Professor Maria Grazia Porcedda, a researcher at ADAPT in Trinity College Dublin and Deputy Director of Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience, has been awarded a Research Ireland Public Service Fellowship to undertake research with Ireland’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). The award was announced today (10 November) as part of Research Ireland’s largest Public Service Fellowship programme to date. A total of 41 researchers will receive €3.9 million in funding to undertake projects with 24 government departments and public sector organisations.
The fellowship will support a research project entitled Cyber Security Research – Stakeholder and Community, examining how research and stakeholder engagement can contribute to strengthening Ireland’s cybersecurity resilience. The project will explore issues including cybersecurity capacity building, risk analysis, regulatory compliance and incident response, with a particular focus on the needs and experiences of communities, businesses and other stakeholders.
Potential areas of investigation include identifying gaps in cybersecurity knowledge and resources among SMEs and other organisations, alongside questions of diversity and inclusion within the cybersecurity sector. The research is expected to contribute to policy and practice through reports, workshops and engagement with industry and the public.
Maria Grazia is an Associate Professor in Information Technology Law at Trinity College Dublin. Her research focuses on cybersecurity, privacy, data protection and EU technology law, bringing together legal, technological and societal perspectives on digital security.
She is also Deputy Director of Trinity’s Centre for Digital Security and Societal Resilience, which brings together researchers from across technology, law, business, social sciences and the humanities to address challenges in digital security, governance and resilience.
The fellowship provides an opportunity to bring this interdisciplinary research expertise directly into the public service, helping to inform approaches to cybersecurity that recognise the importance of people, organisations and public trust alongside technical protection.
The programme supports closer collaboration between academic researchers and public bodies, helping to bring research evidence and expertise into public service delivery and policy development.
