Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-informations-sur-les-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
MOBILISE: A novel and green mobile One Health laboratory for (re-)emerging infectious disease outbreaks (MOBILISE)

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: Germany,Austria,Greece,Romania,Estonia
Call: Fast deployed mobile laboratories to enhance situational awareness for pandemics and emerging infectious diseases (HORIZON-CL3-2021-DRS-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-10-01
End date: 2025-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 4379848.0
EU funding (EUR): 3999891.25
Participants: 9
Project status: SIGNED

Mobile laboratories are becoming increasingly important for quick response to epidemic outbreaks in remote areas. Due to climate change and rising temperatures, emerging arboviruses (Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, West Nile Virus, Rift Valley fever, Dengue fever) are finding their way into Europe through arthropod vectors (mosquitoes, ticks), and are becoming a major public health concern. Optimally monitoring zoonotic outbreaks requires a "One Health" approach, in which not only human, but also animal and environmental samples are analysed, as close as possible to the vectors' habitat. Also returning travellers might carry haemorrhagic Ebola/Marburg virus or respiratory pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. A survey of existing European mobile laboratory capacity revealed several shortcomings: of 193 labs, 66% were civilian, 88% were exclusively for human diagnostics, with 11% having an accredited quality management system, and only 3% had the highest bio-safety level BSL-4 needed for (haemorrhagic) arbovirus handling. MOBILISE aims to close this diagnostic gap, by developing a novel, quality-assured, mobile One Health laboratory solution, to provide BSL-4 capacity to many European countries. It will receive human/animal/environmental samples for molecular diagnostics, serology, microbiology, and host a whole genome sequencing platform for pathogen discovery and epidemiological analysis. We will further develop novel rapid diagnostic tests for BSL-3/4 pathogens, and produce results in machine-readable form. A novel AI-based "Emergency Operating Centre and Decision Support System" software will assist end-users in coordinating MOBILISE fleets across Europe and manage outbreaks in real-time. Hosted on an electric/hybrid truck platform, and using solar and wind-energy, it will also reduce CO2 emissions in compliance with the European Green Deal. The lab will be field-tested to TRL-7 by National agencies and first-responders in Austria, Romania, Greece and Africa.

Keywords: arbovirus,emerging infectious diseases,bsl 4
Investigating the contribution of vanadium nitrogen fixation in ombrotrophic peatlands and their drivers in the present and in the past (VanaPEAT)

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: Environment and Geosciences
Countries involved: France
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-06-01
End date: 2026-05-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 211754.88
EU funding (EUR): 211754.88
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Ombrotrophic peatlands are important carbon sinks and sources of greenhouse gases. The evolution of peatlands with global environmental change will depend on the availability of new nitrogen (N), which enters these ecosystems mainly through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Recent research has demonstrated the emerging role of vanadium (V)-based BNF in complementing the canonical molybdenum-requiring process; it supports N input in high latitude areas, questioning our estimates of N input fluxes and our understanding of the interaction between macro and micronutrients in terrestrial biomes. The role of V-based N fixation and its control in the present and past of peatland ecosystems has yet to be unveiled. VanaPEAT will address these critical questions by using peat cores as an archive of the interaction between essential trace metal molybdenum and vanadium and nitrogen cycling in the Anthropocene (last 400 years) and the Holocene. We will first investigate modern-day contributions and trace metal controls over N cycling in ombrotrophic peatland environments using isotopic geochemical methodologies I helped develop. We will then determine past fluctuations in Mo and V availability to peatlands and their human, geological, and climatic origins using peat cores spanning periods up to the last glacial maximum (last 30,000 years). Finally, we will investigate new isotopic proxies to track the contribution of V to BNF and link the fluctuations in metal deposition with V-supported N input along the Holocene. VanaPEAT will transform our understanding of the N cycle in present and past peatland ecosystems and ameliorate our projection for the terrestrial carbon sink during global environmental change. It will investigate the earliest impact of human civilization and industry on natural ecosystems and inform policy decisions related to peatland conservation. VanaPEAT will diversify the applicant's research and help him re-integrate into European institutions.
Novel bio-inspired energy harvesting and storage all-in-one platform for implantable devices based on peptide nanotechnology (PepZoPower)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Israel,Italy
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS2 (ERC-2022-POC2, 2022)
Start date: 2022-12-01
End date: 2024-11-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 165000.0
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: CLOSED

