News
TFA Digital Badge wins ITAG Excellence Award
The Technology-Facilitated Abuse (TFA) Project delivered Ireland’s first digital badge to Recognise and Respond to Technology Facilitated Abuse launched in May 2024. The TFA digital badge is led by women across industry, academia and advocacy, this partnership between UCC, Safe Ireland, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and other cyber industry experts demonstrated the power of cross-sector collaboration in driving meaningful social impact. To date nearly 120 individuals have completed the TFA digital badge.
Winners of the "IT in the Community Award"
The ITAG (Innovation Technology Alantec Gateway) Awards took place on March 28th in Galway, drawing over 400 attendees from academia and industry. Celebrating 24 years of recognising technology and innovation excellence, the ITAG Awards featured 18 categories. Among them, the TFA Digital Badge distinguished itself and proudly claimed the IT in the Community Award.
UCC driving change
This was a cross-campus collaboration project in UCC with IT Services and the IT Inclusivity Team, led by Rosie Coffey and the School of Applied Social Studies, led by Dr. Shirley Martin, and supported by EDI unit. UCC played a pivotal role in this partnership, leveraging its academic expertise sets to develop impactful education programs and practical tools aimed at empowering survivors, frontline workers and all of the UCC Community.
The project has gained international recognition, bolstered by support from the Australian eSafety Commission, which provided critical insights and frameworks. This collaboration exemplifies how industry, academia, and advocacy groups can unite to tackle complex societal challenges, fostering safer online spaces and driving systemic change. The initiative's success was rewarded in Galway with the “IT in the Community Award” and highlights the transformative power of collaboration and corporate social responsibility. Congratulations to everyone involved in making the TFA digital badge come to reality.
Cross collaboration making a real difference and delivered:
✅ Ireland's first TFA digital badge equipping frontline workers, staff, students, and the public with skills to identify and respond to technological abuse.
✅ Partnered with the Australian eStafety Commissioner, bringing global best practices to Ireland.
✅ Created practical resources—digital booklets, online training, and over 80 explainer videos to help survivors secure their digital presence .
✅ Raised national awareness with billboard campaigns with Cyber Skills and media outreach.
✅ Contributed to international policy discussions, with our work being showcased to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
UCC IT Inclusivity Committee
Watch this short video to learn more about the IT Inclusivity Committee and their part in creating the TFA Digital Badge.