The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor
sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has today announced a
landmark research collaboration with the University of Notre Dame, a leading research
university in the United States. Supported by the FIA Foundation, the collaboration will
strengthen the global response to online abuse in sport through joint research and
innovation.
- FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign expands into the United States for the first time, through a new academic collaboration
- Research collaboration with the University of Notre Dame will focus on online abuse in sport, with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence and its role in preventing harm
- The University of Notre Dame signed the UAOA Charter last month at its annual conference in Stockholm, Sweden
The agreement sets out a framework for collaborative research projects between the FIA
and the University of Notre Dame. These will focus on the causes, impact, and prevention of
online abuse in sport, including the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in both the
spread of harmful content and the development of potential solutions. Additionally, they
will examine how online abuse intersects with identity, alongside athlete experiences,
mental health, and the regulatory response of sports federations.
The University of Notre Dame and United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) are collaborating to
address the growing challenge of online abuse in sports. Using AI-enabled solutions
alongside surveys and policy research, the project will track harassment trends and identify
risks. It also introduces digital literacy workshops and a “Digital Civility and Safety Quest” to
help youth navigate online spaces safely. Together, these efforts aim to protect athletes and
foster safer digital communities around sport.
The findings of this analysis will contribute to research papers, including the UAOA
Barometer report, the leading annual study on online abuse in sport, helping to shape
practical policy considerations for creating safer online spaces across the global sporting
community.
The University of Notre Dame also signed the UAOA Charter, making it an official member of
the global coalition and the eighth academic institution to endorse the UAOA campaign.
This marks a significant milestone in the growth of the FIA’s UAOA campaign, representing
its first academic collaboration in the United States. UAOA’s expansion into the US is
particularly notable given the country’s deep-rooted sports culture, where major leagues
such as the NFL, NBA, and MLB attract millions of fans and generate intense online
engagement.
Speaking at the SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Mohammed Ben
Sulayem, FIA President and UAOA Founder said:
“This collaboration represents an important step forward in our mission to combat online
abuse across all levels of sport. I look forward to working with the University of Notre Dame,
one of the world’s leading research institutions, to explore innovative, AI-powered solutions
and to develop evidence-based strategies to ensure a safer and more inclusive sporting
environment for all. Our joint goal is to foster a safer inclusive online environment for
athletes, teams, and fans worldwide.”
Professor Nitesh Chawla, Director of the Data, AI, and Computing Initiative, Founding
Director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, and the Frank M. Freimann
Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame said:
“As the threat of online abuse continues to impact the sports world and beyond, this
collaboration will enable us to better examine possible solutions and how we can use
technology to protect our digital spaces. I’m looking forward to working with United Against
Online Abuse, using rigorous interdisciplinary research to look at both the challenges and
opportunities presented by AI.”
Chawla, who is also a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
(AAAI), fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), fellow of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the principal investigator on the project.
The collaboration reinforces both organisations’ shared commitment to promoting respect
and belonging in sport and beyond, and represents a strong endorsement of the FIA’s UAOA
campaign from a world-leading and globally respected academic institution.
The FIA’s UAOA campaign is a research-led coalition supported by the FIA Foundation.
Founded in 2023 the campaign has witnessed rapid growth in recent months and was
recently awarded Peace and Sport’s prestigious Coalition for Peace award in recognition of
its world-leading efforts building a formidable campaign driving meaningful change.
To date, the UAOA coalition has welcomed endorsements from the Governments of Greece,
France, Slovenia, Albania, Australia, Kenya, Costa Rica, Namibia, Rwanda, Georgia and the
Republic of Paraguay, alongside organisations such as the Association of IOC Recognised
International Sports Federations (ARISF) which represents one million athletes, sports
federations including Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) that has over 50
World Championships, the International Esports Federation, ASETEK SimSports,
International Federation of American Football, Paris Basketball Foundation, International
Federation for Sports Officials (IFSO), Peace and Sport Monaco, UNESCO, the Council of
Europe, Clark Hill LLP, Arwen.AI, Signify and Dublin City University.
ENDS
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About the FIA
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motor
sport and the federation for mobility organisations globally. It is a non-profit organisation
committed to driving innovation and championing safety, sustainability and equality across
motor sport and mobility.
Founded in 1904, with offices in Paris, London and Geneva, the FIA brings together 245
Member Organisations across five continents, representing millions of road users, motor
sport professionals and volunteers. It develops and enforces regulations for motor sport,
including seven FIA World Championships, to ensure worldwide competitions are safe and
fair for all.