Over the past decades, implantable biomedical systems have greatly advanced, offering previously unavailable therapeutic options for millions of patients worldwide. Such applications most commonly utilize conventional lithium-ion batteries as the energy source. However, while readily providing adequate energetic performance, lithium-ion batteries are inflexible, rigid, may contain toxic substances, and require periodic replacement surgeries due to their limited capacity, posing both health risks and an economical burden. Here, aiming to address these issues, we will develop PepZoPower, a biocompatible energy harvesting, and storage device designed for biomedical applications. Energy harvesting will be facilitated by highly-efficient piezoelectric peptide-based assemblies allowing to harvest mechanical energy from the human body and convert it into electric energy. The harvested mechanical energy will be stored by a biocompatible peptide-based supercapacitor, thus giving rise to an autonomous, miniaturized, controllable, and biocompatible power device with adequate performance and mechanical properties. This ambitious goal will be achieved by utilizing our patent-protected piezoelectric and energy storage peptide-based supramolecular structures, to be incorporated into an integrated device. The performance of each layer will be optimized and the integrated PepZoPower device will be validated to verify efficient incorporation of the two components. We envision the breakthrough PepZoPower technology to serve as the basis for the next leap toward biocompatible, soft, miniaturized, light-weight and morphologically-controllable implantable devices. This will pave the way towards post-project commercial exploitation of the PepZoPower system, which will be further developed by a spin-off company to be integrated into implantable devices ranging from cardiac defibrillators to spinal cords stimulators, opening a huge market opportunity for this radically new technology.
Light-driven Catalytic Processes for the Stereoselective Functionalisation of C(sp3)-H Bonds (LIGHT-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,Germany
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01, 2023)
Start date: 2024-07-01
End date: 2026-06-30
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 188590.08
EU funding (EUR): 188590.08
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

One pressing challenge is to develop new sustainable processes to convert abundant chemicals into added-value chiral products, thus using natural resources responsibly. The LIGHT-HAT project seeks to provide solutions by developing innovative stereoselective transformations that use abundant substrates, including feedstock and naturally occurring molecules. We will achieve this goal by combining advanced concepts of asymmetric catalysis, such as metal-based cross coupling and organocatalysis, with photochemistry. Specifically, we will directly functionalise carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds (the most abundant moiety in organic molecules) to enable one-step access to complex chiral molecules from readily available C-H substrates, including alkanes and natural products. To achieve this, we will use light-activated catalysts that, via Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) mechanisms, can selectively activate strong unactivated C(sp3)–H bonds at sites that are unreactive for traditional methods. The project will benefit from a collaboration with Bayer AG, which will aid in identifying suitable biologically-relevant C-H substrates to be employed in the developed processes. The planned research combines perfectly the fellow’s experience in metal catalysis and radical chemistry with the host’s experience in light-triggered asymmetric processes. LIGHT-HAT brings a new industrial collaboration to the host institution and transfers knowledge of advanced techniques in asymmetric organocatalysis and photochemistry to the candidate”, contributing to sustainability and European excellence. An ambitious training program will transfer several new scientific and soft skills to the applicant. The project’s intersectorial nature will broaden the fellow’s competencies and place him in a competitive position for his next career move.

Keywords: radicals,asymmetric catalysis,organocatalysis,hydrogen atom transfer
Bridging the Games Research-Practice Gap through Theory Translation (THEORYCRAFT)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Computer Science and Informatics
Panel description: Informatics and information systems, computer science, scientific computing, intelligent systems
Countries involved: Denmark
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2021-STG, 2021)
Start date: 2022-09-01
End date: 2027-08-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1471056.0
EU funding (EUR): 1471056.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

How can theory inform design practice? This question is among the grand challenges in both Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and games research. Despite numerous efforts to bridge the research-practice gap, the two poles seem irreconcilable. Instead of a robust and generalizable knowledge base to tackle foundational problems around technology use, cumulative knowledge building is impeded by weak empirical studies and rampant theoretical misconceptions. Instead of providing practitioners with useful theory-based insights, research results often remain too abstract and not sufficiently actionable to be adopted into design practice. THEORYCRAFT tackles this conundrum by means of theory translation, demonstrating how theory needs to be transformed and specified to bridge research and design practice. Building on the PI's excellent track record in theory-building games research, we approach theory translation from four angles: 1) We investigate how game design practitioners make use of theory to identify avenues for productive theory translation. 2) We translate theoretical propositions from psychology to build explanatory theories of ill-understood games phenomena. 3) We develop translational resources that convey theoretical propositions in a manner that is useful and actionable for game design. 4) We evaluate the translated theories in terms of their utility to bridge research and design practice. Individually, each angle will result in important advances in HCI and games research. Collectively, THEORYCRAFT will produce a breakthrough in transparent and systematic theory translation, which will radically transform how knowledge is built, represented and disseminated – steering HCI and games research towards greater scientific integrity, practical relevance, and impact.

