200400.0
EU funding (EUR): 200400.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Rapid industrialization and urbanization have resulted in escalated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and other toxic gas levels, contributing to ambient and household air pollution. Aligned with the United Nations SDG-3 (good health and wellbeing), SDG-3.9 (substantial reduction in deaths and illnesses from air pollution) and EUMission: adaptation to climate change, developing efficient gas sensors to monitor indoor as well as outdoor air quality is a global priority. Current technologies including spectral, chemical and electrochemical sensors suffer from poor selectivity, long-term stability and high-energy footprints. These pitfalls foster the search for alternative energy-efficient sensing techniques that offer a robust and universal gas detection mechanism with long-durability. Development of underexplored functionalized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and derived sensory-platforms have the potential to provide a better solution for efficient monitoring of atmospheric CO2 levels via sustainable adsorption/desorption cycles. By bridging the differential gas diffusion properties in MOF pores and emerging microfabrication technique, the TRACE project will develop a new sensing methodology and fabricate a novel micro-sensor device for selective gas sensing. Via a novel temperature-step approach to realize out-of-equilibrium conditions will lead to benchmark CO2 detection, stemming from kinetic selectivity of the sensor. The TRACE project bridges the candidate's strong background in porous materials with the host group's extensive experience in microfabrication, making it a feasible undertaking. Long-term career goal set at being a world leader in Sensing and Purification Chemistry, this fellowship will be decisive for me to achieve academic independence, aided by research career startup grants leading to tenure track professorships within EU.

Keywords: metal organic frameworks,co2 sensing,gas sensing,micro sensors,kinetic diffusion