In traditional industrial control systems and critical infrastructures, security was implicitly assumed by the reliance on proprietary technologies (security by obscurity), physical access protection and disconnection from the Internet. The massive move, in the last decade, towards open standards and IP connectivity, the growing integration of Internet of Things technologies, and the disruptiveness of targeted cyber-attacks, calls for novel, designed-in, cyber security means. Taking an holistic approach, SCISSOR designs a new generation SCADA security monitoring framework, comprising four layers: i) a monitoring layer supporting traffic probes providing programmable traffic analyses up to layer 7, new ultra low cost/energy pervasive sensing technologies, system and software integrity verification, and smart camera surveillance solutions for automatic detection and object classification; ii) a control and coordination layer adaptively orchestrating remote probes/sensors, providing a uniform representation of monitoring data gathered from heterogeneous sources, and enforcing cryptographic data protection, including certificate-less identity/attribute-based encryption schemes; iii) a decision and analysis layer in the form of an innovative SIEM fed by both highly heterogeneous monitoring events as well as the native control processes’ signals, and supporting advanced correlation and detection methodologies; iv) a human-machine layer devised to present in real time the system behavior to the human end user in a simple and usable manner. SCISSOR’s framework will leverage easy-to-deploy cloud-based development and integration, and will be designed with resilience and reliability in mind (no single point of failure). SCISSOR will be assessed via i) an off-field SCADA platform, to highlight its ability to detect and thwart targeted threats, and ii) an on-field, real world deployment within a running operational smart grid, to showcase usability, viability and deployability.

Temperature is a major factor amongst many environmental parameters, and affects species distribution through their thermal sensitivities, optima, and tolerances (1). Ultimately, temperature constrains every biological process (macromolecular structures and interactions, reaction flux (2)) and has been shown to be a strong selective factor in marine organisms (3). Eurythermal eukaryotes associated with deep-sea hydrothermal vents are organisms among the most exposed to highly fluctuant thermal regimes over small spatial scales (4). The acronym of the present project, BALIST, means "Biology of Alvinella : Isobaric Sampling and Transfer". Its aim is to allow a better understanding of the biology of the hydrothermal vent annelid Alvinella pompejana. This so-called "Pompeii worm" is a tubicolous polychaete that lives on the walls of active chimneys at deep-sea hydrothermal vents on the East Pacific Rise (EPR), a patchy, harsh and unstable environment (5-7). It is among the first metazoans to colonise young hot chimneys (8), and remains a controversial issue (9-11) some 30 years after its discovery. While its actual temperature resistance has yet to be determined, indirect evidence suggest that it may be one of the most thermotolerant metazoans (12-17), thriving upon vent chimney walls, at temperatures well above 50°C (5-7). As such, it is of great interest to the scientific community, as witnessed by the transcriptome sequencing program undertaken in 2004 : "Sequencing and analysis of the Genome of Alvinella , a thermotolerant metazoan" (Evry Genoscope, France. A large genome sequencing program is presently under negociation at the Genoscope). We propose to characterise the thermal stress response of Alvinella pompejana, from the organismal (behaviour) to the molecular level (expression of stress proteins, genetic transposition events). In addition, we intend to measure the level of gene regulation at a large transcriptomic scale in A. pompejana by comparing up- and down-regulated gene pathways, upon in vivo experiments involving both temperature and pressure variations. We have previously shown , for other hydrothermal vent organisms, that a high temperature resistance (above 40°C) is not a pre-requisite for approaching hot hydrothermal fluids (18-20). Therefore, adaptation to life in this extreme thermal environment cannot be explained "simply" by a high-temperature functional biochemistry (10). We will integrate the influence of pressure variations to our study, through the BALIST project, since both temperature and pressure may interfer in the stress responses (20, 27), and that pressure clearly influences thermostability of many biological systems (molecules, activities, organisms, (28-31)). These investigations will eventually clarify the respective selective roles of pressure and temperature in the process of invasion of the deep sea by surface organisms. Unfortunately, in vivo investigations on Alvinella's biology are at present impossible to achieve, because only a few specimens survive to the trauma of collection (>2000m depth), being at best moribund upon reaching the surface (38). The starting objective of the BALIST project is therefore to allow in vivo studies of Alvinella, by making sure these creatures reach the laboratory alive and in good physiological condition. This involves isobaric collection chambers, and the possibility of transferring these biota towards experimental facilities, without pressure loss. Once this is achieved, the main objective is the exploration of Alvinella's thermal stress response, by conducting appropriate heat exposure experiments on live animals. This should allow to assess the heat shock response at various levels, from behavioural (Ctmax) to molecular (heat-induced transcriptome, heat shock protein induction, ..) scales. The project will offer a unique opportunity to better understand how animals have adapted to confront high temperatures, in order to colonize extreme environments such as hydrothermal vents. Finally, a general outreach of the BALIST project is to provide adequate tools to undertake the study of biological responses to various stresses (chemical, pressure-induced, ..), regarding a wide variety of deep-sea biota. Such developments are urged by the growing impact of human activities on the deep sea (39), by the risk of extinguishing species (40), before science has a chance to discover their existence, let alone study their biology. References may be found in part 1.2 of the scientific document

Theoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling (TCCM) is emerging as a powerful tool to help in the rational design of new products and materials for pharmaceutical, chemical, energy, computer, and new-materials industries. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to go beyond the traditional electronic structure studies, and merge complementary techniques that are normally not available at a single research group. The research programme of the TCCM-EJD aims at applying computational modelling to problems demanded by the industry and with high societal relevance, namely Materials with special properties, Biomolecules for new therapies and Energy storage. The objective of the Joint Doctorate is to prepare future research leaders, able to develop and use multidisciplinary computational techniques (methods and software), with solid communication skills, with many contacts established through the intensive relationship with worldwide leading researchers of 12 European universities and 14 additional partners, including 7 industrial and spin-off companies. A Joint Doctorate in TCCM is already operative since 2011, based on a fully participative scientific discussion and assessment of all research projects with a clear interdisciplinary character and the direct participation of the non-academic sector. The training programme puts the emphasis in common training, including 3 annual International Workshops, 3 schools on High Performance Computing and 3 tutorials in new computer codes. Career development opportunities are enhanced with regular inter-sectoral activities, transferable skill education and career coaching.

Visual acuity is dependent upon the transparency of the cornea. Corneal transparency can be compromised by various pathologies, infections, trauma, ageing, and surgery, all of which result in increased light scattering. Lack of ocular anterior segment transparency is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, with corneal causes alone affecting over 10 million people. In current clinical ophthalmology practice, corneal transparency is usually monitored subjectively and qualitatively via direct focal illumination using a slit-lamp biomicroscope. Aside from inherent subjective and qualitative drawbacks, including poor reproducibility, this method lacks the capability to register and resolve changes in opacity that may be subtle. Hence, there is a critical need for a reliable and practical tool to objectively quantify, characterize, and monitor corneal transparency towards effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The overall objective of this research programme is to address this unmet need by developing and validating advanced concepts and novel imaging modalities tailored to the needs of cornea assessment. The programme investigates (1) Quantitative Polarized Slit-lamp Biomicroscopy, (2) Multi-Wavelength Full-Field Optical Coherence Tomography (FFOCT), and (3) Multi-Illumination Matrix FFOCT; all enabling ease of use, high resolution, and deep light-penetration characterization and imaging. The candidate will be in an excellent position to carry out the programme under the auspices of the ideal host (Institut de la Vision) and the ideal partner (Institut Langevin). The research will enhance our basic understanding of corneal transparency as well as lead to major changes and improvements in patient care and management. It will, moreover, open new avenues and spur further investigations of ocular media transparencies. The Fellowship will enable the candidate to continue innovations at the interface of physics and ophthalmology as an independent researcher.