Keywords: games,human computer interaction,theory translation,game design,research practice gap
Variable Stiffness Upper Limb Prosthesis (VSoft Pro)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Proof of concept grants
Action type: ERC actions
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANTS (ERC-2024-POC, 2024)
Start date: 2025-08-01
End date: 2027-01-31
Duration (months): 18.0
Total project cost (EUR): 178714.29
EU funding (EUR): 150000.0
Participants: 2
Project status: SIGNED

Losing a limb can profoundly impact a person's physical, emotional, and social well-being. While current upper limb prostheses restore users' basic motor capabilities, they fall short of replicating the natural appearance and functionality of a human limb. The innate compliance and controllable stiffness of the human musculoskeletal system allow individuals to adapt seamlessly to various tasks and environments. Intuitively, prostheses with user-controllable stiffness could mimic this behaviour, promoting safe and natural interactions. However, current upper limb prostheses feature rigid actuation, which limits their versatility. Within the “VSoft Pro” ERC Proof of Concept project, we propose to develop a transhumeral upper limb prosthesis featuring user-controllable stiffness and passive adaptability. The developed prostheses leverage soft robotics principles to closely replicate the morphology and functionality of a human limb, paving the way to a more natural limb restoration experience that could augment users’ acceptance rate. The project will also focus on the development of intuitive control, empowering users to manage their bionic limb as an extension of their own body. Preliminary investigations aim to assess users’ needs to tailor the design of prosthetic devices to their preferences. Further goal of this research is to evaluate the advantages of voluntary stiffness control over classical rigid prostheses during functional tasks and activities of daily living, informing the development of future advanced prosthetic solutions. Finally, the Proof of Concept project will be focused on building a clinically viable prototype, and demonstrating its application in relevant scenarios.
XReverb: efficient generation and perceptual evaluation of reverberant spatial audio for Extended Reality (XReverb)

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
Call: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2021 (HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01, 2021)
Start date: 2023-09-01
End date: 2025-08-31
Duration (months): 24.0
Total project cost (EUR): 181152.96
EU funding (EUR): 181152.96
Participants: 1
Project status: CLOSED

Extended Reality (XR) refers to the technology which creates a 3D immersive environment where a user can perceive and interact with virtual objects by means of a head mounted display. Even though XR is still an active research area, its European market has already reached an estimated worth of €34 million, employing up to 480,000 people. It is expected that a mature XR infrastructure will raise the standards for remote working by enabling functional virtual workspaces, which could stimulate the European economy by offering equal opportunities to workers regardless of geography, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to less commuting, which is in line with European goals. A key part of XR is spatial audio, or sound signals which the user perceives as if they come from specific locations in a 3D space. Realistic spatial audio can be computationally expensive, particularly when simulating reverberation, i.e. the interaction of a sound source and the environment. This project investigates how humans perceive spatial reverberation to build more efficient rendering methods which enable high-quality spatial audio on XR. To that end, a novel reverberation encoding technique is proposed, based on a variable order Ambisonics framework, and a model for sound localisation in reverberation will be developed, which is expected to be a significant advancement in the field of auditory perception. The project will take place at a leading multidisciplinary group specialised on real-time spatial audio processing and who can offer excellent international collaboration opportunities. The researcher will bring skills on evaluation of spatial reverberation and inter-sectoral experience from having worked at a world leading research group within the industry, which will facilitate the transfer of knowledge. The proposed work will expand the researcher’s experience, competencies and professional networks, potentiating the development of his career as an independent researcher.

Keywords: spatial audio binaural audio auditory perception reverberation auditory modelling sound localisation
Macroscopic properties of interacting bosons: a unified approach to the Thermodynamic Challenge (MaTCh)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Excellent Science
Programme: European Research Council (ERC)
Theme: European research council
Destination: Starting grants
Action type: ERC actions
Panel: Mathematics
Panel description: All areas of mathematics, pure and applied, plus mathematical foundations of computer science, mathematical physics and statistics
Countries involved: Italy
Call: ERC STARTING GRANTS (ERC-2023-STG, 2023)
Start date: 2023-11-01
End date: 2028-10-31
Duration (months): 60.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1499004.0
EU funding (EUR): 1499004.0
Participants: 1
Project status: SIGNED

Interacting bosons are unique quantum systems, whose low temperature phases exhibit fascinating quantum mechanics effects at a macroscopic scale. In the past two decades, the mathematical understanding of these systems improved tremendously. However, their behavior in the thermodynamic limit is still poorly understood, although this is the appropriate large scale limit to prove the emergence of scaling laws and universality, as well as to investigate the occurrence of phase transitions. MaTCh aims at investigating the low energy properties of interacting bosons in the thermodynamic limit, and at gaining a mathematical understanding of the emergence of correlated phases, in the form of Bose-Einstein condensation and quasi-long range order, as well as of their instabilities, due to thermal fluctuations or three-body recombination effects of Efimov type. Our plan is to exploit scaling limits as a framework to identify and overcome, one at a time, the mathematical obstructions that currently prevent us to control the system at finite density in the thermodynamic limit. In order to make progress on this program, MaTCh will introduce novel mathematical methods, inspired by renormalization group approaches and grounded in the second quantization techniques developed by the P.I. and collaborators, valid on an increasing sequence of scales. Ultimately, the research led by MaTCh will lay the foundation for the rigorous description of several phenomena which are at the frontiers of present theoretical and experimental research, where collective excitations of quantum systems are described in terms of emergent Bose gases, such as in the BCS theory for superconductivity, the molecular description of strongly interacting Fermi gases, and the spin-wave theory for quantum magnetism.

Keywords: interacting bosons,bose einstein condensation,kosterlitz thouless transition,thermodynamic limit,scaling limits
Legitimate crisis management and multilevel governance (LEGITIMULT)

Framework: Horizon Europe — Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Programme: Culture, creativity and inclusive society
Theme: Culture, creativity and inclusive society
Destination: Innovative Research on Democracy and Governance
Action type: Research and Innovation actions
Countries involved: Italy,Switzerland,Canada,Norway,Netherlands,Slovenia,Belgium,Spain,Germany,Croatia,Sweden
Call: Politics and governance in a post-pandemic world (HORIZON-CL2-2021-DEMOCRACY-01, 2021)
Start date: 2022-10-01
End date: 2025-09-30
Duration (months): 36.0
Total project cost (EUR): 2994887.5
EU funding (EUR): 2994887.0
Participants: 11
Project status: SIGNED

LEGITIMULT assesses the impact of the measures taken by various international, national and subnational governments on multilevel institutions and intergovernmental relations in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The project analyzes the effect of these measures on democratic governance, highlighting to what extent multilevel governance influences their impact on democracy, favoring a model of legitimate crisis management. It assesses all measures taken by 31 European countries in relation to their impact on multilevel governance through the creation of a new dataset highlighting how these procedures link to multiple orders of governance – WHO and EU above the states, and regional and local governments below the national level. The impact of these measures is analyzed through the lens of a variety of dimensions that characterize functional democratic governance (Rule of Law and Democratic Participation; Human and Minority Rights; Trust; Economic Sustainability). LEGITIMULT qualifies the different trade-offs required within and across these dimensions in order to effectively and quickly deal with a crisis such as Covid-19, while at the same time maintaining a level of democratic governance and ensuring that any limitations to democratic standards are limited. These final trade-offs within and between the different dimensions of democratic governance in crisis management are gathered in a set of policy recommendations, tailored to different recipients, and developed through extensive consultation with stakeholder groups throughout the project. Citizens, policy makers and practitioners are involved in the experimental phase of the project, where interactive learning and practical tools are tested but also co-designed and co-refined with relevant stakeholders in a participatory way. Policy recommendations and practical tools merge into a toolkit for legitimate crisis management, ready for use in possible future crises.

Keywords: multilevel governance,comparative federalism,democratic governance,crisis management,trust,rule of law,democratic participation,legitimacy,intergovernmental relations